Te reo and tikanga: what Australians in Auckland should know

Te reo Māori isn't a novelty in New Zealand. It's an official language, and you'll hear it at work in your first week.

The short version

• Te reo Māori is an official language of New Zealand, and the Māori Language Commission, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, is working towards one million speakers by 2040 [1].
• Expect Māori greetings in emails, karakia (a short opening blessing) at meetings and Māori names for government agencies and places.
• Pronunciation is learnable in an afternoon: five vowels, a few consonant rules and the macron.
• A pōwhiri is a formal welcome. You'll be guided through it; your job is to follow, not lead.
• Te Wānanga o Aotearoa runs te reo courses with no fees, many online [2].

Why te reo is everywhere

Australians often arrive expecting New Zealand to feel like Brisbane with hills. Then the email from HR starts "Kia ora koutou", the bus announces Waitematā, and the new manager opens the team meeting with a karakia.

That's not a show. Te reo Māori has been an official language since 1987, and public bodies use it routinely. Te Taura Whiri reports that 84% of New Zealanders agree te reo is an important part of national identity [1]. It's taught in schools, used in bilingual and immersion early learning [8], and heard on radio, TV and at sport.

The Treaty behind it

Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed in 1840 between the British Crown and many Māori rangatira (chiefs). There's an English text and a Māori text, and they don't say quite the same thing, which is why the Treaty is still debated today. The Waitangi Tribunal is a standing commission of inquiry that decides whether Crown actions or omissions breach the principles of the Treaty [3].

In daily life, you'll see Te Tiriti in:

• Job descriptions, especially in government, health and education, which often ask about your understanding of Te Tiriti.
• Public holidays. Waitangi Day is 6 February, and Matariki, the Māori new year, has been a public holiday since 2022. In 2027 Matariki falls on Friday 25 June [4].
• Local government, where councils work with mana whenua, the iwi with traditional authority over an area. In central Auckland that includes Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

How it compares to home

Australia has no national treaty with First Nations peoples, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are many and varied. New Zealand has one Indigenous language with dialects, which makes it far easier for a newcomer to pick up the basics. If you're used to a Welcome to Country at events back home, a mihi whakatau or pōwhiri plays a similar role, but you'll be expected to take part, not just listen.

Getting the pronunciation right

This is the single most useful thing you can do. Kiwis notice when an Aussie says "Mow-ree" or "Tow-ronga". Te reo is written phonetically, so once you know the rules, you can read any place name.

Every syllable ends in a vowel, and each vowel is sounded. So "Māori" is three beats, mah-oh-ree, with the first vowel long. "Tauranga" is toe-rah-ngah, not "Tow-ronga".

Practise on Auckland place names:

• Tāmaki Makaurau: Auckland itself.
• Waitematā: the harbour on the city side.
• Maungawhau: Mount Eden.
• Maungakiekie: One Tree Hill.
• Rangitoto: the island volcano you see from every ferry.
• Ōrākei: the eastern bays suburb.

Everyday words and greetings

You don't need fluency to fit in. These cover most situations in an Auckland office or school gate.

Mixing a few of these into English is normal in Auckland. Nobody expects perfection. They do notice effort.

Tikanga: the customs behind the words

Tikanga means the right way of doing things, based on Māori values. You'll meet it at work events, school welcomes and on a marae.

What happens at a pōwhiri

A pōwhiri is a formal welcome by the tangata whenua (hosts) to manuhiri (visitors). Workplaces, schools and universities often use a shorter mihi whakatau. Exact practice varies by iwi and marae, so follow the lead of your hosts. A typical order:

1. Gather at the gate with the other visitors and wait to be called.
2. The karanga: a woman from the hosts calls the visitors on, and a woman from the visitors' side may reply.
3. Walk on slowly as a group and sit where you're shown, often with the speakers in front.
4. Speeches (whaikōrero), each followed by a waiata (song). Your group may be asked to sing one too, so learn a simple one if you're joining a team.
5. Koha is laid down by the visitors' side, usually an envelope of money.
6. Harirū and hongi: you shake hands and press noses with the hosts, one by one. Follow the person in front of you.
7. Kai: sharing food lifts the formality, and you're now part of the group.

Everyday tikanga worth knowing

• Take your shoes off before going into a wharenui (meeting house) unless told otherwise.
• Don't sit on tables, and keep hats and bags off them. Food and the body don't mix in Māori custom.
• The head is tapu (sacred). Don't pat kids, or anyone, on the head.
• Stay quiet for karakia. Stand or sit still; you don't need to join in.
• Ask before photographing carvings or people on a marae.

Free and cheap ways to start learning

1. Learn your pepeha. It's a short introduction linking you to your mountain, river and people. Australians can use their home landmarks, and many workplaces run sessions to help you write one.
2. Take a free course. Te Wānanga o Aotearoa lists te reo programmes such as Te Ara Reo Māori and Papa Reo at Levels 1 to 4 with no fees, many online or home-based, plus classroom options in Auckland at Māngere and Waitākere [2]. Check eligibility when you apply.
3. Join Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Māori Language Week runs every September and the campaign site has stories and ways to take part [5].
4. Use your workplace. Large employers, councils and universities in Auckland often run lunchtime te reo classes.
5. Read Te Taura Whiri's resources on the Commission's site, including lessons and videos [1].

The Australian angle

New Zealand's take on Indigenous language is now part of everyday working life, and it's often an interview topic, especially in the public sector. A few practical points:

• About 75,000 Australians live in New Zealand [6], so you're not alone in learning this from scratch.
• Your kids will learn it. Te reo is part of school life from the first day, so expect waiata at assembly and words coming home.
• Respect travels both ways. If you're asked about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, answer from what you know and say when you don't.
• Consular help: for passport or emergency help, the Australian Consulate-General in Auckland is on Quay Street, and the High Commission is in Wellington [7].

Want to swap tips with other Australians learning te reo? Join Cooee New Zealand, our Facebook group for Australians in New Zealand.

Sources

1. Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori – Māori Language Commission
2. Te reo Māori programmes – Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
3. Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Waitangi Tribunal
4. Public holidays and anniversary dates – Employment New Zealand
5. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
6. New Zealand country brief – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
7. New Zealand travel advice – Smartraveller
8. Types of early learning – Ministry of Education

Keep reading

• Aussie life in Auckland
• Auckland schools: zoning, deciles gone and NCEA vs the ATAR
• Working in Auckland: employment agreements, 90-day trials and leave
• The inner move