Pampered flame arrives for three-day NZ trek

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

QUEENSTOWN - The Olympic flame has arrived in New Zealand like a Hollywood celebrity - pampered before it begins its trek today through 300 Kiwi hands.

The flame, travelling with its mother flame, glowed last night in its golden lantern in a hotel room on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, watched by round-the-clock security guards.

It arrived from Tonga yesterday, earlier than expected, buckled into a first-class seat in its very own plane.

Regardless of rain or snow, the flame will be skied down Coronet Peak by Winter Olympics silver medalist Annelise Coberger this morning, kicking off the three-day journey.

As it wends its way down the mountain, passing through the hands of three skiers, guards on ski mobiles will be alongside with the backup flame in case the original is accidentally extinguished.

The aluminium torch has been designed to withstand torrential rain, snow and winds up to 65 km/h.

But the flame has been snuffed a few times already on its pilgrimage through the Pacific Islands, usually by a rogue gust.

Fittingly, New Zealand's sports champion of the century, Peter Snell, is the first torchbearer this morning, accompanying it by helicopter to the top chairlift on Coronet Peak, before igniting Coberger's torch.

"It hasn't quite sunk in yet," Snell said last night after flying from Texas.

"Originally I wasn't able to make it, but in the last week it has all fallen into place.

"I feel very privileged to do it. Of all the pageantry stuff of the Olympics, the torch is the best."

Fifty people will carry the flame through Queenstown before it is flown to Christchurch this afternoon. Each bearer will carry his or her own gas-powered torch.

Only the flame, lit in Greece a month ago, is passed on.

Gritty multisport athlete Steve Gurney will be the final runner today, filling in for new All Black captain Todd Blackadder, who is in training camp in Palmerston North.

Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker will replace his old boss, Russell Coutts, on the jog through the America's Cup village in Auckland on Wednesday.


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