Can't remember whether I told you guys, I told some forum or other but...
Back about 1840 a group of European settlers found a nice little spot by a river to camp. It gradually became a true settlement and one day a group of English speaking Maori came by and the settlers asked "what is this place called?" The Maori guy said "This is called Tutaenui". So the settlers called their camp Tutaenui. A couple of years later a Missionary travelling south stopped at the settlement. He spoke fluent Maori and asked why on earth they called their village Tutaenui? They told him why ! The missionary explained that 'nui' was a pile or heap, and 'tutae' was excrement! So they lived at a place called "A pile of Shit"
They quickly decided to call it Marton, after the town that Captain Cook was born in. That Maori obviously had a sense of humour!
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