By Dave Goosselink
It's the burger that's got fast food junkies salivating and health fanatics in a spin.
KFC's infamous Double Down bun-free burger goes on sale across New Zealand tomorrow morning.
It's an event that's got Dunedin students' stomachs rumbling.
"We've been looking forward to it for weeks and weeks, and we just want to be the first people in that line tomorrow morning," says Evan Jones, KFC fanboy.
But these guys couldn't wait for tomorrow, camping outside their local KFC and even creating their own versions of the legend.
"The great thing about the Double Down is they've gotten rid of all the unnecessary bits," says Josh Pemberton.
"There's no bun, there's just chicken and bacon and just goodness."
That's what makes the Double Down burger unique, with the cheese, bacon, and sauce sandwiched between two chicken fillets.
The group are confident the Colonel would approve of the new creation.
"If you look at his shape and the smile that he's got on his face, there's no questions that he is definitely thinking that this is good for you," says Nick Hornstein.
But health advocates have slammed the burger as a "recipe for obesity". The original Double Down has an impressive 34g of fat and 600 calories, although KFC claims that's still less than a Whopper burger.
Fans aren't swayed by the critics.
"It doesn't bother me. They'll be sitting at home tomorrow, we'll be here enjoying great chicken," says Toby McLachlan.
It's even become a platform for politics, with members of the ACT Party's youth wing planning to give away free burgers to celebrate individual freedom.
"We're really trying to stand up for freedom of choice, the right for people just to choose what they're going to eat," says Chris Laing.
But the treat may be short-lived. KFC says the Double Down's only on sale here for the next five weeks.
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