Robyn Maclean was caught short before auditions for New Zealand's Next Top Model even began.
The 16-year-old Whangarei girl has starred on television in children's drama series The Amazing Extraordinary Friends but said modelling was her ultimate goal.
But the 170cm height restriction was worrying Robyn while she sat waiting at Forum North yesterday.
"The last time I measured myself was just over two months ago, and I was 169cm ... I'm hoping I've grown," she said. But she didn't measure up - falling short by just over 1cm.
She wasn't too disappointed as her acting had already generated interest from modelling agencies.
Whangarei was the second-to-last stop in a nationwide search for aspiring models to take part in the Kiwi version of America's Next Top Model.
Forty-nine Northland hopefuls went through the audition process yesterday, including one guy.
Some girls wore short, sparkly dresses, high heels and had done extensive hair and make-up. Others took the relaxed route wearing denim skirts, singlet tops and jandals.
Most were nervous as they waited and either sat in silence or giggled nervously, fidgeting and playing with their hair.
One of five who made it through yesterday's auditions was Macarena Williamson-Aspillaga, who had always wanted to be a model.
But she had to leave her home country of Chile for Northland to reach for that goal.
She's now crossing her fingers until Sunday, when she hopes to be told she is one of 33 who will make it through to take part in the first episode.
Macarena, 23, has been in New Zealand for 1 years, now working as a chef at a restaurant in Kerikeri.
After an initial meet-and-greet with the judges, Macarena was asked into another room to be recorded on video.
Other hopefuls Deralen Bates, a 20-year-old dairy farm assistant from Kerikeri and Alex Going, a 21-year-old mum from Maromaku, had an extra early start yesterday, before auditions began just after 10am.
"I got here at 7.30am because I thought there'd be a big line but when I got here I was the only one," Alex said.
Judge Colin Mathura-Jeffree, said the Whangarei auditions were "fantastic" and he enjoyed their diversity.
"They were all interesting characters. Whangarei really gave it to us."
After the Whangarei auditions, 979 people had auditioned across New Zealand, with 130 making it through to record a piece to camera. The show is on TV3 later this year.
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