A record crowd estimated between 8000 and 10,000 attended the Pambula Motorfest on Sunday, September 28. A record crowd estimated between 8000 and 10,000 attended the Pambula Motorfest on Sunday, September 28. Pambula Motorfest 2014 was a stunning success on Sunday afternoon, attracting record crowd numbers and entries, with chrome glistening under a perfect spring sunny day.Traffic was banked up as far back as Pambula , a measure of the event's popularity. Motorfest committee member, Brett Hansford, was thrilled with the turnout. “We expected more than last year but this is unbelievable,” he said mid-afternoon Sunday. “Last year we had about 6000 people through the gate. This year it’s definitely more than that. “We had over 300 entrants, once again more than last year, with a fantastic range of cars, the diversity on the ovals is sensational." An exhausted but happy, Scott Whatman, one of the event's key organisers, told the News Weekly yesterday that he estimated the crowd at between 8000 and 10,000. It was "humungous," he said,"it went beyond my wildest dreams." “It’s fantastic; I’m over the moon with how it’s turned out,” Scott said. He said it was a boon for Pambula, tourism and the local economy. The Swap Meet brought enthusiasts from Sydney and Canberra and they vowed to return next year, Scott said, and entrants came from all over. There were all types of wheels - vehicles of all shapes and sizes, trucks, motor bikes, hot rods, tractors, and even campervans. From custom paint to retro touring, Tom and Jackie Kelly from Canberra with their retro camper entertained no end of visitors to their immaculately restored, 1986 campervan. Kevin Nolan, of Merimbula, flashed up his 1000hp tractor puller. The self-confessed “big kid at heart” has read all the Harry Potter books, hence the paint job featuring Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter on the tractor puller. "I read all the Harry Potter books and just loved them. I’m a big kid at heart and the kids love it too," Kevin said. It was a festival of show and shine and show and tell. The event, though a real crowd pleaser, also has a serious side to it. It is a major fundraiser for the community and this year beneficiaries include the Pambula Hospital Auxiliary, the Pambula Sports Complex and the Gordon-Jenkins family, of Wyndham, who recently lost their son Byron in a tragic beach accident. Scott reckons the Motorfest made in excess of $20,000, but the day also gave other community organisations the opportunity to fund raise such as the Rotary Club of Pambula, the Merimbula-Pambula Bulldogs, the Wyndham Public School, and a fundraiser Silent Auction was conducted by friends of the Gordon-Jenkins family. Scott said the Motorfest was developing into more than a car show with a new spread of attractions, not the least among those was the Crocodile Man which proved to be a huge hit with youngsters. Next year they hope to include live music ... we want to make it even bigger and add to its diversity," Scott said. Again the profits will be ploughed back into the Pambula Sports Complex. "We want to lift its appearance," Scott said. Merimbula News Weekly By Liz McCormick, Amanda Stroud Oct. 1, 2014, 9:21 a.m.