Nau Mai Town

Paraparaumu is a beautiful town on the Kāpiti Coast so why would you want to call the town 'Pram'? Justine Murray finds out the story behind the name. 'Pram' and 'Paraparam' are two abbreviations of a Kāpiti coast that have stuck. The proper name of the town - Paraparaumu - refers to an event that happened over 200 years ago. As significant as the official name is, cultural adv...

If you say it out loud, the word Kurow sounds a lot like Te Kohurau. That's because the latter is the original name of a small South Canterbury town named after a tupuna (ancestor). Kurow is a small rural town in the Waitaki District of South Canterbury. It's popular for its cycle trails, good fishing spots and is the hometown of former All Black captain and 110-test veteran Richie McCaw. Wha...

Ever wondered about the stories behind some of our place names? Justine Murray finds out more from those who live in heartland Aotearoa. What is the story behind the name Kurow? What does eating scraps from a food oven have to do with a name on the Kāpiti Coast? From misinterpretations to transliterations, find out more about Aotearoa place names in this new podcast series. Go to this episode on r...