Fieldays – likely New Zealand’s biggest public event and a meeting point for town and country folk – returned to its traditional midwinter date slot this year.
The event’s opening day witnessed a perfect blend of Waikato winter weather, breathtaking views with sunrise streaming through bouts of low-lying fog, and an overwhelming sense of excitement.
The automotive area held the most interest for NZ4WD, with Toyota, Ford, Isuzu, Hyundai, Chevrolet and more along with caravans (off-road and otherwise), accessories, maintenance products, tyres and wheels and clothing all on display.
As is always the case, the rural types were in their well-used Red Band gumboots, while the soft towny types NZ4WD’s crew) were in sneakers.
Temperatures on opening morning sat close to zero until the light Waikato fog burned off to reveal a fine winter morning.
More than 100,000 visitors came through the gate over the four public days, and more than 1,000 exhibitors showcased their products and services to longstanding customers and to meet new ones. The turnout was the biggest since the beginning of the Covid pandemics, though attendance fell short of all-time records.
Exhibitors went above and beyond (again), investing tremendous effort and expense into their site builds.
Fieldays is based on a 114-hectare site at Mystery Creek 10 minutes from Hamilton and is the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere. The event draws people from around the globe – both as exhibitors and visitors.
Demand for off-road caravan accommodation is through the roof, and Off Road Caravans NZ say their presence at Fieldays brought a huge number of enquiries from a wide range of prospective buyers.
“There was a constant flow of people drawn to our bright yellow Highline Kinsman caravan. We met so many neat people, and it was great to be able to show them our products,” said co-owner Courtney Butcher.
Mount Maunganui-based Off Road Caravans New Zealand offers a wide variety of caravans built in Australia and designed for local conditions, enabling owners to access camp sites in spectacular locations.
