Ron Davidson organiser of the Waipu Community Festival
World wars and various pandemics, interspersed with recessions, have come and gone but the Waipū Highland Games continued for 149 consecutive years - until Covid forced its cancellation.
The Waipū Caledonian Society has announced that the 150th games scheduled for January 1, 2021, has been cancelled as travel restrictions dueto Covid means international judges and competitors would not be able to attend one of the longest-running Scottish gatherings in the world.
Instead, the Waipū Community Festival will take place at the same venue on New Year's Day and will feature pipers, a variety stage, music right through the day, dancers, kids' games with raffles and prizes, and strength games such as tossing of gumboots.
Entry is by gold coin donation and the event will run from 9am to 2pm.
Immediate past organiser of the highland games Pat Hadlee said uncertainty around the parameters in terms of Covid led to the cancellation.
"With uncertainty, I don't think people understand how much it takes to organise the games. Millions of people around the world are far worse off than we are. It's what it is."
The highland games have been running since 1871 and draw an estimated 10,000 people each year.
While local businesses are disappointed with the cancellation, they are taking solace in the fact a festival will hopefully attract a steady stream of visitors to the small town.
New Year's Day is Waipū Museum's busiest day of the year and manager Sandra McKay said cancellation of the highland games would make a huge difference.
"We're still expecting visitors that day but are not sure whether we'll have the same numbers. The situation is sad but we all have got to play our part," she said.
Waipu Museum manager Sandra McKay said cancellation of the highland games would make a huge difference to the crowd numbers in town.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Whangārei District Bream Bay Ward Councillor Ken Couper opened the 149th games this year and said to not have the popular event was unfortunate.
"I don't blame the society for the cancellation. Sometimes adversity brings innovation and a community day in lieu will be great and the businesses will hopefully not miss out too much."
A team representing a number of local community groups has banded together to organise a one-off mass community festival with music, performers, games, market stalls, fun games, and free face painting for kids.
Co-organiser Ron Davidson said there would be a small Scots component to the festival such as bagpipe and dancing competitions with wonderful support from the locals and sponsors.
"This year has been a crap year for virtually everybody in one way or another and we thought how about we make January 1 a really positive way to start the new year and embrace everyone coming together.
"My wish is this idea of a community festival grows even wider into the future and becomes a Bream Bay community festival in its own right that the whole community owns and is a part of."
Davidson said it was reasonably well known that even during the world wars, the highland games continued with competitions like kids' games.
He said festival organisers decided to have a fun version of the highland games and not the traditional programme because they didn't want to compromise the popular annual event.
Davidson recently secured approval from the family of comedian John Clarke, aka Fred Dagg, to use his image to promote the community fun day.
He expects about 5000 people to turn up for the festival.
"I think it's helped by the fact that it's not $20 to get in like it's for the highland games, because it's got a range of entertainment, and a lot more of the campers up here who are just going 'What do we do today?'."
Thrills such as the caber toss will be missed during the next Waipu Highland Games, cancelled due to Covid.
Photo / John Stone
The festival will offer local community groups like schools, surf clubs, and St John an opportunity to raise much-needed funds and to lift their public profile, Davidson said.
Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai said the highland games were a much-loved part of the district's heritage and, although they would be greatly missed in January 2021, she completely understood the reason behind the cancellation.
Waipū Community Festival organisers are calling for volunteers and financial contributions towards the event. Email Kelly Langford at sandfordfarms@gmail.com to volunteer on the day.
Those wishing to donate $50 towards the cost of running the festival can deposit money into the bank account 03-1538-0034119-001 with the reference "Donation NYD2021".
Orders for festival T-shirts on creativehotpot.com/get-in-behind-waipu.
The Southern Hemisphere Highlander Champion event will still be featured at the Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games in Palmerston North on Saturday March 13.
