Prince meets people of Queensland towns devastated by cyclone Yasi
Prince William has visited two towns in far north Queensland devastated by cyclone Yasi last month.
Hundreds of wellwishers cheered and waved as his Blackhawk helicopter touched down in the small coastal community of Cardwell, 200km (125 miles) south of Cairns, where many properties are still without roofs.
"I can't believe we watched him grow up and here he is," one excited onlooker told local media.
In stifling 30-degree heat and with no hat, the prince shook hands as sweat poured off his brow.
"I'm suffering with my English pasty white skin," he is reported to have told the crowd.
Inside the Cardwell community hall, the prince had lunch with emergency service personnel and volunteers. He spent several minutes chatting to 102-year-old Betty Evans as she sat in her wheelchair clutching a card from the Queen for her 100th birthday.
Queensland premier Anna Bligh, who was travelling with Prince William, thanked him for his visit to the state.
"It's clear that the prince is a real people person," she said. "He has plenty of compassion and you can't get too much of that here right now. I've never seen smiles like this since the cyclone came through."
Before the visit, Bligh had said she hoped the occasion would be a signal that Queensland was open for business. The tourism industry in particular has been hard hit since cyclone Yasi and January's devastating floods.
The prince also visited the nearby town of Tully where half the population of 5,000 turned out to greet him.
"This is a very small town and for a prince to come here and show his concern will give us a tremendous lift," said police sergeant Mike Baily.
On Saturday night, Prince William attended an invitation-only dinner in Cairns with community members and volunteers.
On Sunday, he will visit flood-affected areas in south-east Queensland, including Toowoomba and Grantham which were both hit by what police described at the time as an "inland tsunami". On Monday, he will be in the state of Victoria to visit more flood-affected areas.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/19/prince-william-australia-disaster-zones
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