OTUREHUA
-- A small hillside in Central Otago became a mass of bikes, tents and bonfires on
Saturday night-- a scene not likely to be found in the United States, one American couple
said. The Brass Monkey Rally was a first for New Yorkers Erin and Chris Ratay and one
they are not likely to forget.
The couple
threw in their jobs as a salesman and career counselor in May, 1999, and decided to ride
their BMW bikes around the world.
As well as New
Zealand, the trip has taken them to Morocco, Europe, India, South-east Asia, Australia and
countries fringing the Arctic. "Of all the countries we've been to New Zealand is the
one place where we think we could live," Erin Ratay said.
Travelling more
than 90,000km and through 35 countries earned them the Brass Monkey distance-travelled.
They plan to stay in New Zealand until September when they head to South America and then
home in 2002.
At Oturehua, as
the flames of a huge bonfire grew higher the temperatures went lower -- but the band
struck up and stories began to flow. "We would never get this many people to a winter
rally in the States," Erin Ratay said. "This is great.''
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