Photo by Vinnie Botton.
Wheels at Wanaka has cemented its status as Australasia’s largest all-vehicle event, drawing an estimated 65,000 visitors over Easter weekend.
Held from April 18-20, the biennial show surpassed organisers’ expectations with perfect autumn weather on Saturday helping to drive record-breaking crowds at the 60-acre site.
More than 5,000 vehicles were displayed across the event, with visitors travelling from around the world to experience a range of attractions. These included the Terra Cat Earthmoving Extravaganza, enduro motorbike competitions, snowmobile, rally and ATV demos featuring motorsport legends Greg Murphy and Hayden Paddon, and tractor, truck and steam engine pulls.
Paul “Sludge” Andrews, from Australian television show Outback Truckers, said the event was unlike anything he had witnessed.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Best show on earth, which could only be pulled off in New Zealand. The sheer number of moving machines across all seven arenas of the event blew my mind. Simply outstanding,” Andrews says.
Photo by Neil Kerr
One of the highlights was a celebration of 100 years of Caterpillar, culminating in a successful world record attempt for the most Caterpillar machines in a parade, with 242 machines officially participating on Saturday afternoon.
Event general manager Allan Dippie says he was proud of the event’s success and grateful for the contributions of volunteers and participants.
“This year’s event felt successful in every way. The volunteers and vehicle enthusiasts’ contributions were exceptional, the sun was shining, we had record numbers through the gate and everyone had a wonderful time,” Dippie says.
“A show of this size creates challenges though, and while we had plenty of parking and a robust traffic management plan in place, the roading network simply isn’t designed to cope with the level of traffic experienced on Saturday morning. We apologise for the delays and thank everyone for their patience and understanding.”
As a charitable event, Wheels at Wanaka also raises funds for the local community. While final figures are still being confirmed, organisers expect donations and fundraising efforts will reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, to be distributed to various Wanaka organisations in the coming weeks.
