31 Oct 2006

Beauty pageant contestants begin arriving in Apia

7:09 pm on 31 October 2006

Contestants for the Miss South Pacific pageant, which is being hosted in Samoa after New Caledonia pulled out, have begun arriving in Apia.

The general manager of the Samoa tourism authority, Lesaisaea Reupena Matafeo, says preparations for hositng the regional competition are on track.

The theme of this year's pageant is "Our Beautiful Pacific."

There will be contestants from American Samoa, Cook Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna and Samoa.

The current title holder, Dorothy George of the Cook Islands, will be on hand to crown the winner.