"Auckland Transport (AT) is honoured to have been gifted te reo Māori names by mana whenua for the new bus stations and structures being built for the Eastern Busway.
The Eastern Busway will bring rapid public transport to East Auckland and as part of this, four new bus stations and three new structures are being built. These have been gifted te reo Māori names by local mana whenua Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki and Ngaati Whanaunga.
Zaelene Maxwell-Butler of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki says “our partnership with AT has enabled us to revive ancient stories and restore the cultural identity to the local landscape through te reo Māori naming and mahi toi (artwork) design”."
The busway will deliver four new stations:
📌 Pakūranga (in the town centre): from the name Te Pakūranga Rā Hihi which means ‘The Battle of the Sun's Rays’.
📌 Te Taha Wai (near Edgewater College): the name represents the water’s edge, the riverbanks of Te Wai o Taiki (Tāmaki River) and the origin of the English name Edgewater
📌 Koata (by Riverhills Park): speaks to the heart of Tī Rākau, the New Zealand native cabbage tree
📌 Pōhatu (in Burswood): stone or rocks, referencing the outcrop of rocks in the Tāmaki estuary which Ngāi Tai legend acknowledges as the perished tūrehu and patupaiarehe peoples.
And three new structures:
📌 Rā Hihi (sun’s rays) will be the name of the flyover being built above Reeves Road. It will improve traffic flow and reduce congestion, playing a crucial role in the Eastern Busway’s success in providing quick and reliable travel, and is planned to open in 2026.
📌 Tī Rākau will be the name of the new bridge that will sit next to Tī Rākau Drive. Rākau (tree) is also a traditional Māori stick game.
📌 Taupaepae (to meet or escort your visitors) will be the name of the bridge joining Tī Rākau Drive and Burswood. It represents the manaakitanga of Auckland Transport safely guiding and transporting the community along the bridge. Paepae is the horizon.
Check out the article by Times Online for more information on the announcement: https://www.times.co.nz/news/te-reo-maori-names-gifted-to-eastern-busway/
And head to https://easternbusway.nz/ for more information on the project itself.