Mind over matter for Maori speech winner

Whangarei teenager Kawiti Waetford emerged as the best junior Maori speaker at the national Nga Manu Korero speech competition.

Kawiti, 14, a student at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Rawhiti Roa in Tikipunga, says he wasn't nervous despite speaking in front of about 800 peers in Kaitaia.

"I just can't get nervous when I speak. There must have been another power watching over me."

Other winners included Tokoroa's Tania Matua, who won the junior English section, Whakatane's Mangere Teka (senior Maori section) and Auckland's Ngira Simmonds (senior English section).