Rotorua royal visit: Public can only meet Duke and Duchess in one place

Rotorua's Government Gardens will be the only place for royal watchers to catch a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as this is their only provincial public appearance in the North Island.

With the visit fast approaching, plans are under way for the royal couple's public visit to the Government Gardens on October 31.

Due to the Rotorua stop being the Harry and Meghan's only provincial visit in the North Island, thousands of people are expected to flock to the city to catch a glimpse of the couple.

The Government Gardens in Rotorua. Photo / File

On that day, their only public appearance will be in Rotorua's Government Gardens between 3.30-4pm. We advise people to arrive well in advance.

The walk will take place along Queens Drive.

With an increase in visitors to Rotorua, this could cause congestion and some traffic issues but plans are under way to take the stress out of the day for locals and visitors.

Rotorua Lakes Council will be opening up the Village Green at Rotorua Lakefront for additional car parking.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is also providing a free park and ride service, enabling people to park at the Rotorua Racecourse on Fenton St, with buses taking them to the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre in the central city.

The Park and Ride car park will be open from 9am and the buses will run at regular intervals between midday and 5pm.

In addition to the extra parking facilities residents and visitors can utilise free City Ride buses throughout the day, which are also being provided by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

There will be some road closures in place on October 31 and affected homes and businesses will be notified. Details of these closures are still being confirmed and will be made public in coming days.

For all updates about parking and road closures keep an eye on the Rotorua Lakes Council Facebook page and website.