Nau Mai Town

It's a town name with a simple translation, Te Puke in English means 'The Hill' but which hill is it in a town with lots of hills? Justine Murray heads to this once thriving town of flax and gold, now a central hub for growing and packing Kiwifruit. Archive material thanks to Ngā Tāonga Sound and Visions Scott Russell. Kiwifruit Country audio first featured in the RNZ show Spectrum. Go to this epi...

There's a very long bridge, a braided river, an annual sheep shearing competition and no one is short of a good salmon recipe. The clue behind the name of Rakaia in the Canterbury region is inspired by the act of crossing the mighty river. Thanks to Connor Lysaught at Rokowhiria (Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum) Check out a photo of Salmon Sam, here . Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more deta...

The origin story of the name Taihape is cloaked in mystery, no one knows who Tai was or where this ancestor came from. But locals say he had an affliction of the body, Justine Murray heads to gumboot country to unravel the story. Archival recordings thanks to Ngā Tāonga Sound and Vision The Taihape gumboot sign was made by artist Jeff Thomson, find out more here Thanks to the Taihape Museum and Ma...

Is a bird or a hill? Is it a cabbage tree or a pā site? The name Tirau has had several iterations since the history of the towns settlement including one based on popular hot springs and a hotel. Thanks to Connor Lysaught and Rokowhiria Ashburton Museum Archival recordings thanks to Ngā Tāonga Sound and Vision Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

No one knows who said it first, but the story goes is that the name Ohakune is about entering a whole new world and a tell-tale sign that the weather might just turn. Korty and Che Wilson share the history of this town flanked by Mount Ruapehu. Thanks to Archives NZ and Ngā Tāonga Sound and Vision. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

What does it take to get people to open up and share their stories about their town? RNZ Podcast producers Justine Murray and Phil Vine chat about Nau Mai Town and the new season, and ask why are names precious to some and political to others? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Nau Mai Town is back with season 4, sharing more stories about Aotearoa's Māori place names. Host Justine Murray hits the road again and visits Ohakune, Taihape, Rakaia, Tirau and Taihape. The entranceways to each town are flanked with iconic sculptures, giving a hint of the history and a unique way to promote their community to the world. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

At different times, three ocean voyagers sailed into the Coromandel peninsula. Their names were Kupe, Hei and Cook. Each left a legacy of place names in this area, Justine Murray is in Whitianga. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A feeling of rejection and loneliness, that's the story behind the name Mauao, to be caught by the light, but many know this place as Mount Maunganui. Reon Tuanau - Storyteller nō Ngai te Rangi, Te Whānau a Tauwhao Tommy Wilson - Author nō Pirirākau Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A moment of anxiousness and the abundance of bird life, two similar names but two very different stories. There are two names associated with the Manukau harbour. One name has to do with a waka trying to launch into the dangerous Manukau heads, the other name is about the abundance of bird life wading in the water. Justine Murray is in Waiuku with Roimata Minhinnick (Ngāti Te Ata Waikohua) and Rob...

There's the main trunk line, a thriving timber industry and friendly folk. But is the story behind the name Taumarunui about a shelter or a fallen warrior? One story about the name Taumarunui is that it was the last words of Te Peehi Turoa, a dying chief who wished to be shelterd by the sun. But according to local hapū Ngāti Rangatahi, Taumarunui was also the name of a warrior killed by a chief, T...

On a return trip from the beach Nukutawhiti's daughter Rewa decided to have a nap, and the name Moerewa was born. Josie Kemp-Baker shares the story about the never-say-die Northland town. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Have you assumed Paihia was a te reo word? It's actually a mash-up of Māori & English. But who said it and why? Every year hundreds of people make the annual hikoi to Waitangi to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, and the man who translated the Treaty has a bit to do with the naming of the town of Paihia. This story begins seventeen years before the treaty was signed, when...

Wānaka is a resort town, an ideal movie location and was the backdrop to this years Matariki Celebrations. The name of this town is inspired by the teachings of the whare wānanga. Read more about the Wānaka episode of Nau Mai Town here From Treble Cone Ski Area in Wānaka, Kai Tahu heralded in the Māori New Year with the RNZ National's coverage of the Matariki Celebrations . The name Wānaka in...

