He doesn't have the iconic thick accent or the curly red locks, but Te Puke's Alistair MacKenzie does own his clan's kilt and offers considerable genealogy on the background of his surname.

Alistair is the head of Clan Mackenzie in New Zealand and holds the title Lieutenant to Cabarfeidh – the hereditary chief of the Mackenzie clan globally.

Te Puke's Alistair MacKenzie encourages fellow descendants with his surname to get in touch with their heritage at the Clan Mackenzie Society's annual gathering. Photo by Bruce Barnard.

'Normally my appointment is for a lifetime but in NZ it's for five years,” says Alistair, who is starting his second year.

Alistair's family is one of about 12 members of the clan in the Bay of Plenty – with differing spellings of the Scottish surname – but he wants more to join and get involved in the upcoming annual clan gathering.

'If people have an interest in the Mackenzie's origin and meeting fellow Mackenzies then please come along to our gathering in Thames on May 8-9.

'A lot of New Zealanders don't realise who they are related to – but you often find people who, all of a sudden, you're related to them way back.”

Alistair says the Mackenzie Clan is about keeping history and traditions alive and well in New Zealand – but a major part is genealogy.

'Everyone is interested in where we came from and who we are historically. Just like genealogy worldwide – finding out about your own family is huge here too.”

Alistair says land clearances of the 1700s onwards, prompted many early Scots to settle in NZ – today many families are intrigued to know about their ancestors, their journeys and Kiwi lives.

'One lot of Mackenzie's went to Nova Scotia and found that too harsh so they built boats and came to Waipu in Northland.”

'My ancestors came from Australia to New Zealand in 1864 and my great-grandfather Charles Guy MacKenzie enlisted in the Port Waikato Militia, so settled in Hamilton.”

'As with a lot of the Militia they were granted a one acre town lot and privates were given a 50 acre lot, which they had to improve on.”

Alistair says the clan also gives insight to Scottish culture and heritage – and is a chance to renew acquaintances.

The annual gathering has an informal evening meal on May 8 and May 9 is the clan's AGM followed by genealogy and entertainment.

'A lot of people wear kilts to the gathering. I – as Lieutenant – run the AGM then it's a celebration with entertainment from pipers, highland dancing, a keynote speaker and a formal dinner of Scottish-inspired food with a haggis ceremony with further entertainment and fellowship to follow.”

And it doesn't matter how you spell MacKenzie – all variations are welcome, as are people without the surname but have family connections.

'The spelling all depends on what's happened historically. Some people who came to NZ in the 1800s couldn't read or write so others who spelt the name did so without knowing if it was correct.”

'That's how variations of name came about.”

To join the clan or the May 8-9 Mackenzie annual gathering in Thames, call Alistair on 07 573 7978 or Heather McKenzie on 07 549 0380 or see http://clan-mackenzie.org.nz