There was a ruckus in Parliament this week and Hawke's Bay beauty Kirsty Pritchard was in the thick of it.
Parliamentary proceedings came to a halt when male Members of Parliament turned
their attention to Miss Pritchard and 12 other young women in the public gallery.
Speaker of the House Lockwood Smith had to call Parliament to order.
The women have been turning heads in Wellington this week in preparation for the Miss Universe New Zealand competition.
The ex-Taradale High school student, 24, who is studying in Wellington, has been under a rigorous training schedule which will culminate in the pageant at the Duxton Hotel
today. The winner will take the crown of Miss New Zealand and compete on the world stage in Las Vegas in August.
Miss Pritchard, who is representing Miss Museum Hotel, Wellington, said this year
competition was stiff.
``The quality is just so high. It's basically going to come down to interviews.''
It's not easy being a beauty queen. It takes Miss Pritchard about 90 minutes to get ready before a competition to create a classic 1940s aesthetic.
``Everything has to be immaculate - the bag, the shoes, the dress, the hair.
``We don't do pageants to be pretty - we come here to better ourselves,'' she said. ``It's a business opportunity.
``It's a dog-eat-dog world and pageants give you confidence to succeed.''
Our beauty sets sights on the universe
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