Students shine in speech showdown

Mareikura Nathan, 15, from St Joseph's Maori Girls' College, pictured during her speech yesterday. She placed second in the Junior Maori Prepared Speech and was named Best Female Speaker in that category, while Peri Belmont, 14, from Lindisfarne College, came third in the Junior English section. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay students came away from this year's Nga Manu Korero with a second and a third placing, but it was the experience that they will never forget.

In all, 60 secondary school students from throughout New Zealand took the stage across two days for the speech competition which promotes excellence in the delivery and use of English and Te Reo.

Parekura Pewhairangi from Te Aute College and Sarah Morton from Hastings Girls' High School kicked off the senior speakers on Wednesday, while juniors Peri Belmont from Lindisfarne College and Mareikura Nathan from St Joseph's Maori Girls' appeared yesterday.

Both of the local junior competitors placed, with Mareikura second in the Junior Maori Prepared Speech and Best Female Speaker in the same category, while Peri came third in the Junior English section.

"It was a real achievement, the other categories were won by students from the South Island. There were also some from the Rotorua area and some from Auckland," said Robin Fabish, chairman of the organising committee.

The event brought speakers and their families to Hawke's Bay from 15 regions.

A panel of judges marked the English section while another put the focus on Maori, with a prizegiving revealing the country's best yesterday afternoon.

A lot of planning went into the event at the Pettigrew-Green Arena in Taradale, but it had all been worth it to bring such an incredible group of students together, Mr Fabish said.

"People talk about the New Zealand economy being a rock star economy, there's some debate about that, but we have rock star rangatahi, and there's no debating that."