HOT NIGHT IN SYDNEY! Paul & Carole Graham chose Revesby Workers Club, as the venue where Australia's best female figure competitors would take on the best from New Zealand for the prestigious Australasia figure titles! So with the hottest figure competitors from Australia and New Zealand in attendance, and over 2,000 people in the audience, it was no wonder that the auditorium was packed to the rafters. With no more room to spare anywhere, it was time for Paul Graham to officially declare the show open. The first category was the Women's Masters Figure. There was no doubt in anyone's minds that the winner would be Felacita Hunt, the personal trainer from Auckland, New Zealand, and the current New Zealand National Masters champion, who once again finished first and took home the Australasia masters title. The Women's Open Figure category was the most highly contested division on the day. There was Pauline Newman from Queensland, Robyn Wilkinson and Katie Stenhouse from New Zealand, Nikki O'Callaghan and Deborah Salakowski from Victoria, Rosa-Maria Romero from NSW, and Kelli Johnson from Queensland, who were just some of the figure competitors who were in the running for a top three trophy. But after a lot of deliberation by the judges it came down to three, Katie Stenhouse, Rosa-Maria Romero and Pauline Newman. It was Katie Stenhouse, the New Zealand Figure National champion from Auckland, who finished 3rd, and only 5 points behind the runner up Rosa-Maria Romero, the flight attendant and mother of two from NSW. The unanimous winner, taking first in every round and finishing 9 points clear of the runner up, was Pauline Newman, an administration manager from Queensland, who was also a crowd favourite (especially with the men in the audience!!!). With the Australasia women's figure categories concluded I am now 100% sure that in every state in Australia and all over New Zealand, the NPFC and IFBB women figure competitors are exceptional and could hold their own on any stage anywhere in the world. That is a credit to Paul & Carole Graham and the NZFBB. So, to all you lovely ladies out there, train hard and I look forward to writing about you and taking your photos at the next NPFC/IFBB figure contest!   WOMEN'S MASTERS FIGURE: 1ST FELACITA HUNT NZL   WOMEN'S OPEN FIGURE: 1ST PAULINE NEWMAN QLD 2nd Rosa-Maria Romero NSW 3rd Katie Stenhouse NZL   ALSO COMPETED: Robyn Wilkinson NZL Nikki O'Callaghan VIC Deborah Salakowski VIC Kelli Johnson QLD

FELACITA HUNT PAULINE NEWMAN