Beauty and the East tale has happy ending

Competition for a hairdressing apprenticeship in Wanganui was so tough that Katrina Archer had to go to Taihape to learn the trade.
Hair is hair, whether it be Taihape or Thailand, and it all needs trimming and styling from time to time.
And there was no shortage of it in Taihape, even with three salons in town.
That was several years ago.
Today Katrina, 23, is running her own salon called Essence Hair Design in the Wanganui East shopping centre.
She employs a make-up artist to make sure school ball and other partygoers look right on the night, while pedicures and manicures are provided by experienced beautician Georgina Campbell.
With the school ball season looming large, Katrina is on the lookout for custom, tempting customers with cut-price deals.
Competition among hairdressers in Wanganui is intense - "maybe there's too many", says Katrina - but she is not about to cut and run. Beauty and the East works for her.