Prince Charles enjoys a laugh with New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd during the 'Tea With Taranaki' event. Photo / Getty Images
Prince Charles enjoys a laugh with New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd during the 'Tea With Taranaki' event. Photo / Getty Images
Whanganui woman Merenia Donne was up at 4am to drive to New Plymouth in the hope of meeting Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.
With her was Rica, the canine companion who helps her since her head injury.
Ms Donne is the founder of the Kotuku Foundation Assistance Animals Aotearoa. Most of the foundation's animals help people with life threatening conditions - such as people with diabetes who can go into shock if their blood sugar gets too low.
Children perform a haka for Prince Charles. Photo / Getty Images
She was especially hoping to meet Camilla, who is the patron of a similar organisation in the United Kingdom, Medical Detection Dogs. And she knows the duchess likes dogs and had met the royal couple in Feilding a few years ago.
So it was a great thrill when Camilla made a beeline for her and the dog. She accepted Ms Donne's gift of photographs and Rica attempted to shake hands with her.
The royal pair remembered Ms Donne and had time for a quick chat.
Another among the hundreds lining the road out of the park was Nicole McKay, who gave Charles her 5-month-old baby, Alba, to hold.
"It was wonderful. I'm still shaking," she said afterward.
Lauraine and Brian Vincent have been in New Zealand for 11 years but formerly lived in Birmingham, where Mrs Vincent worked for The Prince's Trust, which helps young people who need more skills.
Prince Charles meets fans during the 'Tea With Taranaki' event at Brooklands Park. Photo / Getty Images
Mrs Vincent had never met the prince, but other staff members told her he took a genuine interest in the trust and in the welfare of young people.
"He would turn up because he cared, not for publicity.
"He's got his heart in the right place. I think he would be a good king."
The royal couple were nearly two hours late in arriving at the big marquee set up in New Plymouth's Brooklands Park for their Tea with Taranaki event.
They were greeted by karanga and waiata, and arrived accompanied by Wharehoka Wano.
The 500 screened and invited guests had cold drinks and finger food and listened to local musicians while they waited.
The general public, also present in hundreds, waited outside barriers to greet them as they walked back to their vehicle.
Prince Charles receives a hug from a guest during the 'Tea With Taranaki' event at Brooklands Park. Photo / Getty Images
A long-awaited meeting
Every year Tibbeth Smith, 80, sends Prince Charles a birthday card and a Christmas greeting.
The New Plymouth woman has had a fascination with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales since she was 19 and he was about seven.
This week she finally got to meet her idol and not only that - but she also managed to get a hug as well as a kiss.
"He gave me a peck on the cheek," she said.
"Oh it was great. Charles is my favourite without a doubt and I was just so happy to meet him. I don't write to anyone else - just Charles and Camilla.
"I get letters back from them, but they are never signed."
Mrs Smith was one of the first of hundreds of people at Tea for Taranaki.
"I told Camilla about all of the letters and she said it was nice to be able to put a face to the name," Mrs Smith said.
"I gave her a big hug too. It was absolutely wonderful."
Mrs Smith said she she has sent the royal couple many cards over the years.
"I sent them one when they got married too. I was so very happy when they got together.
"Oh and today I was so excited to meet them. To be so close to him, oh I never dreamed that was going to happen.
"I haven't been able to sleep for a week and I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight after that."
The guests had been treated to an afternoon of lamingtons, mini pavlovas, sausage rolls and venison meatballs. Glasses of orange juice and sparkling fruit juice with strawberries were dotted around on tables, leaving a clear indication of the wait and the warm weather.
Weaving tutor Kim Kahu, who talked the duchess through the exercise, said Camilla was a natural.
"She picked it up very quickly. She just took over and knew exactly what to do."
A history lesson for Prince Charles
Prince Charles had a chance to visit one of the jewels in New Plymouth's crown on Monday afternoon.
Welcomed onto Te Rewa Rewa Bridge by members of Ngati Tawhirikura hapu, the Prince of Wales was escorted across the structure by Ngamata Skipper, who gave him a run down of the history of the land and its people.
Ms Skipper, who is chairwoman of the hapu, was nervous leading up to the event but said it was an honour to have Prince Charles visit her ancestral land.
"He's manuhiri and it's our role to welcome and support him.
"We have a really long history on this land," Ms Skipper said.
Prince Charles is greeted by local Iwi at the Te Rewa Rewa bridge. Photo / Pool, AFP
On the other side of the bridge was kaumatua and kuia of the hapu, which is part of Te Atiawa, Taranaki's largest iwi.
Included in the history lesson provided to Charles was the types of activities the Waiwhakaiho river was used for, such as whitebaiting and fishing.
After checking out the bridge, which was designed by Peter Mulqueen and opened in 2010, Charles got a chance to meet members of the Taranaki Race Walking team and shook hands with one of the oldest in the group, 91-year-old Ivor Ellis.
"Have we interrupted your jogging?" Charles quipped, before asking him about his training regime.
Afterwards he met two Opunake High School students, staff involved in the Enviroschools programme and pupils from Toko School, spending a few minutes chatting with each group.
Close to 100 people turned up to see the Prince on his walkabout, including New Plymouth's Alistair Glennie, who handed the royal a packet of pumpkin seeds as a gift.
HRH Prince Charles meets a member of the local walking group as he walks along the Coastal Walkway. Photo / Pool, AFP
After his close encounter with the future King, the 11-year-old said he wanted to give him a present and knew Charles had a love of gardening.
