ROYAL TOUR Cancellation Of Event Caused By Rain

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32253, 23 March 1970, Page 28

ROYAL TOUR Cancellation Of Event Caused By Rain

(New Zealand Press Association)

NAPIER, March 22.

Rain marred the Royal programme in Napier last night when a variety concert was cancelled—the first time an event on the tour has been cut out for this

reason. The Royal couple was to have seen the last 25 minutes of the two-hour concert. Ironically, the rain stopped about the time the decision was taken.

A 70-strong Maori group from Hastings entertained more than 1000 people by dancing and singing in the wet street outside Marine Parade. The Queen was not able to take the planned walk along the parade.

The Queen and Prince, Philip watched a fire-' works display from the! shelter of the War! Memorial Hall. The hall was being used for a; private dinner party and i the 40 guests had an tin- ! expected glimpse of the Royal couple. A feature of the display, was effigies of the Queen and Princess Anne etched in fire-: works. The afternoon's events, were a huge success with Flash, the sealion, stealing the show at a special Marineland performance. He drew appreciative laughter from i the Queen and the Duke' when, dressed in a sailor’s | suit, he saluted the couple.j A few hundred people! gathered in cold conditions' at Government House. We!-; lington, and Wellington Air-; port yesterday afternoon to! see the Royal couple leave; the capital.

The Queen and the Duke of •Edinburgh spent Friday night; lat Government House, that l !evening and Saturday morn-; !ing being free from official! ; engagements. They flew to Napier in the l -afternoon by N.A.C. Friend-; (ship. It was fine there fori 'activities in the afternoon.; Napier turned on a carnival ; atmosphere for the Queen and | the Duke. Thousands of people wearing colourful cardboard som-| ; breros and beachwear turned! out in blazing sunshine to] cheer the couple as they 1 'drove to Marine Parade. Corgi Patted The parade was a seething' mass of people as the Queen' i and Prince Philip walked I among them. A special fair! ;was organised for today—it iis normally held at Christ-! ;mas —to give the Royal party ■some idea of Napier at holi-j I day time. Corgi dogs have been seen |at almost every centre the royal party has visited, but for the first time the Queen

stopped and patted one today. ; “They are lovely dogs aren't i they,” she told the dog's ■ owner. The Queen and the Duke I had their first meeting with a live kiwi which was on display by the Hawke’s Baywildlife trust. Prince Fishes The trust’s curator, Mr ; Kenneth Francis, who held 'the struggling bird, said the ! Queen was surprised that such a small creature could lay such a large egg. Prince Charles again fished; .at Waihaha Bay on the east-! ern shore of Lake Taupo yes-; ! terday. He left Moose Lodge on Lake Rotoiti near Rotorua by R.N.Z.A.F. helicopter at 1.30 j p.m. and “cruised around” for a while in the helicopter ! before going to Waihaha Bay j shortly before 4 pun. Princess Anne was flown by helicopter to Waihaha Bay to join Prince Charles.