26 October 2018

Thousands of people are expected to gather at Wellington’s Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this Sunday 28 October for a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The Duke and Duchess will meet the public at Pukeahu between 4.45pm and 5.30pm after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and visiting the newly unveiled UK War Memorial.

It will be their only public appearance in Wellington.

“Harry and Meghan will be one of the most popular Royal couples to visit Wellington and I am sure thousands will be keen to see them up close,” says Wellington Mayor Justin Lester.

“We want as many people to get their chance to see the couple so we are encouraging people to take some simple steps.”

The steps include:

· Try to arrive well in advance

· If you have to drive, try not to park too close to Pukeahu – there’s not much parking in the neighbourhood. Try to take a bus or take an enjoyable walk through the city to Pukeahu.

· Let the kids, people shorter of stature, and seniors, get up the front – taller people can get a good view over their heads

· If it’s raining (or blazing sunshine), leave the umbrella at home – it’ll block views. Instead, take a hat if it’s raining.

If you’re in a hurry to motor across town on Sunday then it’s probably best to leave a little earlier than usual and avoid the Taranaki Street area – think about going via the waterfront quays, the bays, Kent and Cambridge terraces or via Brooklyn if you want to get to the eastern or southern suburbs.

The Ta Ara Tapere ki Pōneke - Open Streets event in the CBD on Sunday means Taranaki Street, between Dixon and Jessie Streets, will be closed between 6am and 3pm. Other streets also to be closed during this time are:

· Victoria Street (Hunter to Wakefield)

· Wakefield Street (Victoria to Cuba)

· Lower Cuba Street (Wakefield to Manners)

· Dixon Street (Cuba Mall to Taranaki)

· Inglewood Place

· Ghuznee Street (Taranaki to Marion)

· Manners Street (Taranaki to Cuba) will be bus-only.

Bus services will run as normal except for routes 3 and 21. Diversions will be in place – check the details on the Metlink website.

The annual Diwali Festival will also draw crowds and traffic to the city, with the festival being celebrated along the waterfront from 1.30pm to 9.30pm.

For all updates on road closures and travel advice keep an eye on the Wellington City Council Facebook page or on Twitter @WgtnCC.

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