Cruize stars at Masterton school

ON THE STAGE: New Zealand's Got Talent finalist Cruize Karaitiana entertained students at Solway Primary School in Masterton yesterday. Karaitiana turned up as a secret guest artist and judge for the school talent quest, singing ahead of the launch of the competition.

New Zealand's Got Talent finalist Cruize Karaitiana - who will learn his contest fate with the rest of the nation tomorrow night - was a secret guest artist and judge at a school talent quest in Masterton yesterday.

Karaitiana, 23, who twice won standing ovations on the network television show, was showered with applause and cheers when he made a surprise appearance at the Solway Primary School talent competition yesterday.

He accompanied himself on guitar and treated students, staff and parents to a rendition of Tracey Chapman's Fast Car, which had won him through the audition phase of the popular TV One show, the final of which airs tomorrow night from 7.30pm.

Karaitiana arrived at the venue with his mum, Ngaio, and also sang a cover of one of his favourite songs, Sunday Morning by Maroon 5, before he took his place as a contest judge alongside Solway Primary School principal Gail Marshall and teachers Steve Hornby and Pam Paterson.

Karaitiana said he was relaxed about his chances of winning New Zealand's Got Talent, and "felt like a winner" no matter the outcome of the public text voting that will decide who walks away with the first prize of $100,000 and a Toyota RAV4 vehicle.

Karaitiana said his latest television performances had already brought him career opportunities and he was more than happy with his achievements to date.

"I fly back up [tomorrow] morning and will find out the winner along with the rest of New Zealand on the night. But I'll be okay, whatever happens. Things really are looking awesome for me already, win or lose."

Karaitiana, a mill worker by day at Juken New Zealand Wairarapa, is no stranger to performing on network television after making the grand final of the My Country Song show on Maori Television in June alongside fellow Wairarapa entertainers Tanya Warren, and Mel and Pip Maynard.

He also had captured a finals berth in the Freshly Squeezed Talent Quest in 2010 with fellow Wairarapa singers Jenn Shelton and Ririwai Fox.

Karaitiana, who hopes to study music, also had previously won regional Battle of the Bands plaudits as lead singer with the Makoura College hip-hop fusion band SKUX and as a country and western section winner in the Wairarapa Celebration Awards. New Zealand's Got Talent airs live on TV One at 7.30pm tomorrow.