Charles & Camilla in NZ – puppies, prison & pinot noir

Continuing their 12-day tour of New Zealand, Prince Charles and Camilla spent the day in Nelson, followed by visits to Westport and Wellington.

The Royal couple’s day began with a walkabout in the centre of Nelson, greeting the hundreds of well-wishers, before visiting Nelson’s market, which sells locally produced food, beverages, arts and crafts.

Then the Prince and his wife went their separate ways: The Duchess of Cornwall visited the World of Wearable Art Museum. During the visit the Duchess met models wearing clothes designed for a competition, which has been held in New Zealand since 1987. Camilla looked quite amused about the costumes, including a ‘Frockatoo’, and told model Lucy Aitcheson that the costume looked very good on her.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visits the World of Wearable Arts Museum in Nelson. Picture by imago / i-Images

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visits the World of Wearable Arts Museum in Nelson. Picture by imago / i-Images

Prince Charles visited Nelson’s Cawthron Insitiute. During the visit, Prince Charles donned a white lab coat and explored the sustainable seafood at the Institute. The Prince looked at algae, through a microscope, then asking questions regarding two-day old mussels; he asked about their growth, diet, and life.

The Prince of Wales then listened to how Cawthron and research company Plant and Food Research were working towards making the seafood industry sustainable and clean with the ever-increasing population – a cause Charles is passionate about.

The Prince at Cawthron Institute in Nelson #RoyalVisitNZ

A photo posted by Governor-General of NZ (@govgeneralnz) on

The next stop for Charles and Camilla was wine tasting! At Mahana Winery, Nelson, the Royal couple tried organic red wine, which the winery focuses upon, as well as local products including mussles and cheeses.

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, visit Mahana Winery in Nelson, New Zealand. Picture by imago / i-Images

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, visit Mahana Winery in Nelson, New Zealand. Picture by imago / i-Images

 

Prince Charles’ next port of call was Westport Airport to see Exercise Southern Katipo, an exercise combining the skills of the army, air force and navy forces.

 

Wearing the New Zealand Defence Force beret, he met troops from eight countries, including a bomb detection dog named Chuck.

 

The Prince involved in the Defence Force exercise, Operation Southern Katipo #RoyalVisitNZ A photo posted by Governor-General of NZ (@govgeneralnz) on

 

Meanwhile, the Duchess spent time with some furry friends at the Society for the Prevention of cruelty to Animals in Wellington; the SPCA is the New Zealand version of the RSPCA, but without Royal patronage, and provides care and a home for 6000 unwanted animals.

Camilla got to make friends with a number of puppies, before giving one a bath!

Camilla makes friend with Noah the puppy via @GovGeneralNZ

Camilla makes friend with Noah the puppy via @GovGeneralNZ

Rounding off Charles’ day was another beverage-oriented engagement: a visit to small craft brewer, The West Coast Brewery. Here, he sampled some of their organic beer.

To end the day, Camilla spent time a Arohata Prison to meet women taking part in a six-week creative writing course. The facility is one of three women only prisons in New Zealand, focusing on education and training for all eligible prisoners. Back in the UK, the Duchess champions literacy, including that of offenders.

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1 comment

Al-Shiref Al-Sheikh Dr Raad Al-Anbaky Sat 07 November, 2015 - 4:53 pm

Have Good Time

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