This would be Prince Charles’ fifteenth time to visit Australia, and will be celebrating his sixty seventh birthday on November 14 with a beachside barbeque in Western Australia.
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His wife has always said how brilliant he is with children, and Prince Charles did indeed show a grandfatherly touch as he played with a baby during an official tour Down Under.
“I’d heard she didn’t like flying so I thought she’d appreciate these New Zealand lollies”, she said, laughing.
Prince Charles waves to students gathered on the deck of the Spirit of Adventure from Princes Wharf.
“When I was last here in 1994 Dame Te Atairangi Kaahu was a kind and gracious host she was also an extraordinary leader who shepperded her people through times of great change, with quiet dignity”.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have begun their five-day tour of Australia with a visit to South Australia’s Barossa region and a meeting with domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty, the Australian of the Year. This made the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall the logical choice to represent Queen Elizabeth.
“I shook hands with Charlie and as a bit of humour I said I would see him back in the UK”.
The Spirit of New Zealand takes high school students on voyages of up to ten days around the Hauraki Gulf.
Stephanie Bristol has been the cook aboard the vessel for three years.
Artist Kim Kahu talked the Duchess through the process and as she became engrossed in the work she said: “I can see it’s very therapeutic”.
“They find they can do things they didn’t think they could do”.
Along the way there was plenty of easy chit-chat with royal watchers and no gaffes, although Prince Charles probably hasn’t done the global reputation of black garlic much good.
“I couldn’t believe it when he turned around and came towards me and said “oh, I don’t know if we should do that” and I just grabbed him and got a kiss”.
After the greetings Mr. Key left for nearby Government House for a ceremonial welcome with New Zealand’s governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae.
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Charles wore a kiwi feather cloak as five ornately carved war canoes, or waka, paraded past on the Waikato River, each carrying about 30 tattooed warriors who raised their paddles in salute, singing Maori chants as they went by.
