The Relay is a Games tradition that celebrates "the Commonwealth’s diversity, inspires community pride and excites people about the world-class festival of sports and culture to come".

Gold Coast 2018 are hopeful their edition will be the longest and the "most accessible" in Commonwealth history, with the Relay having taken place before every edition of the event since the Cardiff 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Stephen Doran, Gold Coast 2018’s Queen’s Baton Relay manager, told insidethegames they were looking to give the public more "quality time" with the baton rather than focusing on the number of people who get to see it. 

"What we are doing is trying to make it a more tangible and intimate model, that has been our concept from the beginning," Doran said.

"We wanted to come up with something different.

"Rather than have people standing on the side of the roads for half an hour waiting for it to come and it is past them in a couple of minutes, when it goes through smaller communities we are going to stop.

"We are going to go to schools, we are going to engage with the school students so they have a positive experience.

"Most days we are starting at schools in the morning, where we will do a bit of a show and educational programme to explain what the Commonwealth is and what the Commonwealth Games is.

"At the same time, we are hoping it will inspire the kids, with even one or two taking up sport.

"By stopping at schools and engaging, like allowing them to touch the baton, it is far better than running past in two minutes."

As a result of this approach, fewer communities will be visited during the 388 day and 230,000 kilometre journey from Buckingham Palace in London to the Opening Ceremony of the Games.

However, the selected communities are being encouraged to become a "regional host" by inviting people to celebrate at their events.

As a result, there will be fewer official baton bearers, but Gold Coast 2018 are hopeful more people will enjoy closer engagement with the Relay.

Around 4,000 bearers will be selected in Australia, with a programme due to be launched in March to decide who is granted the honour.

Bearers will be selected through a community nomination process, before going to a judging panel.

The Relay will begin on March 13, 2017, when The Queen will place her message to the Commonwealth inside the baton.

Her message will be removed from the baton and read aloud by Her Majesty or a representative at the Opening Ceremony on April 4, 2018.

The baton, which has been made using macadamia wood and recycled plastic sourced from Gold Coast waterways, was revealed last month by organisers.

The design has been inspired by the region’s "vibrant spirit and indigenous heritage" and with sustainability in mind.