Over 65,000 Wowed At International Vehicle Event: Record-Breaking Attendance At Wheels At Wanaka Over Easter Weekend

Over 65,000 patrons are estimated to have flocked to Central Otago this Easter weekend to attend Wheels at Wanaka, firmly cementing its place as Australasia’s biggest all-vehicle show.

Held over three days—Good Friday, Saturday and Sunday—the biennial celebration opened its gates to enthusiastic crowds of vehicle lovers, competitors and curious visitors. Organisers had optimistically predicted record-breaking attendance for the 60-acre site, but those expectations were well and truly exceeded as more than 5,000 vehicles and a staggering 65,000 people made their way through the gates over the three days. Perfect autumn weather on Saturday added to the appeal, helping draw massive crowds and ensuring a successful weekend.

Visitors travelled from all over the world to experience an exciting variety of vehicle-related attractions, including the Terra Cat Earthmoving Extravaganza, enduro x motorbike competition, Cat Global Operator Challenge, snowmobile, rally and ATV demos from motorsport legends Greg Murphy and Hayden Paddon, as well as tractor, truck and steam engine pulls and a non-stop parade ground programme.

Paul “Sludge” Andrews, of Australian TV series Outback Truckers fame exclaimed “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.”

Among the many standout attractions, the celebration of 100 years of Caterpillar was marked with a world record attempt – the most Caterpillar machines in a parade. The world record was achieved with 242 machines officially taking part, set on Saturday afternoon.

General Manager Allan Dippie expressed pride in the success of the event and gratitude for all who took part. “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. 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,” Dippie said.

As a charitable event, Wheels at Wanaka also gives back to the community. Final figures are still being tallied, but organisers expect that donations and funds raised by local groups will reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, and will be distributed to the various Wanaka organsations in the coming weeks.

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