Nelson will be alive with the sound of music this afternoon to mark 60 years of the Queen's reign.
Christchurch Cathedral is putting on a Diamond Jubilee Choral Evensong, starting at 5pm.
While celebrations in New Zealand may be rather more subdued than the royal pomp on display in London, chair of Monarchy New Zealand Sean Palmer says the Queen is still relevant down under.
“The royals are there for this country,” he says. “They also serve a larger constitutional purpose and that’s possibly where their real strength is.
“They are an important part of this country’s constitutional structure and a safeguard of its democracy in general.”
Overnight tonight 1000 boats, including a New Zealand waka, will escort the Royal Party down London's River Thames.
RadioLIVE