BUY, SCAN, DISCOVER
BUY, SCAN, DISCOVER
Collect all 12 Legends of Aotearoa New Zealand cards
Māori Kiwifruit Growers, in partnership with Mr. Apple and Zespri, invite you to explore the beauty and wonder of Aotearoa New Zealand through its unique wildlife and indigenous Māori culture.
Buy Dazzle Apples or Zespri Kiwifruit and collect all 12 augemented reality cards featuring New Zealand’s special creatures and their stories according to Māori legend.
Start collecting all 12 cards now!
Buy Dazzle Apples or Zespri Kiwifruit and receive 3x augmented reality cards featuring New Zealand’s special animals and their stories according to Māori legend.
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Scan the QR code on each card to see the creature and its environment come to life, while you learn about their attributes and stories.
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Discover
Discover more about these unique animals and how to pronounce their indigenous Māori names by collecting all 12 cards. Each card depicts a different animal found in and around Aotearoa New Zealand and their category based on important themes in Māori culture.
All phonetic sounds in the Māori language have an equivalent sound in English - except for r - which is rolled like in Spanish.
Pronouncing other useful Māori words:
Did you know?
Aotearoa
Māori name for New Zealand.
Māori
Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Taonga
Treasure, culturally valuable creature or object.
Kaitiaki
Guardian, custodian, steward.
Tikanga
Customary practices, correct procedures.
Birds of the Forest
Ngā Manu o te Wao nui
Kiwi
The kiwi is the national bird of Aotearoa New Zealand. Mythically, the kiwi became flightless and noctural after answering the call of Tāne Mahuta, the god of the forest, to live on the ground and eat the insects attacking his trees. Only found in Aotearoa, New Zealanders are referred to as ‘Kiwi’ around the world.
Kea
The kea is a large parrot endemic to the mountain regions of Aotearoa New Zealand. Named after their call, Māori consider them kaitiaki (guardians) and treat them as taonga (treasures). Highly adaptive and curious, they are considered to be one of the most intelligent bird species in the world.
Tūī
The tūī is a beautiful songbird native to Aotearoa New Zealand known for its iridescent blue/green feathers and ability to mimic other birds. It belongs to the honeyeater family, meaning they feed on the nector from flowers of native plants including the harakeke (flax) bush, which are shown on the card.
Creatures of the Ocean
Ngā Ika o te Moana
Mangōpare
In Māori culture, hammerhead sharks represent strength and determination. They are believed to be protective spirits, and are referred to often in whakataukī (proverbs) for their fighting spirit and perseverance. A pattern based on the mangōpare is very popular in traditional and modern Māori artforms.
Wheke
Two of the world’s largest species of octopus are found in the waters around Aotearoa New Zealand. They are referred to in whakataukī (proverbs), either for their tenacity when clinging to rocks to evade being caught, or cowardness when fleeing confrontations with other predators.
Aihe
Aotearoa New Zealand is home to some of the rarest dolphins. They are seen as taniwha or water spirits by Māori, and are revered as a taonga (treasure). Aihe were known to guide waka (seafaring canoes) across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa – the great ocean of Kiwa, the Māori name for the Pacific Ocean.
Guardians of the Environment
Ngā Kaitiaki o te Taiao
Tohorā
In Māori culture, whales are viewed as tapu (sacred) and are considered guardians. Many tohorā were said to have protected the waka (canoes) that first brought Māori ancestors to Aotearoa New Zealand. One legend tells of an ancestor, Paikea, that rode on a whale to Aotearoa.
Tuna
Tuna are freshwater eels found in Aotearoa New Zealand, that migrate to the sea for breeding. They are known as a taonga species by Māori, meaning they are considered a treasure and feature in many legends. Traditionally, tuna were a vital food source and an indicator of healthy waterways.
Whai
Stingrays are viewed as kaitiaki (guardians) of the ocean, particularly shellfish gathereing areas. Māori believe if people follow the right customary practices (tikanga) when gathering food from the ocean, kaitiaki like Whai will ensure an on-going plentiful supply of food for everyone.
Reptiles of New Zealand
Ngā Ngārara o Aotearoa
Mokomoko
Mokomoko is a Māori term used for native skinks. Skinks and geckos are the only two families of lizards found in Aotearoa New Zealand, and all species are endemic, meaning they are not found anywhere else in the world. There are around 60 species of skinks, making them the most common reptile in Aotearoa.
Tuatara
Known as living fossils, the tuatara are the last survivors of an order of reptiles that lived in the age of the dinosaurs. Only found in Aotearoa New Zealand, they are our largest reptile and considered guardians of knowledge in Māori culture. The Māori name of these special creatures refers to the spines along their neck, back and tail.
Mokopāpā
In Māori culture, mokopāpā is the general term for native geckos. They are seen as kaitiaki (guardians) and were traditionally used in ceremonies, at times placed near sacred places for protection. Now extinct, Aotearoa was home to the kawekaweau, the largest gecko in the world, which was 60 centimetres long.
Look out for rare gold cards hidden in Zespri and Mr Apple Dazzle packs across the UAE.
BUY, SCAN, DISCOVER
BUY, SCAN, DISCOVER
Learn more about Te ao Māori
Māori refers to the indigenous people and culture of Aotearoa New Zealand. In Māori tradition, the famous Polynesian explorer Kupe was the first person to discover these islands around 1,000 years ago, making it one of the last major landmasses to be settled by humans. His wife, Kuramārōtini, is credited with naming the new land Aotearoa, meaning ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’.
Following Kupe and Kuramārōtini, waka hourua (double-hulled canoes) originating from eastern Polynesia traversed the largest ocean in the world bringing more people to Aotearoa, marking the beginning of a distinct Polynesian culture, which thrived and evolved over centuries before European contact in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Māori make up 20% of the population in Aotearoa and the Māori language and culture is considered a taonga (of significant cultural value) as an integral part of New Zealand’s identity.
Māori continue to maintain a deep connection to their ancestors and the land, identifying as tangata whenua, or ‘people of the land’. This connection has been maintained across generations through storytelling and the performing of ancient customs. As with many other cultures around the world, Māori legends and stories were a way to explain their environment and experiences. The Legends of Aotearoa New Zealand feature many of the special animals and unique elements of the environment Māori ancestors encountered when they arrived to these beautiful islands.
About the Māori Kiwifruit Growers
Māori Kiwifruit Growers (MKG) is a national advocacy organisation promoting the growth and development of indigenous Māori kiwifruit growers across Aotearoa New Zealand. Established by Māori for Māori, MKG aims to build thriving communities and create intergenerational opportunity in the kiwifruit industry. Choosing kiwifruit supplied by Māori Kiwifruit Growers Ltd means you’re not just getting great tasting, premium fruit, but supporting growers and their whānau (families) to thrive for generations to come.
Māori Kiwifruit Growers work alongside Zespri and Mr Apple to showcase New Zealand’s premium kiwifruit and apples globally. Beyond delivering exceptional produce, this partnership supports our purpose and values by enabling us to invest in capability building, education, and opportunities that deliver lasting benefits for our people and communities.