Prince William has arrived in Kerang to cheers from locals as he visits the flood-hit regions of northern Victoria.
Forecast rain held off for the arrival of the prince in front of a crowd of around 500, including schoolgirls in cardboard tiaras, local farmers and Aboriginal elders.
Some of the young girls brandished I Love You William signs, while the streets of Kerang are festooned with Australian flags.
Eight-year-old Phoebe was stunned to be in the presence of Australia's future monarch.
"Is he really going to be the king?" Phoebe asked.
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Nine-year-old Murray had more down to earth things on his mind.
"Do you know if he plays footy?" he asked of the prince, who was a proficient water polo and rugby player in his youth.
The northwest Victorian town is the starting point for the prince's brief visit to the state after touring earthquake-ravaged Christchurch and flood-affected Queensland.
After a quick tour of Kerang and a briefing on January's floods which inundated the area, he will visit a farm in Benjeroop, a power station and attend a community barbecue in the tiny Murray River town of Murrabit.
