Cape Maclear

In 1859, the missionary and explorer David Livingstone uncovered the Cape, and named it "Cape Maclear" after his friend, the astronomer Thomas Maclear, who was Her Majesty's Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/campingwithprinc00bass|url-access=registration|title=Camping with the Prince and Other Tales of Science in Africa: And Other|accessdate=24 June 2008|year=1990|last=Bass|first=Thomas A.|isbn=0-395-41502-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/campingwithprinc00bass/page/94 94]|publisher=Houghton Mifflin}}{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/narrativeanexpe06livigoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/narrativeanexpe06livigoog/page/n404 368]|title=Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries: And of the|accessdate=24 June 2008|year=1865|publisher=J. Murray|last=Livingstone|first=David}} In October 1875, a new mission, "Livingstonia", was set up by a group of members of the Free Church of Scotland.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zo1sg8FnF2gC|title=Lonely Planet Southern Africa: Join the Safari|accessdate=24 June 2008|year=2007|last=Murphy|first=Alan|author2=Armstrong, Kate |author3=Firestone, Matthew D. |author4= Fitzpatrick, Mary |isbn=978-1-74059-745-6|page=160|publisher=Lonely Planet}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8XSs9xIEIC|title=The Steamer Parish: The Rise and Fall of Missionary Medicine on an African|year=2000|last=Good|first=Charles M.|page=61|accessdate=24 June 2008|isbn=0-226-30281-4|publisher=University of Chicago Press}} Before the missionaries arrived, the area was controlled by the Muslim Yao people.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8XSs9xIEIC|title=The Steamer Parish: The Rise and Fall of Missionary Medicine on an African|year=2000|last=Good|first=Charles M.|page=62|accessdate=24 June 2008|isbn=0-226-30281-4|publisher=University of Chicago Press}} The graves of some of the missionaries are in Cape Maclear, overlooking the bay.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zo1sg8FnF2gC|title=Lonely Planet Southern Africa: Join the Safari|accessdate=24 June 2008|year=2007|last=Murphy|first=Alan|author2=Armstrong, Kate |author3=Firestone, Matthew D. |author4= Fitzpatrick, Mary |isbn=978-1-74059-745-6|page=202|publisher=Lonely Planet}} Although Cape Maclear had a good harbour, the poor soil in the area, and the prevalence of the tsetse fly, meant a more suitable base had to be found;{{cite book|url=http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&coll=moa&view=50&root=%2Fmoa%2Famis%2Famis0033%2F&tif=00041.TIF|title=The American missionary|date=1 February 1879|accessdate=24 June 2008|publisher=Cornell University}} the mission moved to Bandawe, near Chintheche, in 1882.{{cite web|url=http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&coll=moa&view=50&root=%2Fmoa%2Famis%2Famis0036%2F&tif=00216.TIF|title=The American missionary|date=1 July 1882|accessdate=24 June 2008|publisher=Cornell University}}

File:Lake Malawi - Cape Maclear - Thumbi Island Sunset.jpg

Cape Maclear and its islands, forests and bay were declared a national park in 1980, creating the Lake Malawi National Park, the first freshwater national park in the world.{{cite web|url=http://www.abendblatt.de/daten/2007/06/30/764048.html?s=1|title=Das "warme Herz Afrikas" liegt im Süden (1)|accessdate=24 June 2008|date=30 June 2007|work=Hamburger Abendblatt|last=Fischer|first=Andreas}} In 1984, the area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/campingwithprinc00bass|url-access=registration|title=Camping with the Prince and Other Tales of Science in Africa: And Other|accessdate=24 June 2008|year=1990|last=Bass|first=Thomas A.|page=[https://archive.org/details/campingwithprinc00bass/page/93 93]|isbn=0-395-41502-0|publisher=Houghton Mifflin}} There are several species of bird at Cape Maclear, including kingfishers, Dickinson's kestrels, and freckled nightjars.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_icMuBQhW4vgC|title=Nature's Strongholds: The World's Great Wildlife Reserves|accessdate=24 June 2008|year=2005|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-12219-9|last=Riley|first=Laura|author2=Riley, William|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_icMuBQhW4vgC/page/n397 100]}} There is a museum about the formation of Lake Malawi and its wildlife at Cape Maclear. UNESCO has recommended wildlife preservation at Cape Maclear.{{cite web|url=http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=67150|title=Malawi scouts investors for tourism initiative...|date=20 May 2005|accessdate=24 June 2008|work=Engineering News|last=Chimwala|first=Marcel}}

