Māori Culture in Invercargill
The names Waihōpai and Murihiku, the two rūnaka and their marae, Waitangi Day, Matariki, the new museum and te reo.
Waihōpai is the Māori name for Invercargill, in Murihiku, the far south of Ngāi Tahu’s takiwā, where two papatipu rūnaka have their marae: Waihōpai Rūnaka in the city and Te Rūnaka o Awarua at Bluff. Here’s what to know about Māori culture in Invercargill: the marae, the rūnaka, Waitangi Day and Matariki, the new museum and te reo classes.
Waihōpai and Murihiku
Waihōpai is the Māori name for Invercargill, shared with the Waihōpai River and with Waihōpai Rūnaka. Murihiku names the far south of Te Waipounamu and today is mostly used for Southland; it is also the name of the city’s marae.
Kāi Tahu
The southern form of Ngāi Tahu: k takes the place of ng in the local dialect.
Motupōhue
Bluff Hill, the maunga of Te Rūnaka o Awarua.
Te Ara a Kiwa
The moana in the Awarua pepeha, known in English as Foveaux Strait.
Ōreti
The river in the Waihōpai Rūnaka pepeha.
Ways to experience Māori culture in Invercargill
The region’s museum is closed while it is rebuilt as Te Unua Museum of Southland. Waitangi Day and Matariki are the times to join in, and the places below carry Kāi Tahu names and stories.
Te Unua Museum of Southland
The new regional museum is set to open to the public in 2027. Waihōpai Rūnaka is working with the city council on behalf of the four Murihiku rūnaka to develop the experience inside it, so that Kāi Tahu stories are told well.
Opening newsMotupōhue (Bluff Hill)
The maunga of Te Rūnaka o Awarua, whose marae, Te Rau Aroha, is in the port town of Bluff.
Read our guideMāori events through the year
Waitangi Day
Ngāi Tahu’s Waitangi Day commemoration rotates between the three places where Ngāi Tahu signed the Treaty: Te Rau Aroha at Awarua in Bluff, Ōtākou near Dunedin and Ōnuku on Banks Peninsula.
Matariki in Murihiku
Matariki events across Murihiku Southland. In 2026 they ran from 8 to 11 July.
Matariki public holiday
Matariki falls on Friday 25 June in 2027.
Marae in Invercargill and Bluff
Marae are the gathering places of hapū and iwi. They are not visitor attractions: you visit a marae when you’re invited, or by arrangement with the marae, often with a group, a school or an event. Each marae has its own kawa (protocol), so ask your hosts what they expect.
Murihiku Marae
The marae of Waihōpai Rūnaka, with the wharenui Te Rakitauneke, opened in February 1990. Hine o te Iwi, opened in June 1983 as the wharekai, was its first building. Māori Maps describes it as the local marae for Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha. It reopened in 2023 after a redevelopment led by the rūnaka.
Waihōpai RūnakaTe Rau Aroha
The marae of Te Rūnaka o Awarua, and the southernmost marae in the country. Its wharekai, Te Rau Aroha, opened in 1985, and its wharenui, Tahu-pōtiki, is named after the tupuna of Ngāi Tahu. It is one of the three marae in Ngāi Tahu’s Waitangi Day rotation.
Te Rūnaka o AwaruaNgā Hau e Whā and Te Tomairangi
Two more marae in the city: Ngā Hau e Whā at 193 Conon Street, and Te Tomairangi at 54 Eye Street, the marae of the Catholic Māori Community of Invercargill.
Ngāi Tahu listHow a welcome usually goes
- GatherThe visitors assemble together, and the hosts begin the welcome.
- KarangaA woman from the hosts calls you on, and a caller from your group answers. Walk on together as the calling continues.
- Whaikōrero and waiataSpeeches from hosts and visitors, each followed by a song.
- KohaA gift, usually money in an envelope, laid down by your last speaker.
- Hongi and harirūShake hands and press noses with the hosts.
- HākariA shared meal ends the welcome and lifts the tapu of the pōwhiri.
The rūnaka of Murihiku
Murihiku has four papatipu rūnaka of Ngāi Tahu: Awarua, Waihōpai, Ōraka-Aparima and Hokonui. Two are based in Invercargill City.
