Useful words in te reo Māori
When traveling around New Zealand you will come across Te Reo Maori - a native language of New Zealand. Here are a few words that you might come across or use in your travels!
Kia ora – Hello, hi, greetings; term of acknowledgement or thanks
Nau mai – welcome
Haere mai – Welcome! Enter!
Haere rā – farewell, goodbye (from someone staying)
Ka kite ano – see you again, see you soon (informal)
Tēnā koutou – formal greeting to more than two people
Mōrena – good morning
Pōmarie – goodnight or good evening
Aroha – compassion, tenderness, sustaining love
Tapu – sacred, not to be touched, to be avoided because sacred, taboo
Taonga – treasured possessions or cultural items; anything precious
Whānau – family
Tamariki – children
Iwi – people, nation: modern usage, tribal bones
Moana – sea, or large inland ‘sea’, e.g., Taupō
Maunga – mountain
Wai – water
Tomo – cave or hole in ground
Kai – food.
*Source NZ History Website
If you are interested in learning more check out this page
What our other guests have said
10/10 Jenny did a fantastic job and such an incredible host. Accommodating, caring and local- would recommend
Alysha Phillips
A perfect day! Our tour guide, Michael, had a genuine enthusiasm for his work and helped make the day very pleasant. The wineries were good, especially Kennedy Pointe. We recommend!!
MS, Feb 2025
On behalf of VinLink, Links, and Gisvin, I would like to thank- you personally, the bus drivers, and Ananda Tours for a wonderful and organised weekend. We had an amazing time, and everything I asked for was achieved. Many thanks for your patience and understanding when cancellations came...
Tanya