Auckland company Stolen Rum gave away 150 new couches in three cities - Dunedin, Sydney and Miami - yesterday.
Debbie Mason and Kyla Fraser arrived in Albany St about 10.30am and were first in the queue for the ''first come, first served'' couch grab from the now-closed Captain Cook Tavern garden bar at 1pm.
Ms Fraser said the hours of waiting were passed with the ''clowning around'' of fourth-in-the-queue Les Mackle, who provided ice blocks, and security guard Siv Sanele, who sang and danced.
When the doors opened at 1pm, about 50 people were allowed access to the garden bar to grab a new two-seater couch covered in black fabric with the words ''this is stolen'' printed on the front.
''This is the greatest day of my life,'' said student Adam Pretorius, balancing a couch on his head as he headed home.
Student Nick Zwi used the same strong-arm method of transport.
''I'm walking it home - all the way to Queen St,'' Mr Zwi said.
Flatmates Richard Scott and Jake Shearstone used skateboards to roll two couches back to their Woodhaugh home.
Stolen Rum global brand manager Katie Du Fall said Dunedin was chosen for the giveaway because Stolen Rum co-founder Jamie Duff studied at the University of Otago and knew the ''big part'' couches played in student life.
Those who missed out on a couch were given soft tacos as a consolation.
