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After greeting the crowds that lined the streets in outside St
Paul’s, William and Catherine went to coach youth Rippa Rugby
teams. Rippa Rugby is the NZ equivalent of tag rugby, a non-contact
version of the sport, making it suitable for children.
Kate changed out of her turquoise Emilia Wickstead dress (a New
Zealand designer), her matching bespoke Jane Taylor fern hat and
Valerie heels for her next engagement of the day; once again Kate
gave a nod to her hosts with The Queen’s silver fern brooch.
The dress was a copy of a baby pink one worn in 2012 to a Garden
Party. This was swapped for jeans, a white jumper (to match her
teams colours) and trainers to coach her team, and Will had
also swapped his suit for more comfortable chinos, with a jumper
and shirt combination. At Forsyth Barr Stadium, they were
greeted by a haka from Otago’s First XV team.
Aided by New Zealand nationals,
including the All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, the Royal
couple’s competitive streak was once
again unleashed. It was William’s Clutha team who beat
Kate’s Pirates, scoring 30-20, and making the
father-of-one very happy. Having been beaten by experienced sailor
Kate twice in
yacht racing, Will seemed to have made up for it in coaching
rugby!
The next visit for The Duke and Duchess was to Amisfield Winery, a
vineyard in Queenstown, and the Royals changed again; Kate reused
her navy Zara blazer, teamed with a blue and white check shirt and
her Stewart Weizmann navy wedges, while William took off his jumper
and added a jacket.
William is apparently a keen wine drinker, and knows about the
different varieties which go well with certain foods, however Kate
doesn’t often drink, but admitted to the vineyard owners that since
George has been born, she has been enjoying a few glasses, having
abstained from drinking during her pregnancy.
Around 20 local producers gave samples to
William and Catherine to try. Central Otago Pinot Noir
Ltd chairwoman, Lucie Lawrence, said that Kate ‘really enjoyed
drinking the Pinot Noir’, having tried 6 or 7 different wines, but
The Duchess is known to prefer white wines.
The Duke offered his services to the vineyard as a helicopter pilot
for an unusual task- the company uses a hovering helicopter to stir
up cold air, and prevent frost settling on the vines, The Telegraph
reports. John Darby, owner of Amisfield, said that The Duchess
‘seemed keen’ on the suggestion to get a 2013 vintage magnum, to
keep for his 21st birthday, thinking it was a ‘nice idea’; the
vineyard owner also noted 2013 was an excellent year for wines.
To round off the day, William and Kate enjoyed a private lunch,
followed by a high-speed jet boat ride, called a ‘Shotover’,
so-called because of its high speeds.
The boat ride lasted 25 minutes and was part of the couple’s
limited private time during their tour, though the press naturally
followed, as did the local crowds.
The boat has a V8 power engine, and reaches speeds of up to 52 mph.
The Duke and Duchess were seen laughing with delight, being sprayed
with water as the boat took a 360 degree turn. This was an
adrenaline-seekers dream, travelling close to the rocky shore, and
through narrow stretches of water. They then met with local school
children.
After their busy day, the couple stayed in Queenstown for the
night, at Matakauri Lodge. This is the first of just two
nights the young parents will spend away from young Prince
George.
Photo Credit: Government House, New Zealand]]>
