Pronouncing Māori Place Names

How do you pronounce those tricky Māori place names like:
Ōtautahi - Christchurch
Motukarara
Koukourarata - Port Levy
Te Waihora - Lake Ellesmere
Papanui
Aranui
Ōtākaro - Avon River
Waimakariri River 

Listen to this short movie that shows us how to break place names into vowel groups.

• Try making your own movie to teach others how to day our local place names?
• I challenge you to use this learning to help say the longest Māori place name:

Taumata whakatangi hanga kōauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pōkai whenua kitanatahu.

This name translates into English as 'the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as 'landeater', plyed his flute to his loved one.'  

Locals simply call it Taumata Hill. 

Break into pieces of a consonant and vowel or two vowels together like this:

Tau ma ta wha ka ta ngi ha nga ko au au o ta ma tea tu ri pu ka ka pi ki mau nga ho ro nu ku po kai whe nua ki ta na ta hu.