The Duchess of Sussex accepts gifts from the crowds at Government Gardens during their visit to Rotorua. Photo/Alan Gibson
We asked some of the early birds awaiting Harry and Meghan in Rotorua's Government Gardens what the royals meant to them.
"They really add something to the places they visit. They help people to appreciate their surroundings. People see their place through the eyes of others."
Helen English-Wara, 50, Holden's Bay
"A happy wife."
Parris Wara, 52, Holden's Bay
"My nan was a huge royals fan, she loved Her Majesty and I inherited that.
"They represent hope and a little bit of fantasy, a little bit of magic."
Polly Nicholls, 40, Springfield
"I grew up in a family where my grandmother adored the Queen. I have got a real respect for the and what they do. Today was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my daughter to experience that."
Susannah Taylor, 33, and Poppy Taylor, 5, Ngongotaha
"I am here to see Meghan because she's on Suits."
Joshua Donald, 18, Owhata
"I have followed the royals all over the UK. I am here because they are in New Zealand and I am in New Zealand. I've been interested in them for years and doing this over 30 years."
Julia McCarthy-Fox, 53, Sussex, UK
"I've always liked them. It used to be the mystery, all the pomp and pageantry. But they are getting more and more down to earth, more normal."
Lynda Robinson, 65, Masterton
"I've always followed them. I met the Queen here in 1977 when I was 10. I am really pleased about what Harry and Meghan are doing around mental health."
Donna Lloyd, 51, Ōmokoroa
"I was always team Lady Di. I was five when she appeared on the scene and she was my princess. So it's really for a the love of their mum that I still follow William and Harry. It's wonderful to see her boys happy."
Suzanne Moran, 44, Ōmokoroa
The Waipā campus in Rotorua is 'the only facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere'.