Laughs Ahoy: Netherlands' Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander giggle on Australian ferry

Dutch royals King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands continue their state visit to Australia by conducting a public engagement to Cockatoo Island in Sydney on 3 November.

The royal couple are in Australia to mark the 400<sup>th anniversary of explorer Dirk Hartog's landing in Western Australia and the unveiling of Hartog's plate – which is the oldest existing relic of European exploration in Australia.

Queen Maxima, 45, channelled 1960s style with a satin headdress over her sleek up-do for the daytime outing, while wearing a light brown long-sleeved blouse tucked into a multicoloured striped A-line skirt.

Known for her daring sartorial choices compared to other global royals, the mother-of-three, who has a university degree in Economics and has worked for finance companies in Argentina, Brussels and New York, put a quirky spin on the outfit with a statement orange chunky necklace and woven clutch bag.

The queen was in high spirits as she joined her husband Willem-Alexander, 49, who was dressed in a smart navy suit and orange tie, on board a ferry as they were pictured passing some of Australia's most iconic land marks including the Opera House and Harbour Bridge on route to Cockatoo Island.

The royal couple – who have been married since 2002 after first meeting in Seville, Spain in 1999 – looked happier than ever as they giggled and shared jokes among themselves throughout the day. On Cockatoo Island, the King wore a cattleman's hat while giving a speech at the Rabobank Farm2Fork summit. The couple also observed creatures used in fertilising the earth for farming.

Cockatoo Island – a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2010 – is located at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers in Sydney Harbour. It is the largest of several islands that were originally heavily timbered sandstone knolls; it is now cleared of most vegetation.

On Tuesday (2 November) the Netherlands royals attended a concert at the Sydney Opera House alongside Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy Turnbull.

Ahead of the concert, the two couples posed for snaps outside the impressive Sydney Opera House as they waved to onlookers. Maxima and the First Lady appeared to get on famously as they chatted among the audience before the show commenced.