All they wanted to do was make the most of what everyone was saying was the first decent boating day of the holidays.
Prices were dropped at BP and Shell about 10am, after many boat owners had already filled up for the day.
Caltex followed suit later in the morning, while Lake Hawea Motors received confirmation of the price drop at 3pm.
Hundreds of boaties were quick out of the blocks yesterday, with Wanaka Caltex manager Kassandra Jackson noting queues had formed by 8.30am.
"It is the first decent boating day for the Christmas holiday break. Things started just before 7am, with the first boat through. It's been steady and it will make this evening busy for us as well, because they fill up when they come back," Ms Jackson said.
Caltex was charging 4c per litre more than BP when the ODT visited just after 11am, but was waiting for a fax from head office to confirm the company would match the new prices set by BP and Shell, Ms Jackson said.
The price drop was "great for the town" and petrol was now at its cheapest level in more than 18 months, Ms Jackson said.
BP manager Tony Myers said custom was starting to pick up yesterday, although he did not think it had reached the peaks of previous years.
He had noticed more people arriving in town, but a few days later than usual.
"I don't think anyone's noticed [the price change], to be honest," he said.
Greg Mulvey, of Invercargill, was at BP Wanaka about 11.30am, joking he had been too "slow out of the blocks" for his children, who wanted to go water-skiing.
But the slow starter had saved 4c a litre.
"I had no idea [prices had dropped]. That is great."
At the Lake Hawea boat ramp, more than 120 boats were launched before noon, ramp attendant Jack Beattie (17) said.
Several boaties were unaware of the fuel price drop.
Lake Hawea Motors operator Trev Hewson said boat queues were not an issue this year because the station now had a 24-hour fuel pump.
Mr Hewson said that while he had received confirmation of the price drop, he was an independent operator with higher overheads who did not have the same bulk purchasing powers, so he had not decided when to drop his prices.
Fuel demand remained high in the holiday resort throughout the day.
Both Caltex and BP had large petrol trucks and tankers restocking their underground tanks at 11am yesterday and daily deliveries from Dunedin will continue throughout the busy holiday season.
Ms Jackson said Caltex could hold 180,000 litres in tanks and usually took between three and four times its regular amount of fuel at this time of year.
CRT Farm Direct truck driver Stu More, of Dunedin, said yesterday he delivered 19,000 litres to Caltex yesterday and would take another 19,000l to farms during the day.
Wanaka petrol prices
Wanaka BP
Unleaded 91:143.9
Diesel:115.9
Caltex Wanaka
Regular 91:143.9
Diesel:115.9
Lake Hawea Motors
Unleaded 91:151
Diesel:124
