It was another step closer for the baton, which is travelling to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on a 190,000km journey across 70 nations and territories.
It was no accident that its arrival occurred during Dunedin's St Andrew's Day celebrations, helping give the relay a very Scottish flavour on its Dunedin leg.
The baton was carried to the Octagon by Otago swimmer Kate Godfrey and a group of pupils representing Otago and Southland primary schools. It was officially welcomed to the city by a blast from the Robbie Burns cannon and cheers from about 1000 people.
Its arrival was set among a range of Scottish entertainment, including marching and dancing displays, performances by a pipe band and ceilidh band and demonstrations of traditional Scottish games by the Otago Caledonian Society.
Adding to the atmosphere were gusty winds and skiffs of rain.
New Zealand Commonwealth Games team chef de mission Rob Waddell said the relay involved a third of the world's population and symbolised the coming together of all Commonwealth nations and territories in preparation for the four-yearly festival of sport and culture.
The Glasgow 2014 Queen's Baton Relay is the curtain-raiser to the 20th Commonwealth Games.
The baton's 288-day journey began on October 9 at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen placed her message to the Commonwealth in the baton.
The baton will be carried by thousands of people around the world and is due to arrive at its final destination in Scotland just in time for the games opening ceremony, where the Queen will read her message to the Commonwealth.
Along the way, the baton is travelling by land, sea and air. Past relays featured a submarine in the Maldives, a vintage sidecar in Singapore and a scuba diver who delivered the baton to the underwater post office in Vanuatu.
The baton will next be sent to Kiribati and the Cook Islands.
