Next stop the world for beauty queen

Local beauty queen Catherine Irving has been crowned Miss Earth New Zealand, and will jet to the Philippines to challenge 90 of the world's most beautiful women for the Miss Earth 2009 title.

The Waverley 19-year-old won the evening gown section, and went on to win the national crown, which will see her compete in Manila on November 22.

As Miss Earth New Zealand, Ms Irving has her airfares to Manila paid for, and also receives a holiday on a cruise ship.

Ms Irving said when she found out she had won, she didn't cry or scream, she just couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"I smiled so much it felt like my real smile had become a fake smile, it was really funny," she said.

Ms Irving said one of the most nerve-racking parts of the competition was the "random question" section.

Thankfully she said her question was the relatively straightforward, "If you could meet one person in New Zealand, who could it be?', to which she replied, "John Key."

Ms Irving said her favourite part of the competition was the speaking and interviews, which she considers to be one of her strengths. 

To help with her nerves, Ms Irving has a pre-competition ritual.

"Before I go on I always imagine myself coming off the stage and it's all gone perfectly."

Catherine will spend three weeks in the Philippines, visiting local landmarks, and learning more about the culture and their humanitarian needs.

Miss Earth Wanganui organiser Chandra Osborne said Catherine's win was great for both her and Wanganui.

"It's awesome, it's really neat to have someone from Wanganui to become Miss New Zealand, she put in a lot of hard work, its neat for her to win."

"She's naturally a lovely person, inside and out, its just fine tuning now…getting up with what's going on overseas, the trends and fashion…Her deportment and interviews couldn't be faulted."

Catherine said she wanted to thank everyone who supported her, including Barbara and Chandra Osborne, choreographer Molly, and Cheryl at Lady of the Lake.