Nau Mai Town is back with another haerenga around Aotearoa to find out more about Māori place names. Nau Mai Town is back with a bunch of stories about Māori place names. Justine Murray hits the road and heads to Wānaka, a place inspired by schools of higher learning. Paihia has pretty good pies, but the name came about after a scouting trip by christian missionaries, and the name Taumarunui harks...

It was thanks to the marketing genius of a land agent that resulted in a small Kāpiti Coast town being called Raumati, which means summer but does the town live up to that name? On the Kapiti Coast a small coastal town was given a name that conjures up images of beaches, surf and sand. Back in 1911 the name came about thanks to a clever marketing plan and it worked. Raumati is a town and is a tran...

Rāhui Pōkeka is the original name of Huntly and it's based on the story of a rangatira who placed a rāhui on the rivers in order to replenish the tuna. Rāhui Pōkeka is the original name of Huntly and it's based on the story of a rangatira who placed a rāhui on the rivers in order to replenish the tuna. Postmaster James Henry missed his hometown of Huntly in Scotland so much that he named a sm...

Timaru is a small town in South Canterbury which has two lesser-known names - Te Maru and Te Tihi o Maru. Justine Murray finds out more. Timaru in South Canterbury is home to the little blue penguin, a young volcano and picturesque Caroline Bay. It's also spawned famous people like Mika X and painter Colin McCahon. But the name of the town has a couple of variations to it, Te Maru is the pref...

Lady on the Rock is a bronze statue depicting one of the first women to arrive in the Bay of Plenty. Justine Murray visits Whakatāne to learn about the town's history - and scores some delicious drive-thru hāngī on the way. A drive-thru hāngī with creamed paua and raw fish was probably the best lunch I've ever had on the job... I even took some home for my husband. The delicious meal was cour...

Petone is a seaside town in Lower Hutt known for harbour views and niche shopping. Its proper name 'Pito-One' relates to a special area on the beach. It's a small quaint seaside town and for many who boarded ships in Britain back in the 1840s, it was the first bit of land they saw and stepped onto after months at sea: Petone. This area was also the pa site of Te Puni, a 19th-century chief fro...

Paeroa is world-famous in Aotearoa for its mineral water, but do you know the Coromandel town's longer name? Walking around the Coromandel town of Paeroa, history lies at your feet. Downtown, you'll see cast-iron pumps that once sucked Paeroa's prized spring water from the ground. Not far away is the vacant Innes tartan factory where the classic Kiwiana drink Lemon & Paeroa was produ...

Nau Mai Town is back with host Justine Murray to find out the stories and meaning of place names around Aotearoa. Rino Wilkinson remembers filling up glass bottles at the mineral water pump in and on school trips watching the factory in full swing at the Innes Tartan factory in Paeroa. But he never knew that the long name of his hometown is Te Paeroa a Toitehuatahi, find out more on Nau Mai Town w...

A once-thriving sawmilling industry on the outskirts of Tauranga would inspire the naming of the Tauranga suburb 'Tauriko'. Listen now. A once-thriving local sawmilling industry inspired the naming of the Tauranga suburb 'Tauriko'. The business name 'Tauranga Rimu Timber Company' seemed a bit long-winded so sawmill operators, the Gamman brothers shortened the name to Tau-Ri-Co....

Such was the respect that Māori explorer Ihenga had for his uncle and father-in-law Kahumatamomoe, he named two lakes in his honour. That's just part of the story behind the name Rotorua. Such was the respect that Māori explorer Ihenga had for his uncle and father-in-law Kahumatamomoe, he named two lakes in his honour. That's just part of the story behind the name Rotorua. The first is Lake R...

There was a mix-up of words when James Cook came up with the name 'Tolaga' for the small east coast town of Tolaga Bay, but the locals choose to call it Uawa. 'Tolaga Bay' - the name given to a small town on the east coast of the North Island - came about due to a misinterpretation. In mid-October 1769, Captain James Cook sailed into the harbour and ask questions of local Māori. Wayne Ng...