Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, spent yesterday doing outdoor activities and sailing as he kicked off a tour of New Zealand and Australia.
Edward, who is the youngest son of the late Queen Elizabeth, is in the country to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award.
The award, founded by his father, Prince Phillip, recognises young people worldwide for excellence in volunteering, physical fitness, practical skills and outdoor exhibitions.
Edward was welcomed with a mihi whakatau at Bluelight in Papakura, a youth organisation supporting young people.
While there, he met with award participants, completing activities like "high ropes, camp skills, and adventurous journey planning".
Blue Light chief executive Rod Bell said it was an "honour" and a "privilege" to welcome the duke.
"With a sense of pride, we celebrated the achievements of 40 wonderfully diverse South Auckland participants who were awarded their Bronze and Silver certificates," he said.
Edward then went aboard the Spirit of New Zealand, surprising trainees who were mid-way through a 10-day journey — chatting about their experience.
The duke had previously completed his DOE gold award on its sister ship, the Spirit of Adventure.
"As a former participant, it was great for HRH to have an opportunity to step back on board our ship and re-live the wonderful experience these young New Zealanders get to be a part of," Spirit of Adventure Trust chief executive Bruce Pilbrow said.
"In partnership with The Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award team, we have collectively been fostering and supporting empowered rangatahi for 110 years."
Emma Brown, chief executive of Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award, said it was a "pleasure" to host Edward in New Zealand and that it celebrated a "phenomenal" milestone.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and highlight the amazing mahi of so many dedicated individuals — both the volunteers and participants who work so hard to achieve their Award," she said.
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