Deirdre Victoria Felicity Corbett 

Model/Student

Tongan/Kiwi 

 filed by Aaron Taouma

Sixteen-year-old Tongan-Kiwi (actually dad's an Aussie) Deirdre Corbett never thought she would be part of a beauty pageant let alone be representing Tonga at an international event in Mongolia.

But that’s exactly where she is heading for two weeks at the end of September to take on a field of 60 participants from around the world at the Miss Face of Beauty International 2016. And, she will be going alone.

“This will be my second time going overseas. I was about 2 when I went to Australia but I don’t remember anything. I'll also be going alone as in my family won't be coming to Mongolia with me which will be scary but exciting at the same time"

Deirdre was always into sports, playing volleyball, netball and soccer but when her mum pointed out the opportunity to enter the Miss Teen NZ beauty pageant earlier in the year, she went for it.

“Yeah, I used to play sports everyday.…more

COCONET EXCLUSIVE 

Full 'Adorn' documentary coming to the Coconet soon 

Within Samoa's volcanic soil and lush rainforest lies a natural treasure that is a kick start to good health

The turmeric root or ago which grows abundantly in Samoa has been used as a natural Smaoan remedy for centuries with its healing benifits being handed down through the generations.

Steven Adams tipped off the 1st of his 3 'Steven Adams Basketball Camps' this morning at the North Shore Events Centre in Auckland.

This is the 3rd year he's run the camps in NZ and he's extremely passionate about giving back to the sport and country that has given him so much.

Boys and girls of all skill levels aged between 7 - 17 have the opportunity at each of the camps to learn individual and team fundamentals from Adams and his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates and coaches, in an atmosphere where the young basketball players will have the opportunity to improve and have fun at the same time.

Each of the participants were also given a basketball and 'Steven Adams Basketball Camp' t.shirt as they walked through the doors.

We caught up with him at the Press Conference prior to the camp - here's what he had to say on a few subjects ....

On playing in the NBA Western Conference Playoffs

"Playoffs are just on a whole new level.…more

KRIT & THE IRON SQUAD 

Our roving correspondent Krit catches up with some well known faces from NRLs Cronulla Sharks & gets the low down on their 'Iron Squad' group.

Suggested Links:

 NRL Must do more for Pacific Nations 

Redemption through Rugby League  

Ben Makisi aka The Polynesian Pavarotti - our very own international Opera Singer singing his way around Europe! 

Benjamin Fifita Makisi was born in Wellington, NZ and is of Tongan and Samoan descent.

He began singing at a young age with the Tongan Wesley Methodist church choir in Wellington.

He graduated with a Master of Performance (Opera) with High Distinction from the University of Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a Bachelor of Music (Performance) from Victoria University Wellington. He had also received his tutoring in New York, London and in Italy.

By Courtney Sina Meredith 

Courtney Sina Meredith (1986–) is a poet, playwright, fiction writer and musician. Her play Rushing Dolls (2010) won a number of awards and was published by Playmarket in 2012. She launched her first book of poetry, Brown Girls in Bright Red Lipstick (Beatnik), at the 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair.  Meredith describes her writing as an ‘ongoing discussion of contemporary urban life with an underlying Pacific politique’. Her poetry and prose have been translated into Italian, German, Dutch, French and Bahasa Indonesia.  She is of Samoan, Mangaian (Cook Island) and Irish descent.

She leaves tomorrow to be New Zealand’s representative for the Fall Residency at the International Writing Program, Iowa University from August to November 2016.  After Iowa, she will travel to the Island Institute in Sitka Alaska as a Teaching Artist in Residence.

Check out the rest of her amazing bio here

'Tail of the Taniwha' (Beatnik 2016) is Meredith’s first book of short stories.  We've included an excerpt of one of her short stories in 'Tail of the Taniwha' below ....…more

Carlos Ulberg grew up bouncing from foster home to foster home. Now he is about to travel to China for his first professional MMA fight. He tells us how his rough beginnings shaped him into the person he is today, as well as what it was like to train with Mark hunt in Las Vegas and what he hopes to achieve in the fight game.

SUGGESTED LINKS:

Carlos cooks up a meal for Pani & Pani on Mr Lavalava

Check out 11 year old Muay Thai fighter Rhyme 'THE RAGE' Loto