Because Australian government officials love nothing more than refusing to unlatch from the monarchy’s musty teat, Steven Ciobo, our minister for trade and tourism, has gone and emphatically invited Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to spend their pre- and post-wedding celebrations “down under”.
https://twitter.com/StevenCiobo/status/936020605018574848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-australia-42175467
In case you missed the most exciting royal news since Prince George‘s first day at school, sweet gingernut Harry and American actor / angel in the flesh Markle recently got engaged, proving that you totally can marry a prince as long as you’re already a beautiful famous actress in a successful TV show.
Attention has now turned, obviously, to literally everything to do with their wedding, including where the adjacent celebrations are going to take place.
In a statement released today, Ciobo confirmed that he’d enthusiastically pitched the idea to the couple of spending a bit of time seeing the best of what Australia has to offer as a way of kicking off their married life. His suggestions include – I’m not joking – a pub crawl. He told 9 News:
They could even do a helicopter crawl… where they visit various iconic Australian pubs in the Top End.
All of this is not to say that the entire country wouldn’t be in paroxysms of delight if one or both of the pair ended up choosing to swan about in the Daintree or take a trip to Uluru on a honeymoon; it’s just, I dunno, kinda weird to read such a giddy offer on official governmental letterhead:
Australia can provide the perfect pre-wedding party and an amazing romantic honeymoon after the wedding.
For Prince Harry’s pre-wedding celebrations, Tourism Australia has recommend some of Australia’s best adventure experiences on Queensland’s Gold Coast and through the wilds of Northern Territory and Western Australia.
And for the perfect honeymoon, Tourism Australia has recommended Australia’s luxury lodges including Tasmania’s Saffire Freycinet, Longitude 131 in the Northern Territory where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have previously stayed, Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, just off the coast of South Australia and Queensland’s Lizard Island, uniquely located on the Great Barrier Reef.
These are just recommendations, I told Prince Harry Tourism Australia stands ready to work with him and Ms Markle to design an itinerary to their tastes.
You know what? I’m on board now. Harry and / or Meghan, please, please do a Northern Territory pub crawl for your buck’s / hen’s night – if only for the sake of the NT News headlines.
