Rotorua was pumping at the weekend, with most of the city booked out as people took advantage of outdoor adventures.
Tak Mutu, of Mountain Bike Rotorua, said more shuttles and bikes had to be brought in after numbers "exploded" on Saturday.
Saturday morning started quietly but the forest got "crazy"from about 11.30am.
Mutu said there was a surprising number of people from Auckland for day trips, spending the day in the forest, getting dinner and then heading back home.
Mutu said next weekend would be another big one with the Giant 2W Gravity Enduro, which had more than 700 people signed up.
Each competitor also usually brought two to three supporters.
Hospitality New Zealand accommodation sector Rotorua vice-chairman and Aura Accommodation owner Nick Fitzgerald said the city proved itself to be a year-round destination.
The city was near capacity for accommodation and he said this was noticeable in the streets, at the lakefronts and in the forest.
It was a positive weekend for accommodation providers who didn't have to lower their prices, which was a good sign for the months to come, Fitzgerald said.
Hospitality NZ accommodation sector Rotorua vice-chairman and Aura Accommodation owner Nick Fitzgerald. Photo / NZME
While there was still an element of people making last-minute bookings, the majority were done in advance, which was how long weekends were handled in the past.
For his hotel, Fitzgerald said they were already near capacity for Matariki later this month and the local industry was looking to the coming months with optimism.
Chief executive of Polynesian Spa, Gert Taljaard, said they knew the town was sold out and it was encouraging to have people head to the business while visiting Rotorua.
Taljaard said the numbers were comparable to last Queen's Birthday weekend and it was encouraging to see people travel given the current economic climate, including high fuel prices.
The spa was "so happy" to be able to celebrate its 50th birthday with visitors, he said.
Chief executive of Polynesian Spa Gert Taljaard. Photo / Supplied
Taljaard said they looked forward to seeing what Matariki, as a new public holiday, would bring.
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said accommodation and hospitality venues were fast filling up heading into the weekend.
Fitzgerald said long weekends cost a fair bit of money for those travelling, and it would be interesting to see if Matariki would see the same enthusiasm in a few weeks' time.
Bay of Plenty Rugby Union referee manager Cam Russell said there was a "buzz of people" under a "sea of umbrellas" to watch the Black Ferns take on Australia in the Pacific Four series at the Domain yesterday.
Russell said it was a special game as three local women - Kendra Reynolds, Luka Connor and Angel Mulu - played. The first match of the series was between the USA and Canada.
It was "massive" for the city to host the games in the lead-up to the World Cup, he said.
The Black Ferns at a game last year. Photo / NZME
However, V8 Trike Tours New Zealand co-owner Katherine Busbridge said the weekend had been "disappointing", with just one booking on Saturday.
Saturday was the only day with good weather and because the business was weather dependent, they couldn't operate on Sunday or yesterday.
Hospitality NZ accommodation sector Bay of Plenty chairman and Tauranga's 850 Cameron Motel owner Tony Bullot said Tauranga rooms were full of mainly regional locals and Auckland residents.
He said despite the sector "giving up on expecting anything", the visitor numbers this long weekend came as a pleasant surprise.
Katherine Busbridge from V8 Trike Tours. Photo / NZME
Bullot said people were still leaving bookings to the last minute, and there were still rooms available on Saturday morning.
