Arrowtown School deputy principal Tim White said ordinarily about 60 children biked to school, but on Friday there were 250 bikes at the school - many of them lying on the lawn by the school's parking lot because the bike racks were overflowing.
A school bus arrived carrying only three children.
The Go By Bike Day was part of Bikewise Month, organised by the school and the Queenstown Lakes District Council, along with Element Multisport and New Zealand Police.
Community Constable Zoe Albon biked from Arthurs Point to the school and was stationed on a corner dishing out plenty of encouragement to the children - many of who were accompanied by their parents, either biking or running beside them - while Lucas Erskine from Element Multisport, checked over helmets and bikes for the children after they arrived.
Parents also volunteered their time to hand out a healthy snack for everyone who biked to school.
"The whole point of the day is to get children and their parents thinking about biking as a practical way to get to school and this is a fun way to encourage it.
"It's also good to reward those who are already biking," Mr Young said.
The school was working with the council to encourage more walking, cycling and school bus use, through beginning work on a "school travel plan" which would enable the community to work together to create a "safe and healthy way" for the children to go to school.
