13/09/2026
This week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week. A week to celebrate and practice te Reo Māori.
You'll hear te reo Māori often on our HikingNZ trips and in how we talk about what we do. Here are six words worth knowing before you head out with us. 🌿
Kia ora: hello, thank you, or cheers! Literally meaning "be well," it's one of the most widely used Māori words in everyday New Zealand life, and you'll hear it from us often, from the first hello to the last thank you.
Aotearoa: the Māori name for New Zealand, generally translated as "land of the long white cloud." You'll see us use Aotearoa often, alongside New Zealand, in how we talk about this country we're lucky to call home!
Taonga: treasure. Used for anything precious, whether that's land, a native bird, or a story passed down through generations. Our guides often talk about the landscapes we walk through as taonga, treasures worth protecting.
Kaitiaki: guardian, or protector. A kaitiaki looks after a taonga on behalf of everyone who comes after them. Our guides see themselves as kaitiaki of the trails, and we ask every hiker to walk that way too, leaving each place as they found it.
Mahi: work, or effort. You might hear a guide praise "good mahi" after a tough climb, recognising the effort your small group has put in that day.
Mana: prestige, authority, or spiritual power. Mana can belong to a person, but also to a place. Our guides often speak of the mana of the mountains and forests we walk through, a reminder that these landscapes carry deep meaning long before we arrive and long after we leave.
