Meghan and Harry's Abel Tasman details kept under wraps

Friday, 26 October 2018

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are due to meet conservationists during a visit to Abel Tasman National Park on Monday 29 Oct.

Monday is not looking like a good day for a beach barbie, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are lined up for just that with a flying visit scheduled to Abel Tasman National Park, on the second day of their five day tour of New Zealand.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due to be flown into the park in Tasman district, famed for its golden beaches and native bush walks, after arriving in Wellington on Sunday on their last stop of a 16-day tour of Australasia.

Totaranui beach, pictured, appears to be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's destination during a royal visit to Abel Tasman National Park on Monday.

The Department of Internal Affairs remained tight-lipped about the royal couple's exact destination.

But Totaranui beach, at the northern end of the park, appears to be the main contender, with tourism operators asked to steer clear of the area, and bookings unavailable at the DOC campsite along the beach.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are due to visit conservation initiatives, during a visit to the Abel Tasman National Park on Monday.

May Takahashi from Motueka High School, pictured at Anchorage in the Abel Tasman National Park, is one of Project Janszoon's 14 Youth Ambassadors.

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An aerial photograph of the Department of Conservation Totaranui Camp in Abel Tasman National Park.

Harry and Meghan were scheduled to be flown into Abel Tasman from Wellington at midday on Monday, where they would visit conservation initiatives, managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC).

They would join some of the park's youth ambassadors and local school children at a barbecue lunch, and go on a trail walk to learn about the history of the park, and environmental issues, before heading back to Wellington.

Prince Harry, right, stands next to Butchulla people during a dedication ceremony of the forests of K'gari to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy on Fraser Island, Australia, Monday, Oct 22.

Internal Affairs would not reveal any further details, including if the trip was weather dependent.

The forecast was 'not looking great' for the park, James Millward from Metservice said.

Brendon Alborn from Abel Tasman AquaTaxi, said the royal couple's itinerary in the park was 'right on the money'.

'The conservation and the restoration that's gone on in the park really is the big story. That's what everybody's proud of.'

The main shelter at Totaranui (which is often used as a starting or finishing point for the Abel Tasman great walk), is a DOC Education centre comprising bunkrooms and an amenity block.

DOC referred the Nelson Mail to The Department of Internal Affairs for details of who would be meeting Their Royal Highnesses.

But is said it welcomed the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to the national park.

'We are very pleased to have the opportunity to show them the park and to talk with them about the work being done to restore the park's ecology through our DOC and iwi partnerships with Project Janszoon, the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust and the Air New Zealand-supported biodiversity project in the north of the park,' spokesperson Trish Grant said.

Project Janszoon is a privately run trust, set up in 2012 in what is describes as a unique move to partner philanthropists with a government department to restore the ecology of a national park.

Its mission is to 'secure, restore and future proof the ecology of the park' by the 100th anniversary of the park's opening, in 2042, by getting rid of pests and weeds, bringing back native birds and bush, and inspiring a culture of care.

The trust's 14 youth park ambassadors come from Motueka and Golden Bay high schools, and Motupipi primary, and included two iwi representatives.

Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust was launched as a charitable trust in 2007, to protect and enhance biodiversity in the park.