A new app designed in partnership by Tauranga City Council and Tourism Bay of Plenty has launched this week during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori with an aim to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of Tauranga Moana culture, history, and visitor activities.

Te Ara Whānui app is an educational tool designed to provide a starting point where users can discover history, language, customs, and the significant sites of Tauranga Moana all in one place.

Featuring an interactive map of hapū, areas of interest, a customised pepeha builder, waiata, karakia, and more, the app unlocks the rich culture and heritage of Tauranga Moana.

Te Ara Whānui also features an accessible, user-friendly design, with Swipe-to-Read for narration of te reo Māori words, the ability to double tap on emboldened words to hear them pronounced, and the ability to record your own narration.

Whether you’re a resident keen to brush up on your local knowledge, a visitor interested in understanding our indigenous culture, or a business professional seeking to enhance your engagement with Tāngata Whenua/people of the land.

Tauranga City Council Te Pou Takawaenga manager Carlo Ellis says Te Ara Whānui is the perfect place to start on your haerenga (journey) into Te Ao Māori.

“First and foremost, we want to acknowledge all those who have shared this content over many years – some are still with us, and some are no longer," says Carlo.

“We have tried to collate the level of information that helps everyone get a taste of Te Ao Māori as it applies to Tauranga Moana, with opportunities to venture deeper into their own journey of personal development.

“The content complements the cultural training suite at Tauranga City Council, but we didn’t want to limit the audience to only our staff. Finding ways to share this level of information in an accessible way enables the community to grow and develop side by side with us.

“Te Wiki o te Reo Māori gives it the perfect launching pad when the whole country is looking for ways to grow their understanding. Aheiha! We can do this!”

Prior to the app’s launch this week, staff at Council and Tourism Bay of Plenty have been testing it out in their day-to-day work and lives.

Tauranga City Council climate and sustainability lead Stéphanie Keller-Busque says her team have found Te Ara Whānui particularly useful in meetings.   

“We’ve been using the karakia in Te Ara Whānui app to open and close our weekly meetings. Our goal is to learn the karakia and our respective pepeha off by heart.

“Our favourite feature of the app is that you can touch the words on the screen to hear the correct pronunciation. Such a great resource. Ka rawe tō koutou mahi!”

Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Oscar Nathan says his team enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with everyone involved in the app kaupapa (project). 

“We believe we’ve landed an extremely informative and user-friendly tool for locals and visitors alike. It provides an intuitive and valuable understanding of the destination and also highlights a number of Māori tourism operators who are intentionally sharing local stories as they take manuhiri on journeys through some of our city’s most important sites.

“Te Ara Whānui also explains Maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar), which more people are starting to become more aware of, particularly in terms of Matariki, the Māori New Year. We’re keen to encourage awareness and understanding of these traditional rituals and practices.”

The app was developed by Kiwa Digital, the world-leading cultural creative agency behind several Kaupapa Māori apps.

Collaboration on the app extends even further, with two local rangatahi from Moana Radio bringing the words to life with their narration in voices the community knows well.

Throughout the start of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, a member of Council’s Takawaenga unit will be available at He Puna Manawa (Tauranga Library) to offer training and answer any questions about the app.

Training times can be viewed online. 

The app is available to download now on Google Play and the App Store – search Te Ara Whānui.

Kia mau, kia ita, kia ū! Grab it, hold it tight, never let it go!