A coastal walk at Waipu, Northland. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
A coastal walk at Waipu, Northland. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
The large blue and white road sign as you enter, says "Ceud Mile Failte gu Waipū". So it's a fairly good indication there's some kind of Gaelic influence in this part of Northland. The brewery is called McLeods; the yearly calendar of events includes Highland Games, and rumour has it if you're there on the right night, you can even drop into a Scottish country dancing event.
If Dunedin is the Edinburgh of the south perhaps Waipū is the Glasgow of the north? Little Scotland or not, it's a cracking spot - and absolutely perfect for a weekend away with family.
Scottish history in Waipū
The story of Waipū's settlement is fascinating and the small-but-perfectly-formed Waipū Museum in the centre of town tells it well, and interactively (watch the video first otherwise it might not make sense).
Norman McLeod is the man at the centre of this history - a puritan force of a human being - who masterminded the original community's first migration from the Scottish Highlands to Nova Scotia and then on to New Zealand some years later when a potato famine struck.
The original plan was to settle in Australia but being staunchly religious folk, the Scottish immigrant group was not best pleased arriving directly into the heady debauchery of a gold rush in Adelaide in the mid-1800s - and so they applied to move to New Zealand's "more civilised" shores ASAP. You can even visit where Norman is buried, right by the estuary (well known for its rare birdlife, and very picturesque).
A white-sand paradise
For most families, Waipū is all about the beach and this Northland stunner is heaven for keen boogie boarders. Langs and Ruakaka beaches, which flank "the cove", are also delightful if you want a change of scene.
Camp Waipū (right on the beach at Waipū Cove) is the perfect place for families to stay. The camping facilities are clean and well maintained and if you don't fancy spending your nights under canvas, they also have cabins and other options.
Walk out of your digs, directly on to this white-sand, blue-water paradise and spend the day picnicking, reading books, splashing in the waves and wondering how life could ever be stressful.
Even better, there's a new fresh-fruit icecream truck called Otto's that parks in one of the car parks near the camp. It's run by ex-New Zealand league player Louis Anderson and his wife, who are always up for a chat while serving your refreshing afternoon (or morning - no judgment here) frozen treat.
A coastal walk at Waipu, Northland. Photo / Alexia Santamaria
Northland alpaca adventures
Fifteen minutes' drive from the centre of Waipū is a most unexpected attraction in the form of the Kandiah Alpaca Farm experience. Spend an hour or two with the lovely Pav and Mark, taking a tour of their farm including a walk through some of the 6ha of covenanted bush behind their house.
It's fascinating to learn about various natives trees before popping up on top of the hill to hang with the stars of the show. These woolly, gorgeous walking soft toys are super-friendly and will eat right out of your hand with no shame or shyness.
It's pretty hard to tear yourself away but luckily there's another lot (the girls) who provide a second round of adorable alpaca action closer to the house. Pav will also show you how the fleece is processed - and if you like, you can see Mark's original 1922 Stanley Steamer car and other fascinating projects in his workshop.
If your family want to do more than just hang on the beach, there's the stunning coastal walk over the cliffs between Waipū and Langs. Allow extra time as the views are so beautiful, you'll be stopping every five minutes to take "just one more picture".
Waipū Caves Track is also a great option where you'll traverse bush and farmland and can peek in at the stalactites, stalagmites and glow worms at the entrance of Waipū Caves. You can venture further inside but only if you have experience caving, as it's wet and slippery - and can be difficult to navigate.
Exploring the town of Waipū
Waipū town centre is not big by any stretch of the imagination, but it's worth a visit for lunch (there's sushi, vegan food, a bakery and of course McLeod's brewery for a local beer and a bite).
There are vintage shops that are worth a look and you can easily pass a couple of hours with the museum, lunch and a potter around the stores. If you want to eat by the beach, The Cove does a roaring trade - it's busy from breakfast through till the evening. They do decent-sized kids' meals if you want to pop in there for dinner and a cocktail with your tribe in tow.
