Miss Far North returns

IT'S been some time since a Miss Far North title was conferred in Kaitaia, but the success of Saturday night's pageant at Te Ahu but guaranteed that it will now become an annual event. Alarnya Ashby (Miss Far North NZ Management), who organised, directed and choreographed the show, said she already had contestants lining up for next year.

The climax of the evening was the naming of Miss Far North NZ 2013, Priscilla de Groen-Hutchinson, and Miss Teen Far North Ella Leslie, both of whom now have entry to national pageants.

Nineteen-year-old Priscilla, sponsored by Whangarei's RED Pizzeria, was described as having a passion for the arts.

She had won a number of awards and honours for drama, and was selected from more than 5000 secondary school students for the cast of the 2012 national schools' Shakespeare production. She also won the Richard Shawyer as the Kaitaia College student most dedicated to drama last year.

Her hobbies include dancing, acting, singing, writing poetry, painting and photography, while her ambition is to forge a successful career as an actor and dancer, and to open her own performing arts school, specialising in theatre and dance.

Miss Teen Far North, 14-year-old Ella Leslie (Waterfront Cafe), displayed a talent for dance at a very young age, and has won numerous awards for tap and jazz in competitions all over New Zealand. She is currently a student at Kaitaia College, and plans to study medicine.

Her hobbies are dance, touch rugby, tennis and water sports, and her ambition is to have a successful career as a doctor, to travel the world and to become an ambassador for New Zealand.

The first runner-up to Miss Far North was 18-year-old Samantha Adams (Total Span Bay of Islands), second runner-up 23-year-old Lonneke Botello (Taipa Bay Resort). The first runner-up to Miss Teen Far North was 17-year-old Summer Ash (Accente Hair and Beauty Salon), second runner-up 17-year-old Talia Rogers (Shackleton's Amcal Chemist).

Other awards went to 19-year-old Charlotte Daun (Doubtless Beauty), Miss Photogenic; 17-year-old Monique Bradley (J Peterson Pan Market and Coastal Holiday Homes), Miss Catwalk; and 14-year-old Patience Wiremu (Wiremu family), Miss Personality. The People's Choice award was won by Talia Rogers.

The contestants, who emerged into the community centre foyer at the end of the evening to be hugged, kissed and congratulated by families and friends, opened the show with the national anthem then paraded in day wear provided by Finders, in swim wear made by Mallonae Garton, in evening wear (accompanied by five delightful little girls (Brooke Sparksman, Holly Travers, Jessica McCarthny, Lexi Bradbury and Therese Birch), then took one final walk on the stage in evening wear before the judges announced their decisions.

Their appearances were interspersed between song and dance performances by Kendall Brake (who travelled home from Christchurch to make her contribution), Alarnya Ashby and Tania Dodds.