Charles and Camilla’s Visit to New Zealand, Day Two

Day two of their tour of New Zealand began with separate events in Wellington for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Prince Charles paid a visit to Tawa College, where he was welcomed by students performing the haka, the traditional Māori war dance. He spent time speaking with several students about sports, their music lessons, and also the sustainability of wool to younger students who have studied the product (Charles himself was wearing a suit made of New Zealand wool).

The Duchess meanwhile was at Te Wahea, the home of the New Zealand School of Dance and Drama. A special ballet performance was held in her honour, before she met with the dancers and was shown around some of the performance rooms and the sewing rooms where costumes were being made.

It was then to the airport heading for Dunedin, where the couple hopped aboard the Taieri Gorge Railway. A large crowd gathering at the Mosgiel Railway Station to catch a glimpse of the royals, before they were given a tour of the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum.

Prince Charles later visited the Animation Research headquarters, where he donned  a pair of virtual goggles that gave him the ‘experience’ of being in a racing catamaran. “I’m not going to look too long,” he said before putting on the device. He also got to take the helm of a virtual America’s Cup yacht.

The Duchess was a short distance away in the afternoon at the University of Otago, to help celebrate Dunedin being named a UNESCO City of Literature. In a speech Camilla spoke of the “world full of adventure and excitement, joy and sadness” that comes with reading, and how it has remained a favourite pastime of hers since childhood.

A reunion took place at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary for the couple’s last event of the day, as they were given a tour of the sanctuary and were shown several native animals including the endangered tuatara, which Prince Charles got to hold. The Prince praised the sanctuary’s conservation efforts, saying that he hoped his grandchildren, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, would one day be able to see the “remarkable creatures”.

The Prince holds a tuatara during a visit to the Orokonui Ecosanctuary

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Animals, Children, Conservation, Education, Literature, New Zealand, Official Visit, Technology, The Arts, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales.

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