Whangamata is shifting into top gear and putting the pedal to the metal with the start of the annual Repco Beach Hop today.

The five day festival celebrates all things 50's and 60's, and is jammed packed with lovingly restored classic cars and hot rods, music, comedy, surf, sand and more.

The annual Repco Beach Hop gets underway today and another bumper crowd is expected to make the journey to Whangamata this week. Photo: Sarah Treloar

Beach Hop organiser Noddy Watts says preparations ahead of New Zealand's largest five day festival involved a lot of hard slog, but went smoothly and now it is time to simply enjoy the event.

'This is our 15th anniversary, so it's special. It's a milestone,” says Noddy. 'The event itself is pretty easy to do once it's started, the only hard part is just getting there.

'But we have gotten there and the Beach Hop is looking really good this year. That's due to all the hard work from the organising team who've been fantastic.

'We have a really loyal following and there's a lot of regulars who come every year, but there's also a lot of new people as well, so it's going to be great.”

The 2014 Beach Hop attracted more than 100,000 people to Whangamata over five days, and a survey of last year's participants indicated at least $7 million was generated for the local economy.

According to Noddy, previous years' car and hot rod pre-registrations took roughly a couple of months to sell out, but for the 2015 event 1,000 cars registered within a 24 hour period.

'To sell out in 24 hours is insane. That's the first time it's happened to us, heck, I don't think that's ever happened anywhere that I know of.

'For a car event to sell out in a day, it's pretty crazy.”

The lucky Beach Hopper who wins the major prize draw on Saturday will have the choice between either a 1950 Ford Mercury (picture), a Betty Boop Retro Caravan, or $10,000 in cash. Photo: Beach Hop/Facebook

The action starts in Waihi with the Warm Up Party, then moves to Tairua on Thursday for a beach party, and on Friday there's the Thunder Cruise to Onemana.

The Grand Parade takes place on Saturday in Whangamata, followed by the Nostalgia Surf Fest at the Esplanade by Williamson Park on Sunday.

On top of all that, New Zealand's 'King of Rock 'n' Roll” Johnny Devlin will be perform down at the Whangamata Club on Saturday night.

Johnny Devlin has toured with bug names like The Everly Brothers and The Beatles, and has been inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and the NZ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

There will also be a major prize draw on Saturday afternoon and one lucky person will have the choice of taking home either a 1950 Ford Mercury, a Betty Boop Retro Caravan, or $10,000 in cash.

To get in the draw all people need to do is buy a $5 programme, fill out the entry form stashed inside correctly, and then make sure you hang around to see if your name is called.

'If a vehicle is chosen then the other will be auctioned on the spot and the $10,000 will be given away to a Repco Beach Hop 15 vehicle entrant on the Sunday.”

Seven television programmes will head along to this year's Beach Hop and includes crews from TV One, TV3, Sky and the American programme Car Crazy.

Car Crazy is broadcast in more than 60 countries to 27 million households and will give the Beach Hop and the Coromandel priceless international exposure.

Noddy is looking forward to another fantastic Beach Hop and is acknowledging the support they've received from the Thames-Coromandel District Council and the Whangamata community.

He says each year the relationship grows stronger with the council, who have helped with 'getting consents and cutting red tape, allowing us to focus on the event.”

If you're heading along to the beach Hop this year Noddy has a final message for participants: 'Respect our town. Keep it clean, be safe, be responsible.”

'Thanks to all the volunteers who pick up the rubbish and help with traffic control and security.”

For more information and a schedule for the 2015 Repco Beach Hop visit the events page at: www.beachhop.co.nz