663 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
3 days ago

We're talking new year resolutions...

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Tidying the house before going to bed each night, meditating upon waking or taking the stairs at work.

What’s something quick, or easy, that you started doing that made a major positive change in your life?

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17 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?
  • 63% Summer
    63% Complete
  • 35.7% Winter
    35.7% Complete
  • 1.4% Other - I'll share below
    1.4% Complete
2446 votes
G
6 hours ago

Cardboard boxes

Geina from Arkles Bay

Does anyone have any packing/moving boxes that they no longer need and want them gone in the local Whangaparaoa area.I'm moving and looking for extra packing boxes.