Nelson

I'm flying up to Auckland tomorrow so I headed up to Nelson after work rather than driving up to the airport at 4.30 in the morning.

I realised, walking up the main street of Nelson, that I hadn't taken any photos today, so decided the cathedral would suffice.

Our first cathedral was built in the 1860's out of wood. That was damaged in the 1890's by an eathquake and then futher damaged some years later by fire, so a new cathedral was begun in 1923. The new cathedral was begun in Takaka marble but the depression halted work due to lack of funds. It wasn't until the 1950's that someone came up with the idea of finishing it off in concrete. That idea caused a real hue and cry, with people claiming that it would be 'ugly'. In the end the building went ahead and thus we have the current cathedral.

You decide if it is ugly or not!

Unfortunately the concrete parts of the building (including the tower) are deteriorating and they are going to have to look at strengthening or rebuilding.