Source: Secondary teachers question rationale for changes to relationship education guidelines
Make the most of the King’s Birthday weekend holiday on 2 June by having a right royal good time around Auckland. But spending the day living a life fit for a king doesn’t mean riding in gilded carriages, cutting ribbons or waving from a balcony – King Charles III has a wide range of interests, from beekeeping to the theatre. You can enjoy the King’s favourite hobbies in many locations around Auckland.
1. Brush up on your art
King Charles III has had an interest in watercolour painting since his days at boarding school. He’s also been a keen gardener since a young age, and he and his sister Princess Anne had a small vege patch at Buckingham Palace. You can combine both of these hobbies by visiting the Botanical Art Worldwide 2025 exhibition at Auckland Botanic Gardens.
King Charles, pictured painting in Switzerland in 1994, prefers to paint his watercolours en plein air (in the open air) as he finds the experience relaxing.
New Zealand is one of many countries taking part in a global exhibition highlighting botanical art, plants and their importance to humanity. Each participating country is holding their own exhibition featuring art from their region, and New Zealand’s display, titled Our Plants – Past, Present and Future / O Tātou Tipu o Mua – o Ināianei me te Āpōpō, includes 40 stunning works. There’s also a screen showing digital images of the artworks from the international exhibitions.
While you’re at the Auckland Botanic Gardens, you might be inspired to take in your surroundings and paint outdoors en plein air, which is King Charles’ favourite way to paint. If you’d like to hone your craft further, consider a painting or watercolour class at Mairangi Arts Centre, Howick’s Uxbridge Arts and Culture or the Botanical Art Basics with Jennifer Duval-Smith at Te Uru in Titirangi.
If you’re keen to embrace your artistic side like King Charles, Te Uru offers an array of classes where you can hone your skills.
2. Dare to be dramatic
King Charles is a long-time supporter of the performing arts, and is a patron of The Royal Ballet, the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal Theatrical Fund. He even took the stage himself, playing the title role in a 1965 school production of Macbeth. Other schoolboy roles for the future king include playing the Duke of Exeter in Shakespeare’s Henry V, as well as the Pirate King in the Gilbert and Sullivan musical The Pirates of Penzance.
Auckland Council supports a wide range of performing arts groups and theatre venues across the region, and there’s no shortage of shows to see in the winter season. Some upcoming shows include Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan at Q Theatre (25 June-5 July), a choose-what-you-pay performance of Snart at Basement Theatre (3-7 June), and The Play That Goes Wrong (14 May-1 Jun) and William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet (15 Jul-9 Aug 2025) at ASB Waterfront Theatre. If you prefer the drama of the opera, NZ Opera’s La bohème is playing at Aotea Centre’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre (29 May-6 June). Or if you’ve ever considered taking the stage yourself, why not try an acting class at Howick Little Theatre or TAPAC?
Opera singer Benson Wilson is performing in NZ Opera’s La bohème.
3. Bee kind to pollinators
Queens rule the beehive, and King Charles loves bees – he’s been known to sweeten his tea with a spoonful of honey harvested from the hives at Highgrove House. There are also hives at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, and honey from each estate has the distinctive taste of the flowers and trees in each garden.
King Charles, seen here looking at a beehive at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm in 2002, keeps hives at several of his estates.
Many members of the British monarchy have a connection to bees, including King Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, who also keeps hives, and his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. When Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022, the royal beekeeper took part in an old tradition of draping the hive with a black ribbon.
To attract wild bees into your garden, why not plant your own pollinator garden? Find inspiration in the bee-friendly gardens at Howick Historical Village, the herb garden at Auckland Botanic Gardens and Auckland’s Eco-Neighbourhood community groups, many of which have workshops and share information about helping bees and other pollinators.
If you’re keen to get hands-on with beekeeping, check out the beginner beekeeper’s course at the Auckland Beekeepers’ Club, based at Gribblehirst Community Hub. Please note that all hives must be registered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and beekeepers should follow Animal Management Bylaws and responsible beekeeping guidelines.
4. Saddle up
King Charles was a polo player for many years and a keen horse rider for most of his life, and only recently gave up the saddle due to injuries. In fact, in many royal visits to New Zealand over the years, Charles has enjoyed his favourite horsey hobbies, even playing polo in Clevedon on a visit in 1983. While you might have to wait until spring and summer to “stomp the divots” at a polo match, there are many parks around Auckland where you can enjoy a ride.
If you wish to enjoy horse riding, one King Charles’ favourite activities, the Farm Loop trail at Duder Regional Park offers epic views of the Hauraki Gulf.
Auckland’s terrain is a far cry from the grounds of Sandringham, but there’s plenty of variety in our riding tracks – from beautiful views at Duder Regional Park to the bridle path at Tōtara Park in the heart of suburban Manurewa, to trails along the white sand beaches of Te Ārai Regional Park. Riding is permitted in these parks and many others with a free Auckland Council horse riding pass. Please note however that most locations will be closing due to wet conditions over winter.
5. Dig in to help the planet
King Charles has been advocating for conservation and sustainable living since the 1970s, and his decades of work with environmental groups have seen him dubbed “the climate king” and “the most significant environmentalist in history”. Highgrove House’s gardens and farm are completely organic and highly sustainable and embody Charles’ environmental philosophy: that it is better to work with nature than against it. Sustainable practices at Highgrove include chemical-free pest control using predatory insects, recycling of waste materials, rainwater harvesting, solar power, composting, free-range chickens, wildflower meadows and restoring native species.
King Charles has been dubbed “the climate king” due to his strong interest in environmentalism. He is pictured here planting a tree at Highgrove House in 2008.
If you’re feeling inspired and want practical ideas for living a greener life here in Tāmaki Makaurau, head to Auckland Council’s Live Lightly website, where there is a wealth of information on sustainable transport, healthy eating, energy-efficient home solutions, carbon-conscious shopping ideas and growing your own food.
Spread your efforts beyond your own backyard by getting involved in Auckland’s biodiversity and conservation projects to protect native species through Auckland Council’s Friends of Parks programme. Many local and regional parks regularly hold working bees and tree planting days to provide habitat for wildlife and replenish the whenua.
