Prince William has visited one of the Christchurch suburbs hit hard by last month's earthquake.
The prince met residents in Sumner ahead of his attendance at the National Christchurch Memorial Service in Hagley Park.
The visit was curtailed as the prince was running late.
Locals lined Wakefield Avenue for his arrival.
The prince spoke at some length with members of the Sumner fire service about their work following the quake.
The meeting took place in front of the RSA, where the earthquake brought down a large boulder.
Prince William accepted several gifts from the crowd including a fire officers' cap, a Sumner rugby jersey and a painting by a local artist.
Radio New Zealand's reporter following the visit says it had the air of a street party.
Sumner residents say they were impressed by the prince's friendly and down-to-earth manner, and his visit has been a morale boost in the wake of the earthquake.
Prince William also met with representatives of the Student Army at the George Hotel to thank them for all their volunteer work.
University of Canterbury Students' Association president Kohan McNab says the prince told them their work could be used as a model in other disasters around the world.
