The Waka After The Haka For Prince Harry

Prince Harry has delivered a speech in Maori dialect and paddled in a traditional canoe during his New Zealand trip.

He spent the day in Whanganui, the ancestral home of a number of different tribes on the country's North Island.

First he was greeted at the Putiki Marae, a traditional meeting house, with a full powhiri welcome including the challenge, a display performed by the tribal warriors to establish whether the visitor is friend or foe.

After being welcomed on to the sacred land, Prince Harry delivered his first short speech of this tour in Maori dialect before returning to English to say his thank you to his hosts.

He said: "It is a huge privilege to experience the hospitality and traditions for which Whanganui is renowned.

"I understand that there is a saying here: 'I am the river, the river is me'. You have offered me the extraordinary privilege today of travelling on the waka which I am looking forward to immensely."

After a quick change into more casual clothes he was taken to the Whanganui River to get onboard a traditional canoe called a waka.

He was presented with a hand-carved paddle before being given a quick lesson on how to keep up with the rest of team on the boat, all dressed in Maori costume.

The Whanganui River is of huge cultural importance to the local Maori people, a significance they were keen to share with Prince Harry.

The Royal Family already has long standing links with Whanganui.

Prince Edward spent a year there, tutoring at the university, and paid a number of visits to the same tribal house Prince Harry visited today.

His parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana also visited the town to see Prince Edward in 1983.

Prince Harry also took time to visit the War Memorial Centre in Whanganui for a reception with local veterans all born between 1915 and 1949.

The visit comes a day after he performed a traditional Maori war dance, called the haka, during a visit to New Zealand's largest army base .

He will spend the final two days of this tour of New Zealand in Auckland.