The royal tour down under: A day-by-day itinerary

They’re at it again! It’s almost time for The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to embark on another official royal tour. This time, however, they’ll have Prince George in tow. Want to keep track of their every move on their trip to New Zealand and Australia? The tour will kick off this Monday in New Zealand, and we may see Prince George appear at two of the official functions throughout the trip.

Here’s a closer look at their daily itinerary:

• April 7th: Arrive in Wellington. They will go straight to the home of the Governor-General, where they will receive a Ceremonial Welcome to New Zealand concluding with a 21 gun salute.
• April 8th: Rest day. (They’ll be staying in a private residence away from the capital. Having flown 25 hours, they’ll no doubt be jet lagged. We forget royals need their downtime too!)
• April 9th: Wellington. Attend an engagement to recognize the work of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, which provides health care and support to new mothers, fathers and their babies. Here, we could potentially see Prince George make an appearance.
• April 10th: Blenheim. Attend ceremony commemorating 100 years since the start of the first world war. Later in the day, they will return to Wellington, where they will meet with the Leader of The Opposition and with the Prime Minister. A State Reception given by the Governor General at Government House will follow, where the Duke will deliver a short speech and also unveil a portrait of The Queen.
• April 11th: Auckland. Tour the largest air force base in New Zealand, meeting service airmen and women. Later in the day – a yacht race! William and Kate are said to be a little competitive. Here we’ll see them arrive at the Emirates Team New Zealand base and each board a different yacht. They’ll then engage in an “informal” race between the two yachts. Kate is said to be a keen follower of race sailing.
• April 12th: Hamilton and Cambridge. In Hamilton, the couple will split, with William visiting a company called Pacific Aerospace at Hamilton Airport, and Kate visiting a children’s hospice called Rainbow Place. In Cambridge, the couple will pay their respects at a war memorial. Following this, they will formally open the Avantidrome, New Zealand’s brand new national velodrome.
• April 13th: Dunedin and Queenstown. This will be the start of a two-day trip, away from Prince George. In Dunedin, the couple will attend a Palm Sunday service. Then they will watch a festival of Rippa Rugby (non-contact rugby for children). Here we’ll see the couple each coach a team, creating another competitive environment, no doubt. Then, they’ll travel to Queenstown, visiting a wine vineyard followed by a trip to the Shotover River.
• April 14th: Christchurch. The couple will see how the area has healed and redeveloped since the devastating earthquake in 2011, as well as attend a ceremony remembering those lost in the disaster.
• April 15th: Rest day.
• April 16th: Wellington. In the morning, before flying out to Australia, William and Kate will visit the Royal New Zealand Police College. The College was opened by the Prince Charles just over 30 years ago.

In Australia:

• April 16th: Sydney. Reception at Sydney Opera House.
• April 17th: Blue Mountains. Here, William and Kate will visit families affected by the bushfires that struck the area last October. Afterwards, the couple are taking some time for themselves to see some of  the “natural beauty for which the Blue Mountains are famed.” Maybe we’ll see some of Kate’s photography from this day?
• April 18th: Sydney (Good Friday). Day spent in and around Sydney. They will visit Bear Cottage, a children’s hospice, and Manly Beach to meet surf life-saving volunteers.
• April 19th: Brisbane. RAF visit outside of Brisbane, followed by a tree planting ceremony at Amberley’s Memorial Garden.
• April 20th: Sydney (Easter Sunday). William and Kate will attend a morning service at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, where they will also sign the first bible to have been used in Christian service held in Australia in 1788. After, they will visit the Taronga Zoo, where the Zoo will be naming their Bilby Enclosure after Prince George.
• April 21st: (Easter Monday). This is Prince George’s first Easter! It will be a private day for the family.
• April 22nd: Uluru (Ayer’s Rock). Second night way from Prince George. Here the couple will attend a welcome ceremony from members of the local indigenous communities. They will later have a guided walk of Uluru itself. This may another great photography opportunity for Kate!
• April 23rd: Adelaide. Here they’ll attend the suburb of Elizabeth, formed in 1955 and named after the Queen.
• April 24th: Canberra. William and Kate will attend the National Portrait Gallery, followed by a visit to Parliament House, where William will deliver a speech at a reception held by the Prime Minister. They will then visit the National Arboretum, where they’ll also plant a tree.
• April 25th: Canberra. William and Kate will attend the ANZAC Day March and Commemorative Service at the Australian War Memorial. Here they’ll remember the 99th year of the Anzac landings, and plant a tree in the Memorial Garden.

The entourage: Who is travelling with the royal couple you might ask? Their party will consist of both their private secretaries, three press officers, a tour secretary, a personal assistant, a hairdresser, and an orderly to help with logistics. As well, Sir David Manning, who was assigned by the Queen as a part-time advisor to Prince William and Prince Harry’s households, will also be on the tour.

How are they getting there? Their private secretary said the Duke and Duchess will be travelling both to and from London and Australia via scheduled flights. Does that mean you could be on the same flight as them? Maybe! Or maybe it means they chartered a private plane. We shall see.

It’s also worth noting, that this is Kate’s first trip ever to Australia and New Zealand. Prince William, visited both countries in March of 2011, shortly after the Christchurch earthquake. And previous to that, in January 2010. But William’s first real visit, as many of us know, was when he was not much older than Prince George is now, at 9 months of age when he joined Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their official tour in 1983.