By Cheryl Norrie, DPA/Wellington

The duke and duchess of Cambridge had an adventurous end to a full day of activities in New Zealand yesterday, taking a high speed jet boat ride on the Shotover River near Queenstown in the South Island.
William and Kate were all smiles after the wild ride on the V8-powered Shotover Jet which raced through the dramatic river canyon at speeds of up to 85kph, before doing a thrilling 360-degree spin.
As they disembarked the Duke exclaimed, “I knew it’d be fast, but I didn’t realise just how fast.”
The royal couple donned red life jackets for the ride, with Kate appearing in her third outfit of the day - skinny jeans, navy blazer and blue and white checked shirt - as she arrived for the afternoon’s activities in the mountain and lake resort of Queenstown.
The jet boat ride followed a wine-tasting event at the Amisfield Winery, where journalists were intrigued to see Kate with a glass of red wine, following earlier rumours that she might be pregnant.
The rumours started on Saturday when William reportedly told Cynthia Read, who made a shawl for Prince George when he was born, that she might have to make another one “soon.”
Television New Zealand later reported that William had said “sometime,” not “soon.”
That, coupled with a day of energetic activities, was enough to persuade the royal press pack that Kate might not be pregnant just yet.
The duke and duchess’s afternoon in Queenstown followed a morning of activities in the South Island city of Dunedin, where they acted as assistant coaches at a children’s rugby tournament. William’s team was victorious over Kate’s, 30-20.
It was a comeback for William, who lost both races when the two competed against each other in America’s Cup sailing in Auckland harbour on Friday.
Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium was filled with 8,000 fans who cheered on the teams of 7 and 8-year-olds in the tournament of rippa rugby, a child-friendly version of New Zealand’s national game where players rip a tag from the belts of the opposing player instead of tackling them to the ground.
Kate had changed out of her Sunday morning church outfit, a teal dress by UK-based New Zealand designer Emilia Wickstead accessorised with silver fern brooch, into a cream knit jumper, jeans and trainers to act as assistant coach of the Pirates.
The duke, who coached the winning Clutha team, chatted with Richie McCaw, the captain of the national rugby team, the All Blacks, on the sidelines.
After the match, William thanked the crowd for their warm welcome, and said he had found the city in New Zealand “where the passion for rugby runs deepest.”
The duke and duchess arrived in Dunedin in the morning where their first engagement of the day was to attend the Palm Sunday church service at the Anglican St Paul’s Cathedral in the Octagon, Dunedin’s answer to a town square.
William and Kate greeted a crowd of thousands in the city centre after the church service. Enthusiastic locals had scaled poles and climbed on to the central city statue of Scottish poet Robbie Burns to try to catch a glimpse of royalty.
The duke and duchess were given a Maori welcome from representatives of the local Ngai Tahu iwi at Dunedin Airport, with the duchess bending down to greet 5-year-old Matawhio Matahaere-Veint with a traditional hongi (rubbing of noses).
Matawhio, who gave the duchess two picture books for Prince George, said she had been practicing how to curtsey “for a long time.”
The couple travel to Christchurch today for their second day of engagements in the South Island.
Prince George has remained at Government House in Wellington with nanny Maria Borrallo.
It is the seventh day of the royal couple’s April 7-25 visit to New Zealand and Australia.



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