It was the last and it was the best.
Wheels at Wanaka general manager Allan Dippie said he felt the event, being held for the last time, was the best.
Mr Dippie said because the forecast for Easter Sunday was rainy, many chose to attend the show on Saturday.
"We packed two days of show into one day ... I think there was more people in Wanaka [on Saturday] than there’s ever been in Wanaka at one time."
While the large crowds presented the event’s management with some logistical problems as they tried to ensure traffic flowed smoothly,
Mr Dippie said they were prepared and able to cope with the increase in numbers.
"We were just overcome by the numbers, which was a great problem to have ... the food vendors sold two days’ worth of food in one day."
The day’s highlights included an ultimately successful plan to break the world record for the most Caterpillar engines in one parade in honour of Caterpillar’s centenary.
Success was theirs when 242 machines took part.
Mr Dippie said he had spoken to some people from the United States that night who said that country would never break the new record.
"Even in the United States, they couldn’t get that many Caterpillars together."
He praised the event for being a successful family affair, with the Easter egg drop being so popular it could not accommodate the demand in one day.
The event team had planned for a helicopter to drop Easter eggs on Saturday. However the number of children was overwhelming, and the team had to restock overnight and do a second hand-out of eggs yesterday.
Although there were fewer people yesterday after a rainy night, the showgrounds were still full of families who had strapped on their gumboots and put on their raincoats in preparation for another big day.
"We’re going out with a real bang," Mr Dippie said.
"It’s probably more of a bang than we ever thought."
