A decision to move Wanakafest to Labour Weekend proved a good one as thousands of Wanaka residents and visitors attended events in perfect late spring weather.
Hordes attended the Wanakafest wine and food festival and market day, while hundreds more occupied pavement tables at the town's streetside cafes to watch two shows of the Ruby Island Circus and the urban downhill mountain bike race, creating a festive and relaxed atmosphere.
There were 118 mountain bikers in town for New Zealand's only urban downhill race, many of them from Christchurch, Ashburton, Dunedin, Alexandra and Invercargill.
The winner was University of Otago marketing student Eddie Masters (21), of Dunedin, in 1min 20.74sec.
Masters has been racing since he was 14, is a former junior national champion and has represented New Zealand at World Championship level and overseas.
The Perfect Woman competition drew large crowds to watch 27 entrants aged 19-45 doing things like carrying dead goats through an obstacle course and flying helicopters.
Not everyone was in the centre of town on Saturday to eat, drink, view art at the annual Wanaka exhibition, or people-watch.
Calm conditions drew hundreds of boaties, kayakers and swimmers to the lake while a large field of runners and orienteers got hot and sweaty competing in a 12-hour rogaine around Albert Town.
At Tarras, more than 250 people attended a school reunion then danced the night away at the district's 125th anniversary dinner at the Tarras Hall.
Yesterday, Tarras reunion-goers toured Morven Hills Station's historic 140-year-old stone woolshed, while back in Wanaka people turned out in droves for more festival activities, including the polar plunge and cardboard cup.
Perfect Woman spectators and competitors were treated to a tree speed-climbing demonstration by world champion Stirling Hart (21), of Canada, who accomplished a 15m sprint in three seconds.
The 10 Perfect Woman finalists then had a go, with many taking more than a minute.
The fastest member of the public climbed the pole in 18 seconds.
Wanakafest raised $1350 at the auction of Stonewood Homes Little House of the Year, built in one day on Pembroke Park.
The total funds raised at the festival will be announced tomorrow, when the trust reveals which community project it has decided to support.
The CanLive charity to support cancer patients and their families raised several thousand dollars at the Perfect Woman competition.
Fundraising continued last night, at the after party.
