Queen's Baton on the home stretch

The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) has entered the Oceania region, the final region in its global voyage around the Commonwealth.

Oceania is a far-reaching area of the world where the Pacific Ocean connects nations, rather than land borders. A region home to unspoilt tropical paradises and some of the most remote and culturally isolated villages.

Over the next seven and a half weeks the Queen’s Baton will explore the widely scattered 13 Commonwealth nations and territories of Oceania, connecting them with the Gold Coast and the entire Commonwealth.

Landing into the tiny island of Nauru today, the Baton will spend three days generating excitement for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) with the local hopefuls hoping to fly the Nauru flag on the Gold Coast next April.

The nation is renowned particularly for punching above their weight in weightlifting having bagged 29 medals in the sport since first appearing at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, 1990.

It will travel next to Kiribati, Niue, Cook Islands and Tonga before arriving into Fiji on 20 November 2017.

Web: gc2018.com/qbr

QBR Hashtag: #QBR2018

GC2018 Hashtag: #GC2018, #SHARETHEDREAM

ENDS

For more information please contact:

Sarah Owens – sarah.owens@goldoc.com / +61 481 916 084

Public Relations Officer, Queen’s Baton Relay

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC)

BACKGROUND

The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) continues to connect the Gold Coast with the entire Commonwealth.

Already the Baton has been passed between thousands of people across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe, building excitement for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).

The GC2018 Relay is the longest and most accessible in history, travelling through the entire Commonwealth for 388 days and 230,000 kilometres.

The Baton engages with all Commonwealth nations and territories of Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania for 288 days before it arrives in Australia for a further 100 days.

The Baton arrives into Brisbane on Christmas Eve and 3,800 batonbearers will carry it through every state and territory in Australia.

The Relay started on Commonwealth Day, Monday 13 March 2017, at Buckingham Palace when Her Majesty placed Her message inside of the Baton.

The distinctive design of the GC2018 Queen’s Baton captures the boundless energy of the Gold Coast. In form and inspiration, the Baton is a symbol of our past, present and future.

The Queen’s Baton arrives on the Gold Coast for the XXI Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on 4 April 2018, where the Prince of Wales will remove Her Majesty’s message from the Baton and read it aloud to declare the Games open.

Please see the following files attached:

[Queen's Baton arrives in Nauru.jpg]

Distributed by AAP Medianet

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