Timaru is pronounced /ˈtɪmÉ™ruË/ tim-É™-roo (TIM-A-ROO)
The MÄori placed named Te Maru is not the city TIMARU but the original beach area they used to rest on long canoes journeys.
Te Maru, which can mean a 'place of shelter.
The City Timaru was built and named by European settlers.
Timaru is Not a MÄori name, it is a European place name.
Te Maru & Timaru should be considered as two different entities.
For some reason North Island(NZ) News readers and TV host's commonly make this mistake.
It it was a city settled and build block by block, street by street by MÄori it would have no doubt been named by them. But is was not.
In respect to "European Culture" and Pronunciation it is TIM-A-ROO.
