Queen Elizabeth lands in Australia

Queen Elizabeth is greeted on arrival at Fairburn Royal Australian Airforce Base in Canberra. Picture / Reuters

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip have arrived in Canberra to begin their five-day tour of Australia. The crowd of several hundred cheered and waved English and Australian flags as the royal couple stepped out of the plane.

"It was lovely. My grandma got to talk to her... just to say welcome back to Australia," a spectator said.

They were greeted by a welcoming party, including the Prime Minister and the Governor-General.

The Queen then greeted the excited crowd and received bunches of flowers.

Afterwards, people expressed how thrilled they were to see the couple.

"It was a great honour to be that close to the Queen," one said.

"Within a metre is pretty darn good - of someone who appears on our currency in day-to-day transactions."

The royal couple will stay overnight at Government House in Canberra before official public engagements begin in Sydney tomorrow.

They will open the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday before leaving for Singapore on Thursday.

- RADIO AUSTRALIA