Brass Monkey Motorcycle Rally
Encyclopedia
The Brass Monkey Motorcycle Rally is a rally
held annually in Oturehua
, Central Otago
in New Zealand.
The event is held every year over the weekend on which the Queen's birthday is celebrated, usually the first weekend of June.
Organised by the Otago Motorcycle Club, the event attracts around 2,000 motorcycle enthusiasts from New Zealand and abroad. The rally gets its name from colloquial expression "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
", owing to the fact that the venue is extremely cold, being within 50 km (31.1 mi) of Ophir
where New Zealand's coldest-ever temperature of -21.6 degrees Celsius was recorded. To warm up rally-goers, the site boasts what is described as 'the biggest bonfire ever.'
2010 was the event's 30th anniversary.
Motorcycle rally
A motorcycle rally is a gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts. Rallies can be large or small, and one-time or recurring. Some rallies are ride-in events, whereas some like the Iron Butt Rally involve days of riding and an actual gathering only at the end of the ride.-North America:Notable annual...
held annually in Oturehua
Oturehua
The township of Oturehua is in the Ida Valley of the Maniototo, in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand.Known as Rough Ridge until 1907, the settlement stands at 500 metres above sea level, some 25 kilometres from Ranfurly, to which it is connected by both road and the Otago Central...
, Central Otago
Central Otago
Central Otago is the inland part of the New Zealand region of Otago in the South Island. The area commonly known as Central Otago includes both the Central Otago District and the Queenstown-Lakes District to the west....
in New Zealand.
The event is held every year over the weekend on which the Queen's birthday is celebrated, usually the first weekend of June.
Organised by the Otago Motorcycle Club, the event attracts around 2,000 motorcycle enthusiasts from New Zealand and abroad. The rally gets its name from colloquial expression "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
Brass monkey (colloquial expression)
The phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" is a colloquial expression used by some English speakers. The reference to the testes of the brass monkey appears to be a 20th century variant on the expression, prefigured by a range of references to other body parts, especially the...
", owing to the fact that the venue is extremely cold, being within 50 km (31.1 mi) of Ophir
Ophir, New Zealand
Omakau is a settlement in Central Otago, New Zealand, located between Alexandra and Ranfurly on the northwest bank of the Manuherikia River.The smaller settlement of Ophir, New Zealand is located on the opposite bank, three kilometres to the southeast....
where New Zealand's coldest-ever temperature of -21.6 degrees Celsius was recorded. To warm up rally-goers, the site boasts what is described as 'the biggest bonfire ever.'
2010 was the event's 30th anniversary.
External links
- Official website of the rally