When Northland man Manuel Springford goes into the bakery on Mondays for a meat pie you're likely to hear him say "kopaki kiko maku" rather than "meat pie for me".
His use of te reo Maori often leaves those who don't speak the language confused and Mr Springford often has to use actions to convey his message.
But on Mondays he speaks te reo Maori exclusively - no matter where he is.
"Our family weren't brought up speaking te reo Maori. My grandfather is from Ahipara and he grew up speaking Maori and I thought I could give back to him by learning Maori," he said.
Mr Springford, who is of Te Rarawa and Ngai Tahu descent, said he spent a couple of years learning te reo so he could hold a conversation with his grandfather. But when his grandfather passed away he found the only time he used the language was when he visited his grandfather's brother in Ahipara.
