A fleet of eight home-made rafts took part in the 10th annual Outram Raft Race, some featuring sofas and one a picnic table.
They were watched by swimmers and sunbathers enjoying the hot weather, as temperatures soared to more than 29degC around Dunedin yesterday , following a balmy Saturday night of about 24degC.
In Roxburgh, temperatures reached 29.9degC yesterday and 30.2degC on Saturday, while in Alexandra they climbed to 29.9degC yesterday and 31.3degC on Saturday.
The summery weather is predicted to continue today, reaching a high of 25degC in Dunedin, before rain begins to fall tomorrow and Wednesday as a front moves over the South Island.
Mr James said the warm weather was due to continue across Otago for the next couple of weeks.
On the Taieri, race organiser Carl Gardner said the raft race included veterans who had entered their rafts every single year.
"It gets the community together and everybody just has a bit of a laugh. It's pretty cool."
It cost $50 for each group to enter, and although the winner usually took all, this year the proceeds of the race were going towards a new van for the Outram Volunteer Fire Brigade.
Mr Gardner understood the participants were all local people and said it was good to see them supporting the community.
Creativity was encouraged and the rafts had to be home-made; "inflatables" such as tyres were not allowed, and groups could have up to six people.
"They've got to have life jackets all the way through, and they've got to have paddles on the rafts."
Proceeds of a sausage sizzle at the end of the race also went towards the fire brigade's new van.
