Central Otago hoar frost enough to freeze balls off a brass monkey
Over 1000 riders attending the 2018 Brass Monkey Rally are sleeping in below-zero temperatures in Oturehua, Central Otago.
Temperatures plummeted so low at the site of one New Zealand's largest motorcycle rallies the dam froze and riders had to sleep on a bed of hoar frost.
About 1200 riders, equipped with tents, sleeping bags and portable barbecues made their way to a remote paddock in Oturehua, Central Otago, for the 38th Brass Monkey Rally.
Some rally regulars were clever enough to set up camp early to secure a good stash of firewood to keep warm in one of the coldest places in the country during winter. Firewood was in demand with temperatures plummeting to minus 11 degrees Celsius overnight Friday and Saturday morning.
A hoar frost coats a fence in Central Otago.
Rally spokesman John Willems said the Otago Motorcycle Club, based in Dunedin, had run the rally for 38 years and this was one of the coldest.
"A few years ago we had snow. We had a tractor on site to clear all the snow away so people could put tents down. But this is one of the coldest. This morning between 7.30am and 8am it was minus 11.6deg. I haven't checked the temperature since but it went up to minus 11.2deg about an hour later."
Temperatures were so cold, the Idaburn Dam had frozen over.
The frozen Idaburn Dam and hoar frost covering the landscape in Oturehau where the 2018 Brass Monkey Rally is held.
The Oturehua site was chosen specifically for its proximity to Ophir - a township about 32km away that had the reputation as one of New Zealand's coldest places.
Ron Hiscock, 79, of Clyde, said was one of the oldest at the rally attending his first one in1992.
"I got such a hiding ... I arrived here and the snow and wind was horizontal. I didn't come back again until 2002 because of that experience. Frosts like this is what Brass Monkey is supposed to be. It's a challenge against the cold and a tent. It's quite handy to get here early because you pick all the dry bits and leave all the wet bits. It's quite hilarious."
Dean Shaw, of Cromwell and Ron Hiscock, of Clyde, at the 2018 Brass Monkey Rally in Oturehua, Central Otago.
He had other means of keeping warm, which involved a generator and electric blanket, he said.
"It's the only one in the whole camp."
Dean Shaw, of Cromwell, said it was the coldest rally he had attended, and arriving to the campsite on Friday had been "interesting'.
A hoar frost has gripped Central Otago as temperatures in parts of the region have plummeted to minus 11deg.
"It's certainly very cold this year. Coming into the rally on Friday I had a lot of ice on my screen."
Willem said people came "from all walks of life" and rode "or sorts of bikes" to attend the rally.
"The most we had was 5000 about 10 years ago. This year we are hoping to get 1200. Each year the numbers get slightly lower and lower. Putting an event on is getting harder and harder to jump through red tape. Other motorbike clubs are finding it hard as well."
The rally was one of the main fundraising events for the Oturehua community who organised the catering, and helped run the event.
Organisers also donated profits to charity, which would this go towards youth suicide prevention, he said.
- Stuff
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