Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall received a traditional Maori welcome on arriving in New Zealand on Wednesday. The royal couple were given the customary hongi greeting as they touched down in Wellington to begin a 12-day tour of New Zealand and Australia.
While they arrived to rain and strong winds, the pair were in bright spirits as they met Prime Minister John Key and his wife Bronagh, before travelling to Government House for a ceremonial welcome with New Zealand's governor-general Sir Jerry Mateparae.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Charles and Camilla received a traditional Maori welcome
Charles and Camilla are set to spend a few days in Wellington before travelling to Dunedin, Nelson, Ngaruawahia, New Plymouth and Auckland. During their trip they will visit Turangawaewae Marae, the home of the Maori monarchs, where they will see a flotilla of Maori canoes on the Waikato River.
They will also mark New Zealand's Conservation Week by paying a visit to the Orokonui Eco-Sanctuary – home to some of the country's rarest creatures and plants in the protected forest in the South Island.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple are on a 12-day visit to New Zealand and Australia
The royal couple's visit will then continue in Australia, where they will visit Adelaide, Tanunda, Canberra, Sydney, Albany and Perth. Their agenda includes a meeting with the country's new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Remembrance Day in Canberra. Prince Charles will also celebrate his 67th birthday on 14 November with a beach-side barbecue in Western Australia.
It will be the 15th time that Prince Charles has visited Australia and comes just months after his son Prince Harry carried out a four-week secondment with the Australian army in April. The country was also the destination for Prince George's first ever overseas tour in April 2014, when he joined his parents Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, for a three-week tour of both Australia and New Zealand.
