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The Duke of Sussex joked today that being skilled at unveiling plaques 'runs in the family' as he dedicated the Forests of K'Gari to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy during his tour of Australia.

Harry, without pregnant wife Meghan, was greeted by the Butchulla People and took part in a traditional Welcome to Country smoking ceremony on Fraser Island, which has the traditional name K'Gari.

Aaron Henderson and Darren Blake wafted smoke from a bucket of burning paper bark and blue gum leaves towards him, while songman Fred Bulanyu Leone called out to their ancestors and tapped out a rhythm with a pair of bar gan - 'killer boomerangs' - traditionally used for hunting.

The Duke of Sussex is pictured today with members of the Butchulla people, who are the traditional owners of Fraser Island

The Duke of Sussex poses for a photograph with the tribe of K'Gari at the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy in Australia today

Prince Harry meets children on Queensland's Fraser Island - which the land's traditional owners call K'gari, meaning paradise

The Duke met youngsters as he marked the forest's dedication to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy inititative

The Duke began his brief visit to Queensland with Meghan by heading into the pristine rainforest of Fraser Island

Prince Harry watched a traditional dance after attending a Welcome to Country smoking ceremony while on the island

The Duke was there to mark the forest's dedication to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy inititative, a growing area of protected forests across the organisation's 53 member states.

He gazed up in awe at the 1,000 year old Satinay trees as they led him into the forest to a clearing around a sacred Spirit Tree. Butchulla Land and Sea Ranger Conway Burns explained: 'When we die, we go through an initiation. 

'Our spirit goes through our body and through our sacred lakes and up to the sky. It returns to our people in these trees. It's great to be standing here, where our people stood hundreds of years ago.'

'This is the best way to see these trees,' said the Duke, 'standing tall and not logged and chopped.'

Also present was Butchulla elder Aunty Nai Bird, who welcomed the Prince of Wales to K'gari in 1994, Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszcuk, minister for trade, and Fraser Coast regional mayor George Seymon. 

The Duke of Sussex is pictured with indigenous dancers while on a visit to Queensland's Fraser Island, or K'gari, today

The Duke of Sussex was met by the Butchulla People, the traditional owners of the island, shortly after his arrival today

Prince Harry was on Fraser, which  is the world's largest sand island, boasting 206,970 acres of protected forest

Some 20 million trees are now being planted across Australia as part of the programme which Harry was raising awarness of

They emerged from the forest to cheers from a gathering of Butchulla descendants and after a welcome to country speech by elder Gayle Minniecon and words from Ms Palaszcuk, it was Harry's turn to speak.

As he approached the microphone, one woman Marilyn Clarke, 72, called out: 'He's better looking in person!'

Laughing, the Duke responded: 'I'll take that as a compliment.'

In his speech, father-to-be Harry said: 'K'gari means 'paradise', and that is certainly what we've experienced today surrounded by the towering Kauri pines, 1000 year-old satinay trees and ancient giant ferns.

'It is up to us now to protect this paradise together – not just because it looks beautiful - but because it is an essential part of our existence, and will continue to be for our children and their children's children.' 

Harry dances with aboriginal man Joe Gala at McKenzie's Jetty on Fraser Island during his tour of Australia today

Harry poses for a photo with Joe Gala during his visit to Fraser Island today after they entertained onlookers

The Prince shook hands with the dancers on a day in which he unveiled a plaque for the dedication of the Forests of K'gari

The Duke of Sussex said in a speech it was important to protect K'gari, 'because it is an essential part of our existence'

His visit to the island's Pile Valley today is part of a 16-day tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga with Meghan

The Duke of Sussex met youngsters as he dedicated the Forests of K'Gari to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy today

The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy project was launched in recognition of Her Majesty's service to the group of nations

The Duke shook hands with all of the children today before heading to Lake McKenzie for further engagements

Harry also joked that the plaque he was to unveil, marking the dedication, had already been unveiled by his father in Bundaberg during his tour of Australia in April. He said: 'Luckily we are both skilled at unveiling plaques - it runs in the family.'

Fraser is the world's largest sand island, boasting 206,970acres of protected forest. 

It became a Unesco World Heritage site in 1992 and earlier this year, the Prince of Wales announced its dedication to the Queen's Commonwealth Canopy.

Some 20million trees are now being planted across Australia as part of the programme. Satinay trees are known for their hardiness in water and were used to build the London docks in the 1930s.