King Charles arrives in Australia for landmark tour

Sydney: King Charles III touched down in Australia Friday, kicking off the most strenuous foreign trip since his life changing cancer diagnosis eight...

Sydney: King Charles III touched down in Australia Friday, kicking off the most strenuous foreign trip since his life-changing cancer diagnosis eight months ago.

After a gruelling 20-plus hour journey, the 75-year-old monarch and his wife Queen Camilla landed in a rain-sodden Sydney, and were greeted by local dignitaries and posy-bearing children.

"We are really looking forward to returning to this beautiful country to celebrate the extraordinarily rich cultures and communities that make it so special," the couple said in a social media post ahead of their arrival.

The king is on a nine-day tour of his far-flung Australian and Samoan realms that will feature a public barbecue, famed landmarks and reminders about pressing climate dangers.

He is the first reigning sovereign to set foot Down Under since 2011, when thronging crowds flocked to catch a white-gloved wave from his mother Queen Elizabeth II.