"We were at the A&P Show in Tauranga recently and had a crowd of up to 300 people watching. I think the crowds like the strong man mentality and it is just impressive seeing people cut through a log with such speed and precision," he said.
A newer event is the New Zealand Strongest Man Competition which will see competitors lifting a variety of weights to pull in the crowds and also qualify for the national final at Easter.
The King and Queen of the Mountain changes to a Sunday event this year, starting at noon.
After an epic amount of gorse cutting and spraying by the Rotorua Trail Running Club, the competition returns to the original route used in the 1970s.
The 6km course has a new track located further up a ridge and the shorter 4km course has also had an upgrade.
A new children's 1.2km course has been created and parents are invited to accompany their children on this fun run, at the earlier start time of 10am.
National shearing competitions are also taking place at the A&P Show, as well as a variety of equestrian events.
Once again there are plenty of activities for children including pony and donkey rides, a petting zoo, rides on military vehicles, and activities put on by the Volcanic Scouts.
A range of animals are on show including miniature horses, alpaca, cattle and heavy horses.
Chelsea Marriner was back with her agility dog show which was always a crowd-pleaser, said organiser Lyn Tetenburg.
"The show is the chance for city people to experience the fundamentals of rural life, slow down and take notice of what's around them," she said.
"It's also the chance for people to experience how to care for animals - that it's a 24/7 job."