Waihōpai Rūnaka
Their profile on the Ngāi Tahu website says: “Waihōpai Rūnaka is based in Southland with Murihiku Marae situated in Invercargill.” Their pepeha names Tākitimu as the maunga and Ōreti as the awa.
Ngāi TahuTe Rūnaka o Awarua
Their profile on the Ngāi Tahu website says: “Te Rūnaka o Awarua is based at Te Rau Aroha Marae in the port-town of Bluff, approximately 25 kilometres south of Invercargill.” Their pepeha names Motupōhue as the maunga and Te Ara a Kiwa as the moana.
Ngāi TahuTe Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
In its own words, the tribal council exists “to be the tribal servant”. Its 18 papatipu rūnanga include Awarua and Waihōpai.
Their siteMāori history and stories
Murihiku Marae was established for both local people and those who came south for work, Te Ara notes, and Te Rau Aroha in Bluff was built by many iwi Māori and Pasifika whānau alongside Kāi Tahu, as Maria Pera tells it in a Ngāi Tahu story. Read our longer guide to Māori history in the city, and Te Ara and Ngāi Tahu on the two marae.
Māori History in Invercargill
Waihōpai, Murihiku and the people of the south.
Read the historyLearning te reo Māori in Invercargill
Te reo Māori learning for adults. Check each provider for the latest dates.
SIT and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
A Level 1 te reo certificate taught at SIT in partnership with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, under SIT’s Zero Fees Scheme. In 2027 the Invercargill intakes start from 22 February, with a weekly evening class, 6pm to 9pm on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, plus two Saturday wānanga and a weekend noho.
SITKōhanga reo
Kōhanga reo are Māori-language early learning centres. The Ministry of Education directory lists 6 in Invercargill City. Find one on the Kōhanga Reo National Trust map.
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Aho Matua (Tweed Street)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Kimihia Te Mātauranga o Ngā Tūpuna (Mary Street)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Hau e Whā (Balmoral Drive)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Murihiku (Skye Street)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Tūmanako Rāwhiti (Ottrey Street)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Rākau Kowhai o Ngā Tamariki (Willis Street)
Schools that teach in te reo Māori
Te Wharekura o Arowhenua
Composite school. All students taught in te reo Māori.
About this page
Explore Invercargill is an independent local guide. This page draws on the websites of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Waihōpai Rūnaka, Māori Maps, Invercargill and Southland news and event sites, SIT, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, the Ministry of Education and the providers’ own sites. Spotted something to add or correct? Let us know.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Māori word for Invercargill?
Waihōpai, the name shared with the Waihōpai River and with Waihōpai Rūnaka, whose marae is in the city.
What is Murihiku?
Murihiku names the far south of Te Waipounamu, and today it is mostly used for Southland. It is also the name of Invercargill’s marae, Murihiku Marae.
What iwi is in Invercargill?
Ngāi Tahu, known in the south as Kāi Tahu. Two of its papatipu rūnaka are based in the city: Waihōpai Rūnaka and Te Rūnaka o Awarua at Bluff.
Is there a marae in Invercargill?
Murihiku Marae on Tramway Road is the marae of Waihōpai Rūnaka, and Te Rau Aroha in Bluff, the southernmost marae, is the marae of Te Rūnaka o Awarua. The city also has Ngā Hau e Whā and Te Tomairangi marae in Appleby. Visits are by invitation or arrangement.
Where can I see Māori taonga in Invercargill?
The new Te Unua Museum of Southland is set to open in 2027, with Kāi Tahu stories developed with the Murihiku rūnaka.
Is Waitangi Day held at Te Rau Aroha?
In some years. Ngāi Tahu’s Waitangi Day commemoration rotates between three marae: Ōtākou, Ōnuku and Te Rau Aroha at Awarua in Bluff.
When is Matariki in Invercargill?
Matariki events run across Murihiku Southland in winter; in 2026 they ran from 8 to 11 July. The next Matariki public holiday is Friday 25 June 2027.
Where can I learn te reo Māori in Invercargill?
SIT teaches te reo with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa under its Zero Fees Scheme, with Level 1 evening classes starting from 22 February 2027.