It’s less than two weeks until Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan arrive on our shores, and their plans are getting more Aussie by the day.
While the royal couple’s tour of Australia will of course include shaking plenty of important hands and sharing their dazzling smiles at the formal engagements you’d expect, the newlyweds also have a bit of classic Australian fun on the itinerary.
Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry are headed to the land down under!
Included on the ‘things for Harry and Meghan to do in the land down under’ list? For starters, beach yoga, holding koalas, climbing the harbour bridge, a tram ride and of course, a darn good cup of coffee.
But there’s plenty more than that for the royals (and royal fans!) to look forward to during the tour.
We’ve got the full run down on Sussex’s trip down under, keep scrolling to see what they’re getting up to, and where you can see the royals in the flesh. No doubt it’ll be a sight to behold.
Tuesday October 16
The first day of the tour will begin in Sydney at Admiralty House, where they will meet General Sir Peter John Cosgrove and Lady Cosgrove. Here, the royal couple will get a classic eyeful of Sydney Harbour, with the House offering sweeping views.
Then, the newlyweds will visit Taronga Zoo with the New South Wales Premier. There, they will meet two koalas and their joeys that are part of the Zoo’s breeding program.
We’re excited at the prospect of more Harry-with-cute-animal-pics alone!
While at the zoo the pair will also visit the laboratory where female conservation scientists are working to reduce illegal wildlife trafficking.
The Duke and Duchess are known for their love of animals – we can’t wait to see them cuddle koalas!
The couple will next board a boat and get a real Sydney experience, travelling across Sydney Harbour to the Opera House.
There, they will view a rehearsal of Spirit 2018 by the Bangarra Dance Theatre – an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander modern dance company.
And the moment we’ve all been waiting for comes next: The Duke and Duchess will exit the Opera House and meet members of the public. Start practising your handshakes folks!
The day will end with a reception back at Admiralty House with the Governor general.
Wednesday October 17
After staying in Sydney for the night, Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry will fly to Dubbo where they will visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service to learn about what the organisation does for people living in rural areas.
This will be a poignant visit for the royals who will then visit local properties to see the affect of the recent drought on local farmers.
Following this, the pair will join the public in Dubbo for a picnic in the park “to celebrate community spirit”, the statement from Kensington Palace read.
The pair will head to Dubbo where they’ll host a picnic in the park with locals.
That afternoon, the royal couple will visit a local school that works closely with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
The students will present some of their work and play netball and touch football drills with the royals – we can’t wait to see Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan show off their sporting skills once again for this one!
The royal couple recently played ball games with students during an awards event in London.
Thursday October 18
Next up, Melbourne! Getting straight into the thick of things, the pair will partake in a short walk up to Government House where members of the public can greet them.
They will then attend a reception there with guests including young Victorian leaders and community members. Among demonstrations of various sporting activities, the royals will also meet ambassadors from the This Girl Can campaign – something we think Duchess Meghan in particular will resonate strongly with.
And because they’re in Melbourne, what could be more appropriate than the royals heading to a café and grabbing a flat white?
That’s exactly what the pair will then do. The café itself is a social enterprise café which offers leadership, mentoring and training programmes for young Aboriginal people.
We’re quietly hoping their coffees might look like this…
That afternoon, the couple will visit a primary school where students will tell them about their involvement and learnings in sustainability.
In true Melbourne style, they will then board a tram to South Melbourne beach. Luckily, they’ve already had recent practise with trains in London, taking the Lougborough to Leicester line last week to an event!
At South Melbourne beach, they will meet volunteers from a local beach patrol program and learn about their work to reduce litter.
Friday October 19
Then, it’s back to Sydney for the royals. The pair will head to Bondi Beach first, where they will meet local surfing community group OneWave.
They will take part in a ‘Fluro Friday’ session with the group, which is where people share their experiences of mental health issues while enjoying yoga and surfing.
And Sydney-siders are in for a treat next, getting another opportunity to meet the royal couple as they dedicate time to greet members of the public at the beach.
We’ll be over here packing our bathers and sunscreen – fingers crossed for a sunny day!
The royals are headed to Bondi Beach! We’re imagining it’ll be a little busier than this Caribbean location Harry visited in 2016.
Later that morning, the couple will visit a youth advocate program that works to engage and inspire young people to advocate for cohesion and inclusion in their communities.
Prince Harry will then go full Aussie-tourist and climb – wait for it – the Harbour Bridge! Once he has reached the top, he will raise the Invictus flag to mark the arrival of the Invictus Games to Sydney.
Saturday October 20
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan will again hop on a boat (they’ll be getting used to this now!), travelling to Cockatoo Island to attend the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge.
That evening, they will attend another reception hosted by the New South Wales Premier.
Sunday October 21
With the Invictus Games now in full swing, the pair will watch some of the sports, including cycling and sailing.
They’ll also head to The Domain for lunch with the Prime Minister – how very quaint!
Monday October 22
Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry will travel to Fraser Island in Queensland, where they will take part in a traditional Welcome to Country Smoking Ceremony.
They will then visit one of the Island’s iconic lakes, meeting local elders and national park rangers to learn more about the island’s natural beauty, biodiversity and cultural significance.
From here, the pair will travel by boat to Kingfisher Bay to walk along the Kingfisher Bay Jetty.
As they say, all good things must come to an end, and this brings the couple’s Australian tour to a close.
The following day, Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry will travel to Fiji for three days. They will also tour Tonga and New Zealand, officially ending their tour on October 31st.
WATCH: Prince Harry performs the Haka in New Zealand:
