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.

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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.

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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 Marian Cleaver.

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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

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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