Across the road was the Waipu Museum. It mostly celebrates the settlement of Waipu by Scottish Highlanders in the early 1800's. At that time the fabric of society in Scotland was changing as croft farmers were moved off the land for economic reasons (landlords could make more money from putting sheep on land than people.) Many Highlanders battled to survive. Norman McLeod, a Presbyterian minister (not yet ordained) led a group of his parishioners and friends to Nova Scotia in Canada to start a new life. When potato blight all but decimated their livelihood, Norman and his fellow countrymen built their own boats (some had found work in the shipyards) and sailed to New Zealand where 940 settled in Waipu Cove. |
| A winch from one of the boats that sailed to Nova Scotia |
On their way, they stopped at the Cape for a week to replenish supplies.
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| A bullock horn bought in Cape Town |
The new community was held together by Norman's strong (sometimes dictatorial) leadership and the sense of community. The women, who were charged with providing food and clothing, organised frolicks where they would come together, spin, weave, work the cloth etc while singing songs specific for that activity.
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| A butter churn from the early days |
The museum was set up to commemorate the Scottish heritage. The name of every settler is recorded outside the entrance. The museum has Scottish memorabilia...
...as well as New Zealand treasures.
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| These are carved out of the resin of the Kuri tree by Mauri craftsmen and donated to the museum. |
Every year the highland games take place in Waipu in January.
After our excursion into the past we had lunch and I put on my swimming costume for the first time in New Zealand and ventured into the beautiful sea. It was low tide and the waves were puny by South African standards. But it's a start!
It has been the sunniest day since we arrived. Maybe summer is finally here!
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