PRETORIA GIRL CROWNED MISS NEW ZEALAND

Pretoria-born Avianca Bohm (22) was recently crowned Miss Universe New Zealand. She lives in the Auckland suburb of Howick. She was first runner-up in Miss Howick East Auckland in 2009 and was crowned Miss Howick last year. If she can get her Kiwi citizenship sorted out in time, she will represent New Zealand at the Miss Universe pageant in December. The New Zealand pageant organisers were left with a dilemna when they realised their winner was not a Kiwi citizen. Avianca and her family moved to New Zealand in 2006 when she was 16. She graduated with a diploma in fashion design at the New Zealand Institute of Fashion and plans to start her own fashion label. Avianca attended Harrismith Primary School before moving to Laerskool Nellie Swart in Pretoria. She went to CR Swart High School and Hoƫrskool Oos-Moot, in Pretoria. Her father is a quantity surveyor.