A Royal Welcome

Down swooped the gleaming Boeing 707 and out popped a coatless Prince Charles, a cool Princess of Wales and a romper-suited Prince William, blinking in the early-morning sunshine. The visitors had landed in Alice Springs, smack in the heart of the desolate Australian outback. From there, nine-month-old William was flown off to Woomargama, a comfy 4,000-acre ranch, where he will rest while his parents glide through their 25,000-mile, six-week tour of Australia and New Zealand, returning nine times to check up on their son and recuperate. Their first stop: Room 303 (complete with hot tub and tea bags) in the roadside, 52-unit Gap Motel, just down the street from the Piggly Wiggly supermarket.

On Day 2, the popular couple cheerfully teased the press before fielding the more innocent questions of excited schoolchildren. Charles gallantly affirmed his fondness for barbecues, while Diana proudly announced that William boasts six teeth and, of course, a fondness for koala bears. Afterward they were whisked off to clamber up the sacred aboriginal monolith of Ayers Rock. For. a few moments, the couple savored the sunset together. But soon they had to return to earth--and a host of royal obligations. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.