Seven Tongan beauty contestants will compete to represent New Zealand in the 2015 Miss Heilala Festival in July.
They will be taking part in the Miss Appraxus New Zealand competition in May and June and the winner
will go on to the Miss Heilala Festival.
The festival will be held during His Majesty King Tupou VI’s coronation in Tonga.
The aspiring beauty queens were presented to the media last Friday in Mangere.
They appeared in their informal attire while practising their presentation before their first public appearance on April 25 at Nukuʻalofa Night Club in Panmure, Auckland.
The beauty contest has its roots in a competition started in Auckland by the then manager of Tonga’s government residence in ʻAtalanga, Simi Tekiteki to promote Tongaʻs tourism industry.
A committee was set known under New Zealand Tonga Tourism Association to promote the initiative.
When Tekiteki left, Immigration Appraxus coMpany director Salote Heleta Lilo kept the competition going under her company’s name.
The Tongan government regularly seeks support from Tongan community in New Zealand to promote tourism in Tonga. This opens doors in New Zealand for private companies to create their own initiative to promote tourism as Immigration Appraxus has done.
Lilo said she thought it would be a good idea for her to organise the competition to support Tonga’s tourism and promote her company.
The competition first ran under its new name in 2001. In 2003 Jessie Moala Philip was named Miss Appraxus.
Miss Philip was sponsored by Immigration Appraxus to join the Tonga Miss Heilala Beauty Peagent and went on to win the crown in 2003.
She then travelled to Apia, Samoa, the same year to join the Miss South Pacific and became the first runner-up.
The Immigration Appraxus beauty contest lapsed in 2008.
In 2013 Immigration Appraxus sponsored Rosemarie Fili of Leimatuʻa, Vavaʻu, who was studying at the University of Waikato, to compete in the Heilala Festival in Nukuʻalofa.
Miss Fili was crowned Miss Heilala 2013. She represented Tonga in the Miss South Pacific competition 2013 in Honiara, Solomon Islands and became the first runner-up.
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This year’s competitors are:
- Gladys Elizabeth Guttenbeil – “Miss Makamaile ‘oe Hala Toaongo”
- Lavinia Telisa Finau – “Miss Siofia Hair Design”
- Pepetua ‘o lea ‘ae Tohi – “Miss Morena Hair Salon”
- Stephanie Johnson – “Miss C.A.W. Construction”
- Diana ‘Ahio – “Miss Vai-Ko-Latai”
- Yvette Kolo – she’s from Sydney Australia – “Miss Sydney Australia”
- Mele Hahano ki Tonga Napa’a Ongolea
- ʻĀnau Payne – “Miss Fasi-Mo e-Afi”
This year’s competition will be held over two Saturday nights at the Allan Brewster Recreation Centre in Old Papatoetoe. The programme will be as follows:
Saturday, May 30, 2015.
- Contestants Introduction and Tongan Puletaha
- Contestants Sarong Swim Wear
- Contestants Solo Tau’olunga
Saturday, June 6, 2015.
- Contestants Talent Quest
- Contestants South Pacific evening gown
- Contestants Stage Questions and Answer.
Miss Appraxus New Zealand 2015 will be crowned on the final night.
The main points
- Seven Tongan beauty contestants will compete to represent New Zealand in the 2015 Miss Heilala Festival in July.
- They will be taking part in the Miss Appraxus New Zealand competition in May and June and the winner will go on to the Miss Heilala Festival.
- This year’s competition will be held on May 30 and June 6 at the Allan Brewster Recreation Centre in Old Papatoetoe.
- Miss Appraxus New Zealand 2015 will be crowned on the final night.
For more information
