Flight of fancy not just a dream

By JO-MARIE BROWN

Parading as a Roman gladiator, London's Tower Bridge, a flying carpet or Coronation Street stars - some people will do anything for a free overseas trip.

More than 200 people clad in destination-inspired costumes flocked to Auckland International Airport yesterday, hoping to win one of 25 return trips in Cathay Pacific's third annual Dress Up and Fly competition.

The London, Paris and Amsterdam categories proved most popular, with Ginger Spice, Chanel perfume bottles, several Mona Lisas and windmills all making an appearance.

The hotly contested Manchester category had two long-time Coronation Street fans win by dressing up as Hilda Ogden and Bet Lynch.

Moya Gleave, resplendent in Hilda-style hair-rollers, was ecstatic to hear that she would head home to Manchester.

"I've got all my family and friends there. I can't believe it. My legs are shaking," Mrs Gleave said.

Having moved to New Zealand in 1973, Mrs Gleave had always wanted to return to visit singer Billy Fury's grave.

"It's been my ambition to go back and visit his grave and I've never had any money to go. I can't believe I'm going home," she said.

Other costumes took a bit more thought to work out - 19-year-old Tiffany Allen, dressed as a chicken carrying blocks of butter, won a trip to Delhi as "butter chicken."

"I was looking through cookbooks and decided to go as a food dish from Delhi. It's such a simple costume, I can't believe it got somewhere," she said.

Los Angeles inspired Chad Bennet to go in drag as Marilyn Monroe. Erez Ben won a trip to Istanbul for dressing as a flying carpet.

The carpet had been bought locally for $70.

"That's what hurt. It was brand new and I had to cut a hole in it. But a free trip's a free trip," Mr Ben said.

Other inventive entries included New York's World Trade Centre, complete with red flashing lights "so the planes don't crash into us," and Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house, inspired by the authors, the Brothers Grimm.

Some of the more extravagant costumes were more than just visually impressive.

One cappuccino-clad woman tried to lure judges with the smell of freshly ground coffee beans and the sound of Italian music.

"The ironic thing is I'm allergic to coffee," the woman said.

Body paint also transformed people into Zulu warriors and zebras from South Africa, windmills from Amsterdam and fashion queens from Rome.

The trips have to be taken within three days.

Those bound for London, Delhi, Los Angeles, Paris, Hong Kong and Manchester fly today.