Korero.
Speaking te reo in Marlborough
Te reo Māori
Along with English and sign language, te reo Māori is one of the official languages of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Te reo Māori language and culture is taught in all New Zealand schools. Many place names throughout New Zealand, including Marlborough, are in te reo Māori – just ask a local if you would like to know how to pronounce a name correctly.
It is believed that the Māori people first arrived in Aotearoa by waka (canoe) from the Pacific Islands 1250-1300 AD. They were preceded by the Moriori people, and followed by Europeans arriving in the 1640s.
Marlborough is rich with Māori history. The Wairau Bar, bordering Cook Strait, is a 13th-century Polynesian settlement site and the earliest known settlement in New Zealand. It contains the oldest human remains found in New Zealand.
Over time many different Māori iwi (tribes) have through and settled in Marlborough. The wider region is home to nine iwi:
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Ngāi Tahu
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Ngāti Apa
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Ngāti Koata
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Ngāti Kuia
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Ngāti Rarua
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Ngāti Tama
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Ngāti Toa Rangitira
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Rangitāne
- Te Atiawa
Te reo Māori in everyday life
We love to greet people with te reo in our written communications and welcome guests to St Leonards with “Kia ora” (hello) when they first arrive. We have a wonderful “Mauri Ora” book in our cottages that offers guests a selection of inspirational Māori sayings.
Pronunciation:
The following English equivalents are a rough guide to pronouncing vowels in Māori:
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a as in far
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e as in desk and the first ‘e’ in where; it should be short and sharp
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i as in fee, me, see
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o as in awe (not ‘oh!’)
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u as in sue, boot
A range of commonly used te reo words are used by many New Zealanders and visitors. These include:
Kia ora
Ngā mihi
Kai
Whānau
Mōrena
Aroha
Koha
Waiata
Mahi
Tamariki
Pākeha
Awa
Maunga
Whare
Wai
Hello
Thank you
Food
Family
Good morning
Love
Gift
Song
Work
Children
Person of European descent
River
Mountain
House
Water
Tahi
Rua
Toru
Wha
Rima
Ono
Whitu
Waru
Iwa
Tekau
Count to 10 in te reo
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Te reo at St Leonards:
Hipi
Tia
Heihei
Rakiraki
Hunakeha
Karaehe
Rā
Whetū
Hāroto
Te Waiharakeke
Sheep
Deer
Chicken
Duck
Tree
Grass
Sun
Star
Pool
Blenheim
Te Waiharakeke
Blenheim's te reo name is Te Waiharakeke. This means the waters of flax, in reference to the waterlogged land and abundance of native flax plants that were growing across the Lower Wairau.
Te = The
Wai = Water
Harakeke = Flax
While Marlborough is now renowned for wine, flax fibre was one of the region's first export products.
Early Māori were skilled in stripping fibre from flax leaves, and bartered flax ropes and weaving for European goods.
In the 1870s, improved technology and high overseas prices for flax saw the industry booming - with the fibre being used for ropes, woolsacks and carpets.
With a boom in demand, several flax mills were build around Blenheim, with 11 mills operating in the early 1900s. During WW2, linen flax was grown in Marlborough for aircraft fabric and other goods. More than 10,000 tons of fibre was exported from the South Island between 1941 and 1948, however demand reduced following the end of the war, resulting in the closure of Blenheim's flax mills.
Waitohi
Waitohi is the original and te reo name of the portside town of Picton.
Wai = Water
Tohi = the tohi ritual
The tohi ritual involved the tohunga (Māori priest) dipping karamu branches in a sacred stream and brushing the right shoulder of warriors before battle. Children were dedicated to particular gods at the tohi ceremony. Boys were often dedicated to Tūmatauenga, the god of war, and girls to the goddess Hineteiwaiwa - the spiritual guardian of weaving, childbirth, and the cycles of the moon.
Kaikōura
Kaikōura is a popular stop two hours' south toward Christchurch.
Kai = Food
Kōura = Crayfish (Lobster)
Kaikōura is renowned for its seafood, particularly crayfish, which is exported across the world. You can enjoy this delicacy at restaurants in the township, at the Kaikōura Seafood BBQ, or at roadside stops Nin's Bin and Karaka Lobster.