Loader to travel with Queen's Baton

Danyon Loader

Former Commonwealth and Olympic Games swimming champion Danyon Loader will be the "face" of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) in New Zealand.

The baton arrives in New Zealand next week and Loader, who won six Commonwealth Games swimming medals, including a gold, will travel with the baton through New Zealand.

Presented by the Southern Trust, the M2006 QBR has been on a year-long journey around the Commonwealth nations.

It left Buckingham Palace, with the Queen's message, in March last year and will finish its trek at the opening ceremony of the Games in Melbourne on March 15.

The baton begins its New Zealand odyssey on Thursday morning (January 19) in Christchurch.

It heads for Arthurs Pass and then onto an evening event in Hokitika. On Friday it will be in Nelson before heading across Cook Strait for another evening event in Wellington.

The baton will be hosted in Palmerston North and Rotorua on Saturday.

Gisborne will get its chance on Sunday morning before an evening function in Cambridge which will include a number of Commonwealth and Olympic Games athletes.

On Monday (January 23), the baton will be in Auckland during the unveiling of the New Zealand team's uniform for the Games.

"The Commonwealth Games holds a very special place in my heart. It was my first major international competition, when I competed at the Auckland Games in 1990 at the age of 14," Loader said.

- NZPA