Tearful friends and family have farewelled the "beautiful, talented and strong" Okeroa Douglas with kind words, an intense haka and waiata performed by her former schoolmates.
The funeral for the Rotorua 18-year-old was at Te Papaiouru Marae in Ohinemutu, where she was described as "beautiful, talented and strong".
Hundreds turned out yesterday
to say goodbye.
The teenager was killed in a car crash on State Highway 5 near Rotorua on Friday.
The car she was in hit a power pole next to the Lake View Golf Course, just north of Rotorua, at 9.55pm.
Rotorua police sergeant Pauline Jones said the car crossed the centre line and left the road before crashing into the pole.
Okeroa died at the scene. The front-seat passenger was taken to hospital with head injuries. Police are investigating the cause of the crash.
A haka was performed as Okeroa's body was carried to the waiting hearse.
Students from Te Kura o Te Koutu sang for their former classmate who had finished school last year.
One of Okeroa's former teachers, Aramoana Mohi-Maxwell, spoke about Okeroa during the ceremony, calling her "beautiful, talented and strong".
"She was talented, no two ways about it," she said.
Okeroa was an unsung hero among her peers.
"She brought out the best in people."
"She will stay close - she will be remembered always."
Okeroa had moved to Hamilton this year to study at the University of Waikato.
University media relations co-ordinator Angie Knox said Okeroa had been studying in the School of Maori and Pacific Development in the Faculty of Education.
Okeroa was also in the New Zealand's Maori women's hockey team and had played for the Rotorua Aces.
This week the Rotorua U18s women's hockey team dedicated their tournament in Auckland to her.
In 2009, the talented teenager received a Daily Post Youth in Excellence Award.
She was able to speak three languages - English, Maori and Spanish - and was a proven leader.
Her achievements included representing the Bay of Plenty in hockey, basketball, tennis and touch rugby. She was also a dedicated kapa haka performer.
After the service at the marae, Okeroa was taken to Kauae Cemetery for burial.
