Governor-General visits Christchurch and Dunedin

The Governor-General, Hon Anand Satyanand, and Mrs Susan Satyanand, will visit Christchurch and Dunedin from tomorrow (13 November 2008) to attend a range of community events and to meet with the Princess Royal.

The four-day visit to the South Islands' two largest cities will begin on Thursday 13 November 2008 when the Governor-General, as Patron of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society, will open the new Canterbury Plunket Centre in Christchurch at 5.25pm.

On Friday 14 November, the Governor-General, as Patron of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand, will tour the Royal New Zealand Show hosted by the Canterbury A&P Association.  The Governor-General and Mrs Satyanand will tour the Christchurch Showgrounds from 9.45am. 

At the Show, the Governor-General will present the Supreme Champion Pony Award while Mrs Satyanand will present the Supreme Champion Horse Award.  They will also inspect the Food and Wine New Zealand and the Export New Zealand pavilions.

Later on Friday, the Governor-General and Mrs Satyanand will privately meet with HRH Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, who is also visiting Christchurch.  (No media)

On Saturday 15 November, the Governor-General and Mrs Satyanand will begin a series of engagements in Dunedin.  At 10.20am, at St Hildas' Collegiate School, the Governor-General will present Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards and Queens' Scout Awards at a ceremony hosted by the Young New Zealanders' Challenge.

In the early afternoon, the Governor-General, as Prior of the Order of St John in New Zealand, will chair a Priory meeting (no media).  In the evening, Their Excellencies will attend a dinner to mark 20 years of University of Otago management of Aquinas College.  The Governor-General lived at the College in 1964 when an Otago University student. (Media may attend pre-dinner welcome at 5.30pm, but not the dinner - speech available on request)

On Sunday 16 November, the Governor-General and Mrs Satyanand will attend an Aquinas College memorial service at Holy Name Church in Dunedin from 10am.  Later in the day, at 12.45pm, the Governor-General and Mrs Satyanand will visit Knox Presbyterian Church. As Prior of the Order of St John, the Governor-General will preside at an investiture ceremony for the Order.

For more information, contact Antony Paltridge on 04 382 0827 or 021 470 583.