Rendezvous in Waipu
I can’t help but think that if the early settlers in New Zealand (NZ) had had the advantage of the internet that most of Scotland would have followed on the next available ship! It is a stunning country with a very Scottish feel to it. Apart from the topography and the place names, there is much in NZ which originates in Scotland. One of the most enduring has to be the Waipu Games, which this year celebrated their 137th year. The 940 Waipu Scottish settlers arrived in four ships in the mid 1800’s led by the Reverend Norman MacLeod. It is incredible to think that their journey had started in 1818 as victims of the Highland Clearances. Initially they founded a community in St Ann’s Nova Scotia where, after nearly 40 years, adverse economic conditions forced them to undertake a second migration to the other side of the world. This extraordinary story is captured in the recently opened Waipu museum, a remarkable legacy to all students of Scottish Migration (www.waipumuseum.com).Many of their descendants are today actively involved in the running of the games. This has to make Waipu Games one of the longest running community based games in the world…and what a great day it was.
The attendance rarely exceeds 10,000 but the quality of the dancing and piping is of the highest calibre. The ‘heavies’ however were the stars of the games. The competition was eagerly watched by the crowd, some of whom entered into the ‘Farmers Walk’, which challenges individuals to walk as far as they can carrying two weights of up to 150lbs each.
The overall winner was Pat Hellier, a Maori policeman from Auckland and the current New Zealand Champion, who hopes to compete in and win the 2009 World Championship at Holyrood Park.
What was really heartening was the high level of awareness of The Gathering 2009. Although only 17 clans were represented there was a positive commitment to making the long journey to Edinburgh in 2009. But should we be surprised – after all what is a 23 hour flight compared to a 40-year-long migration.
