On the second day of Prince Harry’s tour of New Zealand, he made a few stops throughout the day, beginning with Invercargill.
Prince Henry meets Henry, the centenarian Tuatara
The city, on the very southern part of the island, has not had a Royal visit in three decades, and Harry was greeted by mayor Tim Shadbolt and Ngai Tahu leader Mark Solomon. He also got to meet his 100-year-old namesake, Henry, a Tuatara and was presented with a traditional
The Prince, on his first trip to New Zealand, then travelled to Stewart Island, off the coast of the country’s south island; it has a population just 378. Stewart Island is the most southern point on Earth before reaching Antarctica. Here, Harry took in the wildlife and scenery, and then went to a meet-and-greet event at the local community centre at lunctime.
The army Captain even had a go at shucking Bluff oysters (opening them), the island’s delicacy, and handed the oyster to a member of the public.
Harry stipulated before his trip that he wanted to meet as many different people as possible, and such events are demonstrative of this.
Ulva Island was next on the agenda, which is an open island and predator-free sanctuary. It took a 10-minute water taxi ride to get the Prince there, where he explored the island with Department of Conservation rangers and learned about its conservation. Ulva is home to a number of rare species, including the Stewart Island robin and brown kiwi.
Harry gets a water taxi across to Ulva Island
Harry was taken with the robins, said Brent Beaven, conservation services manager, as they came up and landed near his feet. The Prince also learned how to set a trap.
Harry then returned to the main settlement, and attended a private church service at St Andrews Anglican Church. The 30-year-old Captain was able to spend the night of his own accord on Stewart Island, and he will visit a school on Monday morning before heading to.
Photos: Emily Nash/@emynash
