Boat trip pours cold water on royal baby rumours

The duke and duchess of Cambridge have enjoyed the exhilarating, adrenalin rush of a jet boat ride through New Zealand scenery.

William and Kate played tourists for the afternoon and experienced the white knuckle ride that is one of the country’s most popular attractions.

The royal couple had flown to Queenstown on New Zealand’s South Island, and were the guests of the Shotover Jet tourist firm, which takes 130,000 tourists a year on trips along the fast flowing Shotover River.

After donning lifejackets, the couple were joined by members of their entourage in the boats affectionately known as the “big reds”.

The jet boat — designed to be able to speed along in water just a few inches deep — nips between trees and close to obstacles before veering away at the last minute. After the 30-minute ride, the couple clapped their driver, Wayne Paton.

He said: “They loved it. The Prince wanted me to go closer, he said, ‘you can go closer than that’. There were some screams, but not from them.”

The jet boat’s captain later told a Sky News reporter that when he delivered a safety briefing and asked the passengers if they had back problems, neck problems or were pregnant “no one put their hand up”.

Earlier, William appeared to suggest he and Kate were already planning another child. After Cynthia Read presented them with a lace shawl she had made for George, William told her: “You might have to make another one soon.”

But Kate appeared to pour cold water over pregnancy rumours by enjoying several glasses of wine with William before the boat ride.

She told wine-makers at a vineyard she “was really enjoying being able to drink again after having baby George”.