NZ's Next Top Model Danielle Hayes: Pride of the town

Danielle Hayes - she's the no-nonsense, wall-punching teenager who found it difficult to walk in high heels. She's also the top model who hails from the tiny Eastern Bay of Plenty town of Kawerau. The Daily Post chief reporter KRISTIN MACFARLANE finds out more about this rising star.
 
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She made negative comments about her hometown on national television - but there's no denying the small town of Kawerau is proud of Danielle Hayes.
The 19-year-old freckle-faced small-town girl has come a long way from growing up in the small Bay of Plenty town of Kawerau - where her parents still live - and sleeping on her parents' couch earlier this year. She is now moving to Auckland to take on her new journey as New Zealand's Next Top Model after winning cycle two of the popular television series.
As part of her win, she gets a one-year contract with host Sara Tetro's modelling agency Sixty-Two Models as well as a new car and meetings with top executives in New York.
She also won a new car as part of winning a challenge during an earlier show. After her win as New Zealand's Next Top Model, Hayes said she now had two cars - one for the city and one for the bush.
While a contestant on the popular TV3 reality show, Hayes criticised her home town saying some of her achievements can include not being in jail or pregnant, despite coming from Kawerau.
Despite the remarks, it seems Kawerau residents are very proud of their top model.
Kawerau College administrator Jean Tawhi - affectionately known by Hayes as Nan - said the whole town was very proud of the "awesome" teenager.
"I've known her since she was a little girl," Tawhi said.
She attended Kawerau College in 2006 and 2007, and Tawhi remembers her as being very sports-minded, playing volleyball and learning tae kwon do under her father, tae kwon do instructor Ross Hayes.
She said everyone was "definitely very proud" of Hayes, who she described as being " a super girl" and "really awesome".
Kawerau Mayor Malcolm Campbell has said Hayes' win was good news for her and the town because it was inspiring for other young people in the town.
One resident, who only wanted to be identified as Callie, said she had met Hayes a few times through work.
She described her as being down-to-earth and not attracting a lot of attention. Callie said Hayes people were happy for her.
While growing up, Hayes even delivered newspapers for The Daily Post's community newspaper - Eastern Bay News. She delivered the papers in Kawerau between 2001 and 2005.
Hayes says she is still getting used to thinking of herself as a model, but the three words she now uses to describe herself are "beautiful, talented and awesome".
The top model regularly dressed as a tomboy during her time on New Zealand's Next Top Model but she was thankful to have hair and make-up artists to help doll her up for the eliminations.
When The Daily Post spoke to Danielle after her win, she said she wanted to say a big thank you to all those who supported and believed in her.
Hayes made friends with two other Bay of Plenty top models while on the show - Rotorua's Amelia Gough and Jamie Himiona. The Daily Post even caught up with the trio while they were in Rotorua catching up and shopping just weeks ago.
Gough - who was one of her closest friends in the house - says she is pleased Hayes took out the top title. "Me and her, we just stuck together."
She thinks they got on so well because they had similar interests, came from similar places - Hayes from Kawerau and Gough from Rotorua - and they were "both really down to earth".
As soon as she met Hayes, Gough immediately thought she would take out the competition, and she did.
"I'm not surprised at all," Gough said. "She's different looking, she's beautiful."
As soon as the final show aired, Gough rang Hayes and congratulated her.
"She's such an awesome girl, she definitely deserved to win."
"I love her [Hayes] and I'm real proud of her, it couldn't have gone to somebody more deserving."
And Gough has some fond memories of her time in the house with Hayes.
"We just laugh a lot. Both of us, we burped heaps around the girls, we were kind of like the rugged ones, we were just gross," she joked.
Gough will be leaving Rotorua in January to move to Auckland, where she will be studying make-up artistry.
She has been to a few casting calls since her time on New Zealand's Next Top Model ended, and has done some extra work for shows and commercials.
"It has definitely opened doors, the whole experience."
But where to now for Hayes? The promising young model says she just wants to get out there and start working as soon as possible ... while also doing New Zealanders and Maori proud.