As part of the 7 day cartography challenge last year, I created two maps showing Te Reo Māori names of towns and cities names across Aotearoa/New Zealand which were well received. Naturally, I wanted to improve the maps by researching the spelling of place names further to ensure they were accurate, and to spend more time fine tuning the design of the map.
Check out the finished product below (full image). You can get a print copy of the map from the store, or check out my interactive version!
This map is a fantastic resource for learning more about New Zealand places from a uniquely Te Reo perspective. For those interested, prints of this map can be purchased on the Map Kiwi Store below:
Some of the changes from the original map design include pulling the individual islands together into a single map, adding the Chatham Islands/Wharekauri, and adding a reference for common Māori place name meanings. Since there’s no central repository of all Te Reo place names in New Zealand, a number of resources were used to check the spelling of place names and the Māori name equivalent of English names where available. Sources included:
- Maorilanguage.net
- Land Information New Zealand
- New Zealand Geographic Board
- Te Ara Encyclopedia
- NZhistory.govt.nz
- Ngāi Tahu Atlas
- The Reed Dictionary of Maori Place Names by A.W. Reed
- Maori Dictionary
Names are complex, so there are likely places that have alternate or more correct spelling. While there has been reasonable effort to ensure the place names used on the map are accurate, there may be inaccuracies present. In any case, if you have local knowledge of the Māori names in your area and would like to suggest a correction, feel free to get in touch and let me know. Thank you to everyone who has already made these suggestions to me!
Hi Andrew
We are an importer / distributor and would like to speak with you.
Please phone us 0800 24 88 24.
Cheers
Jay
Cool map!
Ka mau te wehi Andrew!
We have been directing people to your map in the comments of our recent NZHistory Facebook post, and are thrilled that you used both Te Ara and NZHistory as sources. I’ve also shared this map more widely among the staff at Manatū Taonga – the Ministry for Culture and Heritage 🙂
You can see our post here:
https://www.facebook.com/NZHistory/photos/a.181749831845117/1944296272257122/?type=3&theater
I want to get this for my son for his birthday but I wanted to get it made into a wall dot as I thought it would be easier for him.
Am I able to get a digital image sent to a place I have found in Dunedin who can do this for me?
Hi Andrew, I am a student working on my master degree. Can I cite your map in my thesis?
Of course, no problem!
Ka rawe Anaru!
Any plans to create a resource for awa raua ko roto?
Kia ora!
Congratulations on the release of this map Andrew. There is a real need for printable A4/A3 size maps for NZ Schools, if you’re ever in a philanthropic mood I’d be keen to support its distribution.