Nau Mai Town

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Join Justine Murray as she takes us on a haerenga around Aotearoa to learn about Māori place names and the stories of where they came from.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    Wānaka

    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 the Kai Tahu dialect has the same meaning as the word ‘Wānanga’ and both reference the teachings of Māori lore in the Whare Wānanga of old, these were places of higher learning. But the former name of the Wānaka township was Pembroke named after Baron Sidney Herbert, he was the son of George Herbert the 11th Earl of Pembroke. In a 1948 recording of a show called ‘History and Harmony’ in Otago, host Selwyn Toogood brings that story to light. Paulette Tamati Eliffe and Hana O’Regan are exponents of language revitilisation, they share the Kai Tahu story of the name Wānaka and the connection to the eponymous ancestor Rākaihautū. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    13 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    Paihia

    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 Henry Williams was scouting for a place to set up a mission house. According to Ngati Kawa Taituha, Chair of Te Tii Marae in Waitangi, the name likely stems from a conversation between Williams and the scouting party from the tribes from Ngāti Kawa or Ngāti Rahiri, who were helping him find a good site. We talk to Taituha and some Williams’ descendants about the history of the sunny Northland settlement. And we also learn from Taituha about another, original name that pre-dates Paihia. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    13 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    Moerewa

    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

    12 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    Taumarunui

    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, Tama-aio. Justine Murray is in the King Country to hear both sides of this story. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    13 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    Manukau

    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 Robbie Paora (Ngāti Whatua ki Orākei) to find out the stories of the name Manukau, the second largest harbour in Aotearoa. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    14 min

  6. EPISODE 6 BONUS

    Mount Maunganui

    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

    13 min

  7. EPISODE 7 BONUS

    Whitianga

    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

    14 min

  8. SEASON 3 TRAILER

    Nau Mai Town - Season Three

    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 back to hundreds of years ago during tribal warfare. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

    1 min
See All Season 3 (8)

Trailers

About

Join Justine Murray as she takes us on a haerenga around Aotearoa to learn about Māori place names and the stories of where they came from.

Information

  • Channel
    RNZ Originals
  • Creator
    RNZ
  • Episodes
    21
  • Seasons
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) Radio New Zealand 2026
  • Show Website
    Nau Mai Town

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