Pipe major Bain McGregor plays at the 151st Waipu Highland Games on January 1, 2024. All of the games' traditions will continue, apart from the date. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Pipe major Bain McGregor plays at the 151st Waipu Highland Games on January 1, 2024. All of the games' traditions will continue, apart from the date. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Organisers of the Waipu Highland Games in Northland are hoping a break from tradition will encourage more volunteers and competitors to get involved.
For 151 years, the Scottish-inspired games have been held on New Year’s Day or January 2, if the first day of the year falls on a Sunday.
But the society is making a bold move this year, in an effort to ensure the event’s survival: running it on New Year’s Eve.
The change is a last-ditch effort to get more volunteer helpers and committee members, as many people are not keen to help on New Year’s Day, said society secretary and games’ co-ordinator Kelly Sandford.
“Generally we find everyone has gone out the night before [for New Year’s Eve] and we struggle to get the support the next day.”
Unless at least 15 new volunteers are found, the Waipu Highland Games may stop, Sandford said.
“We need more people in the community to support it, or we just can’t run it any more ... We’re hoping the new date will help and be more appealing to young people but if it doesn’t we’ll still be in trouble.”
The games’ food vendors, who struggle to get workers on a public holiday, have also long advocated for a date change.
Sandford said the New Year’s Eve date means a small number of people will be unable to attend due to having to work.
But with Waipu being a holiday destination, most families attending the games have taken off the days in between Christmas and New Year’s Day, she said.
Sandford said the new date also better suits competitors and their families.
The caber toss, demonstrated here by Gilbert Costello, is one of the numerous heavy weight competitions which provide plenty of entertainment. Photo / Michael Cunningham
She hoped the change will see more heavyweight competitors, who draw the crowds with strongman events such as the caber toss.
The Waipu Highland Games could be the conclusion of three competitions in a national circuit, finishing the year by crowning the heavyweight champions.
The Waipu Caledonian Society already runs a New Year’s Eve ceilidh - a traditional Scottish social gathering including music and dance.
Now, the games will run on New Year’s Eve and finish with the ceilidh, where everyone will be able to relax and not have to worry about getting up too early, Sandford said.
Pack-down will still be done on January 2, so everyone will have January 1 off, she promised.
The society has already done a lot of community consultation prior to the date being changed and Sandford said there has been good feedback since the decision was announced.
“Everyone currently involved really, really likes it,” she said.
“We can always change it back [to January 1] but at the moment we need to see if this is going to make a difference and we’re going to get more people help us.”
Anyone interested in volunteering can email highlandgameswaipu@gmail.com for more details.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
