660 days ago

How good was Polyfest 2023?

Sapeer Mayron Reporter from Auckland Stuff

After four years of disruption, high schoolers all over Auckland finally got the Polyfest they had been waiting for.

It was estimated about 60,000 people attended Polyfest last week, where 8000 students from 181 cultural groups representing 55 schools performed traditional speech, song and dance.

It’s the first time in several years that the festival has gone ahead without a hitch, following cancellations due to the Christchurch terror attacks in 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

For most, it’s not about the win, but the chance to celebrate their culture and embrace their Pasifika heritage.

Manurewa High School’s Sarai Makara-Moreland, 16, was completely out of breath as she stepped off the Cook Islands stage following their high-energy performance.

She said it was a “real privilege” and “a blessing” to get on stage tell the audience: “Hey look, this is my culture. This is where I’m from.”

“The most important thing was we made it up there, and we performed as a team. We are going out, win or lose, as a team.”

Read more of our coverage at Stuff.co.nz, and tell us below - did you watch or compete at Polyfest? How did it go?

More messages from your neighbours
14 days ago

Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.

If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?

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Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
  • 62.9% Summer
    62.9% Complete
  • 35.7% Winter
    35.7% Complete
  • 1.4% Other - I'll share below
    1.4% Complete
2240 votes
4 hours ago

New year resolution

Derek from Papatoetoe

Happy 2025 neighbours
In 2025 let’s look at everyone as a human bean
It doesn’t matter where they came from they still a human bean
When a crime is done it doesn’t matter where they came from they still a human bean
We need to stop putting races down we all a human bean
If for some reason you don’t like your neighbours because off there race look as them as a human bean
This year say hello to your neighbours ask how they are and you will see they a human bean
2025 the year to treat everyone as a human bean

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4 days ago

What word sums up 2024, neighbours?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....

In one word, how would you define 2024?

We're excited to see what you come up with!

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