He said he was surprised when the Prince stopped and talked to him though.
Before heading off, Charles spoke to several of the region's lifeguards and stopped for a chat with Daniel Farr, a top junior surfer from New Plymouth.
The 16-year-old said the two talked about Farr's recent success at the national scholastic surfing competition.
The teen said it has been "pretty cool" to meet the prince.
"It's a once in a lifetime experience I guess," Farr said.
Don't touch the art
Even the Duchess of Cornwall can't resist touching the sculptures in New Plymouth's Len Lye Centre.
During her action-packed day in Taranaki the duchess made a stop at the region's multi million-dollar Len Lye Centre.
Within minutes of being inside the newly opened gallery Camilla had her eye on Universe - a kinetic sculpture by Lye made from a steel band and a ball.
Although there are small signs dotted around the gallery asking people to resist touching the works Camilla was taken by the art and asked director Simon Rees if she could touch the kinetic sculpture.
Rees said that this week he had been asked many times by journalists if Camilla would be able to touch the works
."I still hadn't decided, but John Matthews said, 'Please, go ahead, just don't cut your finger on the razor sharp edge'.
"Matthews, who is the chairman of the Len Lye Centre Foundation, joined Rees in escorting the duchess on a tour of the art museum, which opened in July this year.
She met about 10 children who were making musical instruments inspired by Lye's work and spoke with them about their creations.
Jaydee Lea, 6, told Camilla he was going to take his instrument home to show his mum and dad.
The duchess responded by asking Jaydee, who was wearing a Taranaki rugby jersey, if his parents minded noise.
Camilla also spoke to Jack McLaren, 6, about his musical instrument.
Jack, who was wearing an All Blacks jersey, gave Camilla a run down of what pieces of his tinfoil guitar-like instrument made noises.
"That's very clever," she said.
Her Royal Highness then moved into the large works gallery where she was met by senior primary school children who were sketching and designing their own kinetic works.
The works in the room, known as the Four Fountains seemed to impress the duchess, who took the time to look at the height of the works, as well at the shadows they created on the walls.
Outside the centre Camilla stopped to shake the hands of about 50 royal watches who had queued for an hour for the chance to catch a glimpse of her.She stopped to say hello to every person her offered their hand to her.
Rees said he had enjoyed showing Camilla around the Len Lye Centre and she appeared to have had an enjoyable time.
"She is a very charming woman," Rees said.
"I didn't have to make any great effort, she just spoke naturally with the people around her and asked the sorts of questions people ask on their first visit to the Len Lye Centre."
Rees said he hoped the royal visit would throw a positive light on New Plymouth and Taranaki as an important city in New Zealand.
"Our hope is that the Len Lye Centre might be the biggest attraction for the town as a whole."
The Len Lye Centre, designed by architect Andrew Patterson, is New Zealand's first gallery dedicated to a single artist.
In 1980, Len Lye gifted his collection and archive to be housed at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, calling it the "swingiest art gallery in the antipodes".
The $2m curved exterior walls of the mirror-like stainless steel are the country's first example of destination architecture linked to contemporary art.
One was proud New Plymouth resident Donna Hardy, who had brought a booklet about Taranaki to give the royal couple. She was one of about 60 waiting at the airport but didn't get a chance to offer it.
She was luckier outside the Len Lye building. The duchess came out after just 40 minutes, and went straight across the street to talk to people. She accepted Ms Hardy's gift.
"She took the book and shook my hand. It made my day."
Ms Hardy remembers meeting the queen in New Plymouth when she was about six years old.
"We don't often get royalty here. They usually go to bigger places, so it's really nice," she said.
Another in the crowd, Kay Stills, also remembered an early visit to New Plymouth by the Queen.
"My whole school went along. I got a little gold medal and a flag we had given at school. It's in my glory box, actually."
Prince Charles meets the local horses
Meanwhile, a look at some riparian planting, a chat with some dairy industry representatives, a tree planting and the chance to meet a couple of local horses all featured when Prince Charles visited Trewithen Dairy Farm in Tikorangi, Taranaki this afternoon.
His Royal Highness spoke with farm owner Gavin Faull about the farm, which is recognised as one of the leading dairy farms in Australasia.
Speaking after the visit, Mr Faull said it had been a fantastic day and he had found Prince Charles to be very knowledgeable about farming.
"You can't bluff him, he knows the issues facing dairy farming and he asked lots of good questions about the issues dairy farmers are facing in New Zealand."
Jeremy Thomson, a farmer and riparian planting expert, accompanied the prince on a drive to an area of established riparian planting on the farm.
Mr Thomson said Prince Charles asked questions about the types of trees planted and if they had commercial value as well as environmental.
Prince Charles had a cup of tea while talking to dairy representatives at the farm. The tea was made by Bianca Richter and Lynne Payne, who both used to work at the farm.
For Camdyn Johnson, 5, meeting a "real live prince" was very exciting, although "he wasn't wearing a crown".
Prince Charles then spoke with members of the small crowd who had gathered at the farm fence. He took particular interest in three horses who stood amongst the people.
"A European horse," he commented on being introduced to Buddy, a warmblood.
On being told by Buddy's owner, Rod Jupp, the horse was quarter Clydesdale, he commented "that's why he is so big and strong".
Mr Jupp said speaking to Prince Charles was a great experience, adding "he has a good sense of humour, very nice to talk to".
