A bus carrying students and staff from Turakina Maori Girls' College went off the road just south of Gisborne on Sunday. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
A bus carrying students and staff from Turakina Maori Girls' College went off the road just south of Gisborne on Sunday. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
With a broken leg and in a wheelchair, 14-year-old Waimirirangi Ratu still managed to take the stage with her schoolmates at the national kapa haka competition in Gisborne.
On Tuesday, the Turakina Maori Girls' College kapa haka team performed in the heats of the national secondary schools contest just 48hours after their bus crashed, putting 12 students and three staff in hospital.
Waimirirangi suffered the most severe injuries.
College principal Terehina Channing said the performance had gone well, all things considered.
"The girls were well received, that's for sure. We were very proud of their performance."
She said the group had been coping well following the accident.
"The girls have been in good spirits - they've come through a very traumatic time. Even other groups from Manawatu ... they've come to see us, they've brought food."
The event organisers have arranged a bus for the school group to return to Marton at no charge.
The top three teams from three pools will go through to tomorrow's final.
Emergency services were called about 3.30pm on Sunday after the Turakina college's bus ran off the road and crashed into a ditch on Whareata Rd, 15 minutes out of Gisborne.
