Burt Munro Challenge 2027

What it is

The Burt Munro Challenge is a week of motorcycle racing and rallying in and around Invercargill, and organisers bill it as the largest motorcycle rally in the Southern Hemisphere. The Southland Motorcycle Club created it in 2006, after the 2005 film The World’s Fastest Indian, to honour Burt Munro’s ingenuity, determination and love of speed. In 2027 it moves to February, running from Wednesday 10 to Sunday 14 February.

Born in Edendale in 1899, Munro spent his life modifying the Indian Scout he bought in 1920. At 63 he set a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, and his 1967 record of 183.58 mph still stands.

The racing programme

Organisers list these events for 2027:

• Southland Honda Track Day: Wednesday 10 February, 8.30 am
• Star Insure NZ Hill Climb Champs: Thursday 11 February, 10 am, Flagstaff Road, Bluff, up Bluff Hill (Motupōhue)
• Indian Motorcycle Twilight Drag Racing: Thursday 11 February, 6 pm, Teretonga Park, Sandy Point
• E Hayes and Sons Motorcycle Beach Racing and NZ Champs: Friday 12 February, 10 am, Oreti Beach, Otatara
• Super Seller Shelley Speedway: Saturday 13 February, 3 pm, Oreti Park Speedway
• E Hayes and Sons Teretonga Sprint Races and Bears Trophy: Friday to Sunday, 9 am daily (Friday is practice and qualifying)

Beach racing on Oreti Beach is the one to see: it is where Burt once tested his bikes, and spectators watch from the sand dunes along a mile-long circuit.

Who it suits

Motorcycle fans, families looking for loud and unusual entertainment, and anyone on a South Island road trip who happens to be in Southland in mid-February.

Tickets and passes

Individual spectator tickets cost $20 per event, and the Spectator Special at $99 covers all six racing events. Children 15 and under get in free with an adult. Spectator tickets cover racing only, not the rally site. The All Access Rally Pass ($140) adds the rally site’s evening entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights and camping with showers at Oreti Park.

Buy online, at the Invercargill i-SITE or at E Hayes and Sons. Gate sales are cash only, except at the speedway, where Eftpos is available.

Getting there and around

Invercargill is at the bottom of the South Island and has an airport with domestic flights. The rally site is at 439 Dunns Road, Otatara, a short drive west of the city. Oreti Park Speedway and Teretonga Park are within walking distance of the rally site. Rally pass holders get a free shuttle to the beach racing and an evening loop into town on Friday and Saturday nights. Bluff is about 30 minutes’ drive south of the city (an estimate).

Where to stay

Rally pass holders can camp at Oreti Park, with a separate field for campervans. Otherwise, central Invercargill has motels and hotels, but they fill up this week.

What to bring

Southland weather can turn quickly even in February, so bring a warm, windproof layer for the beach and the twilight drags, plus sunscreen, earplugs and cash for gate sales.

Make a trip of it

Invercargill is the starting point for the Catlins and Stewart Island, and it fits neatly into the southern end of our 14-day South Island road trip. If you plan to camp, our campervan hire cost guide helps you budget.