Post #103756 by kiwilad on Fri, Jul 23, 2004 3:16 PM

What A Laugh! Tried to move away from Whanga's NZ as it is affectionally known & it popped up again only minutes away.
I live in Tracy, CA (30 mins drive from Whanga rei)but grew up in "Whangarei", New Zealand.
I will have to come over and check it out!
Haere ra!

Here is the article I spotted in the NZ national paper:

It's a small world after all! "Whangarei" is now only minutes drive from Tracy.
-Tim

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3580067&thesection=news&thesubsection=general&thesecondsubsection=

'Whanga Rei' becomes safe place to dine in US

24.07.2004
By JON STOKES maori issues reporter
An American has not let accuracy get in the way of moves to open a Maori-themed restaurant in California.

Californian Jeff Thompson has opened a family restaurant in Turlock, about 80km east of San Francisco, named Whanga Rei.

In a news report in the Turlock Journal Mr Thompson said he liked the name Whanga Rei, for its connotations of safety and protection for travellers.

"Basically, Whanga Rei is a safe harbour," he said.

Mr Thompson has decorated his restaurant with "the symbols of New Zealand's tribal group, the Maori", in the form of giant tiki.

While impressed by the appreciation for Maori culture, Waikato university senior Maori lecturer Tom Roa said he was surprised by the unusual use of the word Whangarei.

Mr Roa said the area was named after Rei Pae, who was abandoned at the site by her twin sister Rei Tu during a journey on the back of a giant bird from Waikato to be with their husband-to-be, Ue-oneone. He said the name had since been shortened from Te Whanga a Rei, or the wait of Rei.

However, word meanings can change when separated. Rei can mean whale bone, treasure and to grimace with teeth, and whanga, harbour, waiting or to wait.

Restaurant customers will no doubt prefer a safe harbour to waiting with grimaced teeth

[ Edited by: kiwilad on 2004-07-23 15:38 ]