The pair arrived along with the other drivers over the weekend, while their cars and equipment also arrived for the 11^th Round of the FIA World Rally Championship which is based in Hamilton, heading to the King Country, Waikato and Franklin districts.

Gronholm (Finland) carries an eight-point lead in the world championship to New Zealand where a victory will make the Ford driver the most successful in the 38 year history of the event. It will give the lanky Swede a fifth New Zealand win, going ahead of Spain's Carlos Sainz who won four times here.

Loeb (France) says he is confident after a win in the last round in Germany but knows he is taking on Gronholm on his favourite fast and flowing gravel roads of New Zealand and on stages he has only viewed in reconnaissance.

Last year Loeb was recovering from a broken arm and could not compete.

The cars arrived on a special air freight flight from Europe on Sunday, following an earlier sea shipment, with up to 100 containers of equipment now at the service park and headquarters at Mystery Creek.

Organisers have erected 3km of fencing, installed 50 adsl lines, 50 phones, 500 power outlets, 1000 cones and half a kilometre of fencing.

There are close to 1000 drivers and crew among the 136 competitors from 25 countries.

"We have nearly 1000 volunteers who will be involved to make this event happen," said Chris Carr, chairman of Rally New Zealand.

"Many have already spent countless hours planning and organising for Rally New Zealand. This is what makes Rally New Zealand so unique.

"These people take holidays, pay their own way and will spend around $1 million dollars on food and accommodation. Without them this event just would not happen and words do not express our admiration and respect for the amazing job they do.

"We are the longest running annual world championship held in New Zealand and the drivers continue to rate us among the very best in the FIA World Rally Championship.

"We believe we are ready to provide the setting for these incredible athletes to show off their remarkable skills."

The teams and drivers will complete their set-up today (Monday with reconnaissance on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Rally New Zealand starts with the traditional shakedown test at Mystery Creek on Thursday ahead of the Ceremonial Start in downtown Hamilton on Thursday evening.

The rally proper begins on Friday in the Otorohanga and Waitomo region, day two is in the Franklin District and northern Waikato and final day in Raglan, with super special stages each day back at the rally headquarters and service park at Mystery Creek.