''Why am I over there - a fella,'' said Mathews.
She said they always come back to Papamoa for the summer holidays and they always go to the races.
Webber described the races as a great day out for the family.
''And we are doing okay, we are still smiling,'' she said of their race picks so far.
Mathews liked how they could bring their own food and drink to the races and have a picnic trackside. And with plenty to do for the children, all ages were having fun.
She said she loved coming home because everyone was so friendly and the Kiwi service was pretty good.
The two ex-pats were not put off by Tauranga's rapid growth. ''We still like the feel of the place,'' Mathews said.
Kingston, who owns beauty salon Mount Skin and Body, likes how everyone dressed casually for the Interislander meeting.
Racing Tauranga chairman Rob Weatherley said it had been blessed with the weather. It was a bit overcast and a bit marginal for the beach, so people had decided to come to the races instead.
He estimated the crowd at about 4000, more than the two previous Interislander meetings. It was family friendly, with a kids' zone and events like the running race, tug o' war and sack race.
''It's been a very good day.''