Rotorua's Kharl WiRepa speaks to those at the launch, with the Miss Rotorua 2017 crowns on display. Photo/File
Beauty pageants have come a long way since the days of scantily-clad women smiling inanely and making cringeworthy statements about saving the world and feeding starving children.
These days many pageants emphasise more than just beauty, encouraging contestants to be involved in community and charity work and show leadership, academic
and cultural prowess.
Rotorua has a long and illustrious history of beauty queens, with the late Maureen Waaka a former Miss New Zealand.
This year sees the return of Miss Rotorua 2017 after a decades-long absence, with more than 30 young women signing up to be part of it, as we reported yesterday.
Over the next 10 weeks they will be trained in charity work, leadership, modelling and Maori protocol - skills considered essential to represent our city on a wider stage.
