Wānaka is a resort town, an ideal movie location and was the backdrop to this years Matariki Celebrations. The name of this town is inspired by the teachings of the whare wānanga.
Read more about the Wānaka episode of Nau Mai Town here
From Treble Cone Ski Area in Wānaka, Kai Tahu heralded in the Māori New Year with the RNZ National's coverage of the Matariki Celebrations.
The name Wānaka in the Kai Tahu dialect has the same meaning as the word ‘Wānanga’ and both reference the teachings of Māori lore in the Whare Wānanga of old, these were places of higher learning.
But the former name of the Wānaka township was Pembroke named after Baron Sidney Herbert, he was the son of George Herbert the 11th Earl of Pembroke. In a 1948 recording of a show called ‘History and Harmony’ in Otago, host Selwyn Toogood brings that story to light.
Paulette Tamati Eliffe and Hana O’Regan are exponents of language revitilisation, they share the Kai Tahu story of the name Wānaka and the connection to the eponymous ancestor Rākaihautū.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.