Kia Ora

The handmade wooden bookmark with a kiwi bird from New Zealand. Thanks to Cathie ;)



Kia ora is a Māori language greeting which has entered New Zealand English. It means literally "be well/healthy" and is translated as an informal "hi". The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage website NZ History lists it as one of 100 Māori words every New Zealander should know, with a definition "Hi!, G'day!.

Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world.
The kiwi is a national symbol of New Zealand – indeed, the association is so strong that the term Kiwi is used, all over the world, as the colloquial demonym for New Zealanders.