Hundreds of people welcomed back New Zealand's triumphant Olympic medalists at Auckland Airport today, with gold medallist sailors Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie given the honour of leading out the "golden flight"' from London via Singapore.
Aleh and Powrie, who won the women's 470 class, say they were "pushed" outof the gates first by their fellow teammates and into a raucous welcome from a crowd, which had patiently waited for nearly an hour from the moment flight SQ 285 landed.
"It's overwhelming really. I was expecting a bit of a welcome but not as big as this," single sculling gold medallist Mahe Drysdale said.
The rowers, who enjoyed plenty of success on Lake Dorney, had followed the sailors into the arrivals hall, with the women's hockey team, who were fourth in a tournament high on quality for them, slipping discretely away from the limelight. While the other athletes were quickly mobbed by a large media contingent, they went almost unnoticed.
Alongside Drysdale were gold medallist pair Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, double sculls winners Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan and women's coxless pair Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown, who won bronze.
Men's 49er sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who won silver, also emerged, blinking, into the glare.
Murray was a popular figure. He was sweating on the heat of the camera lights but remained his laidback self, hoisting his young son into his arms.
Drysdale, who rowed to golden glory after the disappointment of a bronze in Beijing in 2008, was also highly sought after, and said he would make a decision on his future of the next three months, but "I'm still enjoying my sport, which is the main thing".
Golden kayaker Lisa Carrington was not present. Valerie Adams, awarded a belated gold in the shot put, is expected back in the country late next month.
Some of the cyclists arrived on an earlier flight, including Simon van Velthooven, who won bronze in the keirin, BMX silver medallist Sarah Walker and the men's pursuit team, who won bronze.
Van Velthooven, proudly displaying his bronze, waited for the later flight and the rest of his New Zealand teammates.
New Zealand won 13 medals in London, six gold, two silver and five bronze.
