A 16-year-old Maori secondary school student was crowned the new Miss World New Zealand last Saturday. Kahurangi Taylor, who attends Auckland Girls' Grammar School student becomes the pageant’s first winner in almost three years after the event went through a hiatus.
Taylor will now travel to the Miss World competition in Ukraine in October.
Her first duty will be to accompany Trustees of the New Zealand Asia Pacific Trust to meet Julia Morley, CEO of Miss World as she arrives at Auckland International airport on May 6 to attend the Variety Club Convention. She will again meet Miss World 2007, Zi Lin Zhang when she arrives to be with Ms. Morley on 10th May. Kahurangi will attend the Variety International Humanitarian Award Dinner on 14th May.
“The New Zealand Asia Pacific Trust are 100% behind the Judges decision and the Trustees are quite sure that she will carry her hopes, aspirations and obligations with dignity as befits a young Maori Lady, striding confidently through her 12 month reign,” say organisers in a statement.
The result also pleased the Maori political party.
"Kahurangi has lived up to her name - meaning variously precious jewel, treasured taonga, the darling of her whanau,” Maori Party co-leader Dr Pita Sharples said in a statement.
Taylor draws her Maori ancestry to Ngati Te Ata, Waiohua and Te Waiariki (Panguru) and Te Rarawa.
"We are all delighted with the success of this beautiful young woman," adds Dr Sharples. "Kahurangi has the reo, the talents and the tautoko to go far, and this success is a sure sign of her destiny ahead".
Kahurangi attended Te Rumaki Reo at Pukekohe North, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Waiuku and is currently a seventh former at Auckland Girls Grammar School.
The Miss World pageant, in its 58th year, has not been contested in New Zealand for three years. In 2000 the pageant abandoned the swimsuit parade and shifted its focus to contestants' brains and career ambition.
The New Zealand Asia Pacific Trust bought the Miss World New Zealand franchise last October. This year's pageant aims to raise $10,000 towards refurbishment of Auckland's Starship children's hospital oncology ward.
21 girls paid a $500 fee to represent their sponsor. Among the contestants were representatives from the Fijian and Niuean communities.
