A few dozen corporate ducks will be let loose at about 2.45pm from the Village Green section of the creek to make their way downstream to the Queenstown Bay outlet.
They’ll be followed by the public duck race — anyone can buy a duck for $10 at the Village Green from about 12.30pm.
Thanks to about 20 new businesses coming onboard, Rotary duck organiser Tim Wilshire is hoping the event will raise a record $10,000 to divvy up between the Whakatipu Youth Trust and Southern Lakes Sanctuary.
Businesses have been billed $280 for the corporate ducks while, for the first time, five $450 double-size super ducks were also sold — "I’ve got a feeling they may be faster", Wilshire says.
Three schools are also entering ducks.
Prizes will be awarded for the best-dressed as well as the fastest ducks.
Wilshire says a highlight last year was watching the fastest corporate duck, dressed as Gantley’s Tavern proprietor Euan ‘Urb’ Paterson’s dog Bob, being watched by Bob herself.
"Everyone was yelling out ‘Bob!’ — Bob was confused."
