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?

Nau Mai Town - Episode 10: Rāhui Pōkeka

May 17th, 2023 13m 9s

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.

Nau Mai Town - Episode 9: Timaru

May 10th, 2023 12m 4s

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.

Nau Mai Town - Episode 8: Pito-One

May 3rd, 2023 11m 32s

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.

Nau Mai Town: Whakatane

Apr 27th, 2023 11m 42s

Justine Murray got the chance to experience a 'DRIVE THROUGH HANGI' in Whakatane, complete with fried bread and creamed paua - sounds delicious! But the real reason she was there was to find out the story behind the name of the small town on th

Nau Mai Town - Episode 7: Whakatane

Apr 26th, 2023 13m 29s

Lady on the Rock is a bronze statue depicting one of the first women to arrive in the Bay of Plenty. Justine Murray visits WhakatÄne to learn about the town's history - and scores some delicious drive-thru hÄngÄ« on the way.

Nau Mai Town - Episode 6: Paeroa

Apr 19th, 2023 13m 29s

Paeroa is world-famous in Aotearoa for its mineral water, but do you know the Coromandel town's longer name?

Nau Mai Town - Season Two

Apr 16th, 2023 57s

Nau Mai Town is back with host Justine Murray to find out the stories and meaning of place names around Aotearoa.

Nau Mai Town: Kurow

Jan 16th, 2023 11m 55s

NAU MAI TOWN is a new RNZ podcast series - that's NAU MAI-which means welcome in te reo Maori - but it's also a "play on words" to 'Know More' about the places around us. Producer Justine Murray is curious about Kurow in the Waitaki Valley, she

Nau Mai Town - Tauriko

Oct 12th, 2022 13m 8s

A once-thriving sawmilling industry on the outskirts of Tauranga would inspire the naming of the Tauranga suburb 'Tauriko'.

Nau Mai Town - Rotorua

Oct 5th, 2022 13m 20s

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.

Nau Mai Town Episode 3 - Tolaga Bay

Sep 28th, 2022 13m 2s

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.

Nau Mai Town - Paraparaumu

Sep 21st, 2022 11m 43s

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.

Nau Mai Town - Kurow

Sep 14th, 2022 12m 16s

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).