File:Sunset at Cape Macclear (Malawi).jpg at Cape Maclear]]

Cape Maclear is "a leading tourist destination", and is the busiest resort on Lake Malawi. The area is popular with backpackers.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2003/jun/08/malawi.watersportsholidays.wildlifeholidays|title=Take the plunge in the lake of stars|last=Walters|first=Joanna|accessdate=24 June 2008|date=8 June 2003|work=The Observer}} There are bars, restaurants, lodges and guesthouses in the town.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/africaandindianocean/malawi/720923/Malawi-On-a-mission-in-Africa.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905110813/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/africaandindianocean/malawi/720923/Malawi-On-a-mission-in-Africa.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 September 2008|title=Malawi: On a mission in Africa (1)|accessdate=24 June 2008|date=5 February 2001|work=The Daily Telegraph|last=Rogers|first=Douglas}} Activities available in Cape Maclear include snorkelling, hiking, boat cruises, kayaking, and diving. In October 2001, the Malawian government invited investors to fund a $6,000,000 construction of a new 150-room, four-star hotel at Cape Maclear.{{cite web|url=http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=12112|title=Malawi seeks investor for hotel project|accessdate=24 June 2008|work=Engineering News|date=19 October 2001|last=Chimwala|first=Marcel}} In June 2003, plans were announced to build an ecolodge on Maleri Island, near Cape Maclear.{{cite web|url=

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=36804|title=Malawi plans development of eco-lodges|accessdate=24 June 2008|date=13 June 2003|work=Engineering News|last=Chimwala|first=Marcel}} In February 2005, the Malawian government announced plans to increase ecotourism at Cape Maclear with new accommodation and facilities.{{cite web|url=http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=62664|title=Tenders invited for Lake Malawi ecotourism project|accessdate=24 June 2008|date=18 February 2005|work=Engineering News|last=Chimwala|first=Marcel}} These plans proved too ambitious for the fragile Malawian economy and tourist industry.

In February 2006, the Malawian government announced plans to build a new road from Cape Maclear to Monkey Bay.{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200602280116.html|title=Malawi: Investors, Tourists Wear Smile in Cape Maclear|date=28 February 2006|accessdate=24 June 2008|work=AllAfrica}} The current road is a bumpy dirt track,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zo1sg8FnF2gC|title=Lonely Planet Southern Africa: Join the Safari|accessdate=24 June 2008|year=2007|last=Murphy|first=Alan|author2=Armstrong, Kate |author3=Firestone, Matthew D. |author4= Fitzpatrick, Mary |isbn=978-1-74059-745-6|page=204|publisher=Lonely Planet}} and there is no regular public transport at Cape Maclear.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2001/apr/06/netjetters2000sam.netjetters|title=Animal magic|date=6 April 2001|accessdate=24 June 2008|work=The Guardian}} Regular bus service extends only from Lilongwe to Monkey Bay where private minibuses can be hired for the trip to Cape Maclear.

The Billy Riordan Memorial Clinic was established here in 2004 to treat diseases such as dysentery, bilharzia and malaria. There are no diagnostic services or surgery carried out at the clinic. Mags Riordan founded the clinic, she is the mother of a man who drowned in Lake Malawi, near Cape Maclear in 1999. The clinic is supported by the Billy Malawi Project.{{Cite news|url=http://www.imt.ie/news/gps-needed-for-malawi-project-28-05-2008/|title=GPs needed for Malawi project|date=2008-05-28|work=Irish Medical Times|access-date=2017-03-31|language=en-GB}}

Bilharzia is common at Cape Maclear; the incidence of the disease at Cape Maclear was three times higher than the rest of Lake Malawi in 2008.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LWTibZ1fRbsC|title=Travellers' Health: How to Stay Healthy Abroad|last=Dawood|first=Richard M.|year=2002|accessdate=24 June 2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-262947-6|page=108}}

Every summer, a multi-day yacht race is held on Lake Malawi. The race starts at Cape Maclear, heads north, and ends at Nkhata Bay.{{cite web|url=

http://www.abendblatt.de/daten/2007/06/30/764048.html?s=2|title=Das "warme Herz Afrikas" liegt im Süden (2)|accessdate=24 June 2008|date=30 June 2007|last=Fischer|first=Andreas|work=Hamburger Abendblatt|language=German}}

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Category:Lake Malawi

Category:Populated places in Southern Region, Malawi