Storms greet Queen in Adelaide

The Queen arrived in Australia today to a political storm involving her Governor-General - and a sand storm created by an aborigine dance.

Dr Peter Hollingworth, who is clinging to office after a child sex abuse scandal, and the Queen, were covered in red dust as the group performed a welcoming dance in the centre of Adelaide.

The Queen screwed up her eyes as a strong wind blew the sandy dust across them.

But aborigine dance leader Karl Winda Telfer was more than happy. "I originally wanted to light a fire to offer a spirit of welcome" he said. "But the wind did it instead and it was a good thing."

Twenty minutes earlier the governor, who is alleged to have covered up child sex abuse in the Anglican Church when he was Archbishop of Brisbane in 1990, was on the tarmac at Adelaide airport to welcome the Queen and Prince Philip from New Zealand.

The Queen, wearing a pale gold outfit with a widebrimmed hat which would not have looked out of place in the outback, smiled broadly as she met the governor.

As a strong wind lifted her jacket, she held her hat firmly in place while Philip wisely carried his panama hat.

The governor's relief at still being in the job and able to greet her was obvious, but he looked flustered when, shortly after the Queen left the airport, he was asked if he had embarrassed her and should quit.

For several seconds he turned his back on reporters as Australian prime minister John Howard looked on in silence. Then Dr Hollingworth finally blurted out: "We're very honoured to receive her in Australia."

But it seems increasingly likely that, when the Queen ends her five-day visit, the 67-year-old cleric will step down. Buckingham Palace has already made contingency plans for the long-serving Governor of Tasmania, Sir Guy Green, to take over duties in the short term.

After a ceremonial welcome at Government House, the Queen went on "walkabout" in Adelaide, where a crowd of about 12,000 stood in the blazing sun to applaud her.