Tauranga family catch up with Stan the man

Australian Idol winner Stan Walker couldn't fit in a trip to Tamapahore before he heads back to Australia tomorrow but that didn't stop his Tauranga family from seeing him.
Second-cousin Kiwi-Bianca McLeod travelled to Auckland with her mother Kiwi-Molly and six other family members to watch Stan sing.
The former Arataki Primary School pupil performed at the Maori Sports Awards on Saturday with his elder brother, Michael, and mother April.
"He sang Halo [by Beyonce], and then the Miley Cyrus song The Climb, dedicated to Benji Marshall's dad because he has passed away.
"It was mean."
Kiwi-Bianca said it was fantastic to catch up with Stan, who was in New Zealand to celebrate his win and promote his new album.
And his Tauranga family even got a taste of his celebrity highlife when they were offered a trip around Manukau in a Hummerzine with him.
Kiwi-Bianca said Stan was exhausted from rehearsals and promotion.
"He didn't come back down here because he was too busy.
"He is just hard-out working now.
 He still doesn't know when he's coming home."
 Kiwi-Bianca said he had not changed, despite his workload and newfound fame.
 
Stan told the New Zealand Herald he missed Kiwi food and had headed straight for Wendy's when he touched down in Auckland on Friday.
"Food over here destroys everything Australian. The food and the air and the grass."
He may be used to talking to media and singing in front of millions of television viewers but Stan said he got so nervous at the sports awards that he missed a note.
Family and other Maori were the toughest audience. "A lot of them in there can sing," he said.
As well as catching up with family, Stan has been  dodging fans in his down-time.
"The fans here are worse than in Australia," he said.
Browsing Victoria Park Market for presents to take back home to Coolangatta at the weekend, Stan found himself being swarmed by supporters.
"I couldn't do anything and I was like, I don't want to be rude but I'm on a mission."
He said he would love to have more time to go and visit the spots  where he played as a kid - the paddocks around Tauranga and the Waikato River - but flies back to Australia tomorrow for more promotions.
"I want to go and check out the places but I can't really, life's changed."
But he would not change what is happening right now. "Idol's the man. This is my dream."with APN News & Media