Watch: Toitū te whenua - Māori place names series
In this video series, we embark on a journey to retrace the footsteps of Māori who explored these lands.
Restoring the power of Ōtākou's place names
Episode 1: More than mere words: Restoring the power of Ōtākou's place names
Exploring the history and origins of place names around the Ōtākou region, reporter Ani Ngawhika goes on a journey that has become deeply personal.
Episode 2: More than a mountain
Episode 2: More than a mountain
Pikirakatahi stands proudly at the head of Whakatipu-wai-māori, the very embodiment of ancient mātauranga. In the second part of our place names series, we go to the source.
Episode 3: Pathways through a new land
Episode 3: Pathways through a new land
The stories of Te Wai Pounamu flow through the land like water, pathways to history, mātauranga and place.
Episode 4: Between land and sea
Episode 4: Between land and sea
The many settlements around Otago Harbour were points in a seamless continuum between land and water for mana whenua.
Episode 5: Hakitekura at centre of ill-fated love story
Episode 5: Hakitekura at centre of ill-fated love story
The landscape of Te Waipounamu sustained and shaped its people, who storied it with deeds fantastic, tragic and universal.
Episode 6: The land remembers
Episode 6: The land remembers
The history of Otago Peninsula is written in its names.
Episode 7: Tales of love and loss
Episode 7: Tales of love and loss
A reminder that love is not always enough endures in the landscape at Puketeraki.
Episode 8: Names in the land
Episode 8: Names in the land
Across generations, Māori place names have whispered stories of the past, guiding us to retrace the steps of those who came before us.
My journey of rediscovery
My journey of rediscovery
As a descendant of a prominent Ōtākou leader from the early 19th century, Ani Ngawhika has always felt drawn to this part of Aotearoa.
Tracing the pathways of our ancestors through names
Tracing the pathways of our ancestors through names
Tracing the history and origin of place names around the Ōtākou region has led Otago Daily Times reporter Ani Ngawhika on a journey that strengthened her connection to the land and her...