Carterton youth expo proves winner

MOKO: Haami Telford, 4, and Kahurewa Kaiwai, 3, look impressive after visiting Kahungunu ki Wairarapa's ta moko face painting stall.

The inaugural Wai Fest Youth Expo was a hit with its intended audience, said organiser Deborah Davidson.

The interactive careers exhibition, hosted by the Southern Wairarapa Safer Community Council at Carrington Park on Saturday, featured skateboarding and graffiti art workshops, sports tournaments and a range of Wairarapa health, employment and education agencies.

Ms Davidson, youth development co-ordinator at the council, said the event was "busy" from start to finish.

"I'd say it was a success - it was pretty much everything I'd visualised."

Wai Fest featured skateboarding, scootering and BMX tutorials from Wellington-based youth workers Drop Deep, and a graffiti art workshop from YMCA Masterton.

Both went down well with the youthful crowd.

Carterton youth group Rangatahi 2 Rangatira organised a ki o rahi tournament and three-on-three basketball competitions, with cash prizes for the winning teams.

The youth group also put down a hangi, with their wares selling out by the end of the day.

Most enjoyable was music from Masterton-based DJ Jermaine Kerehi, aka DJ Main1.

"I think the loud music might have annoyed some of the adults, but that wasn't the point."

Organisations on hand to offer their services and career advice at the event included the Carterton Volunteer Fire Brigade, the Maori Wardens, Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre, the Wairarapa Volunteer Centre and Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, which also ran a ta moko face painting stall.

Ms Davidson said she wanted to plan a careers event which was "informative but entertaining" - and something different from "your typical expo in a town hall".

Since the event, she had received positive feedback from young people - even from some of the "hard to please kids" she works with.

"They loved it.

"I bumped into a woman in town, who said she noticed her children and their friends saying on Facebook it was really worthwhile.

"Which is good, because we put it on just for them," Ms Davidson said.