Boris Johnson jokes Maori greeting could be misinterpreted as a headbutt
The Foreign Secretary is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to strengthen ties.
Boris Johnson has likened a traditional Maori greeting to a headbutt while on a two-day trip to New Zealand.
As Britain looks to strengthen its ties with the former colony, the UK Foreign Secretary had a go at a hongi, in which people press their noses together in place of a formal handshake.
And afterwards, Johnson joked the greeting “might be misinterpreted in a pub in Glasgow”.
Johnson has been a busy bee during the visit to the South Pacific nation, which comes amid a broader reshaping of the UK’s global relationships as it prepares to leave the European Union.
On Monday, he unveiled a war memorial at Pukeahu Park in Wellington.
And he also surveyed earthquake damage in Kaikoura.
The town was struck by a magnitude-7.8 earthquake in November and two people were killed.
Johnson thanked townsfolk for looking after tourists following the quake – and also for teaching him the hongi.