A history lesson

The very basic facts of New Zealand's settlement are that the tangata whenua arrived in the 13th century (the mythology of how differs between iwi), Abel Tasman sighted shore in 1642, and Captain Cook first landed in 1769. More specific tales of the first settlers to each region, however, often seem to have faded into the background on the tapestry of history. Not in Waipu. Waipu is as Scottish as bagpipes – which can be heard practising on certain afternoons. The town is draped in tartan and the close-knit community is fiercely dedicated to recognising and celebrating their ancestors. The Maori history of the land prior to the European settlers arrival is debated locally, however, many families of Bream Bay trace their family tree to six ships that landed in Auckland from Scotland, via Nova Scotia and gold-rush Adelaide. “Academics believe the settlers were the largest singular group of Scottish refugees,” says Fiona Mohr, manager of Waipu Museum, “it's one of the world's great migration stories”.

The nearly-1000 hardy travelers embarked on not just one great journey but two. They were forced from Scotland during the Highland Clearances, the eviction of inhabitants of the Scottish Highlands and suppression of Gaelic culture (including the banning of bagpipes and clan tartan). The emigrants first went to Nova Scotia, then emigrated again to Australia before their final journey to New Zealand. "Morally righteous" preacher Norman

McLeod, after whom the group were known as 'Normanites', led his people to Waipu where they settled permanently at last.

They transformed native bush into farmland, built a village and remained Gaelic-speaking. Some of the buildings, including the church, remain and can be discovered by following the Heritage Trail throughout Bream Bay.

Most events in the area nod in the direction of those Scots settlers, the biggest being the Waipu Highland Games held every New Year's Day. There's also a grand pageant every 10 years. The last grand pageant, in 2013, saw

300 locals reenact the arrival of the European settlers on the banks of Waipu's Waihoihoi River. The next pageant will be in January 2023.