All Black captain Richie McCaw made a special appearance at the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow on Saturday afternoon, as the co-pilot of a Royal Australian Air Force F18 fighter jet.
As the Hornet fighter made a low pass over the crowd, McCaw talked to spectators on the ground by means of a radio link.
The show's organiser, Roger Clark, says that inviting four Australian fighter jets was a coup and well worth all the groundwork.
About 80,000 people passed through the gates on Saturday. The show, described by organisers as the biggest in a decade, continues on Sunday. With more than 100,000 tickets sold, it's expected to inject at least $50 million into the local economy.
The show also included a Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighter aircraft - the type used in the attack on Pearl Harbour and later for kamikaze operations. German 'wing-walker' Peggy Krainz gave performances over the weekend.
