The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who will arrive from Auckland shortly after lunch, will be treated to the best of the Barossa Valley during their whirlwind South Australia visit.
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Student Rawhiti says they were excited to meet Charles, but they were hoping to meet his youngest son.
They had just returned to dock at Princes Wharf after four days sailing in a “Spirit Trophy” voyage. After the cutlery excitement, the couple were given a tour of the venue, and they tasted an assortment of wines (Camilla reportedly revealed she is a “red-wine drinker”).
He shook hands with the students and asked them about their schooling and experience aboard the ship.
Watched by pupils from Tikorangi school, he planted the tree and then joked with the children, saying: “At least you don’t have to go back to school after this”.
Dressed in matching (perhaps not deliberately) outfits – Charles with a grey suit and purple tie, and Camilla with a crisp white jacket – they both wore a poppy on their lapels.
Prince Charles and Camilla at Seppeltsefield Winery in Barossa.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall made peace with the Maori nation today at a spectacular welcome ceremony that lasted an entire morning.
Camilla, battling a cold, couldn’t make it, but it’s hard to beat an encounter with a prince.
“The captain, Nick, said we’ve got a surprise and he told us tomorrow we’re meeting someone special”, says Conor Stumbles, from Dunstan High School.
Stephanie Bristol has been the cook aboard the vessel for three years.
“And perhaps they are right… a few people will doubtless prefer the stability of a system that has been reasonably well tried and tested over the years, while others will see real advantages in doing things differently”.
Laura Garner, 15, of Waitakere College, was enjoying her time aboard the ship.
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.
“We pay attention to what they do, but we’re not hardcore fans”, she said.
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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.
