Waikato’s winners

By Dean Taylor

Waikato’s two entrants in Saturday’s Miss Earth New Zealand pageant were both winners on the night.

Miss Rosetown, 19-year-old Danielle Wilson (below right), was named Miss Earth Friendship, and Hamilton’s Fairfield College seventh former Annelise Burton (18 - left) was crowned Miss Earth New Zealand.

Annelise will spend a month in Chile representing New Zealand leading up to the Miss Earth final in Santiago on November 15.

The New Zealand final was held at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre and culminated a week of rehearsals, social functions, meeting with the judges and publicity events for the 14 finalists.

A star athlete in her school’s top netball side, plus last year’s sixth form dux, Annelise is looking forward to the challenge and rewards of representing her country on the world stage.

Danielle says the opportunity to attend Miss Earth New Zealand was tremendous. She says the girls were great and she has made 13 new best friends.

Since winning the title of Miss Rosetown in 2005 as a Te Awamutu College seventh former, Danielle has been studying tourism and travel at Hamilton’s Sir George Seymour College. Her goal is to travel, and eventually she would like to work either in an international hotel or as an international air hostess.