Happy (early) Waitangi Day! This Saturday, Kiwis (the people of New Zealand, not the fruit) everywhere will be celebrating the formerly named New Zealand Day, which commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, which recognized the country as part of the British empire and granted its citizens equal rights to British subjects. Crikey!G'day mate! Er, whatever New Zealander exclamation you prefer!
While traditional celebrations of the holiday range from subdued, private observance to social balls and pub crawls, we decided to have a whole 'nother celebration, in the way only we can do. We've counted down the 10 Hottest New Zealand Women for this week's Worldwide Wednesday, so cue up your Flight of the Conchords 8-track and enjoy...
#10. Carly Binding
CLAIM TO FAME: Member of the Kiwi reality show made pop band TrueBliss, which makes her New Zealand's answer to Babs (or something like that). Although the group's name was a bit of a misnomer, as Carly left TB after just a year. Then again, name one reality-tv created band that survived after the cameras stopped rolling.
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#9. Shavaughn Ruakere
CLAIM TO FAME: When asked about the most difficult person she's interviewed as The Official Top 40 host on New Zealand's C4TV, Ruakere replied "Christina Aguilera was not interested and not interesting." A girl that speaks her mind? Sexy.
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#8. Nicky Watson
CLAIM TO FAME: Being the class act that she is, socialite and model Nicky Watson is most notorious for jiggling her Ds at photogs at the end of the catwalk during New Zealand Fashion Week '07.
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#7. Lucy Lawless
CLAIM TO FAME: No, your eyes don't deceive you. This is a (hot) picture of the usually intimidating S&M icon Xena: Warrior Princess...sans a steel bra and chain-link panties.
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#6. Hayley Westenra
CLAIM TO FAME: We never know how to feel when we hear UNICEF's youngest ambassador sing. She either makes us want to jump off a bridge or she mesmerizes us so much that we actually hear angels crying. Or that could be the kiwi moonshine.
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#5. Kylie Bax
CLAIM TO FAME: Despite being reduced to the role as "the hot chick" in almost all of her acting gigs, Bax has actually had an impressive career as a supermodel. Her résumé includes campaigns for high-fashion heavyweights including Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Oscar de la Renta, Sonia Rykiel, Versace, Moschino, and Valentino, among others, and of course, an appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
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#4. Delwyn Cummack
CLAIM TO FAME: We think its only appropriate that this supermodel's name sounds a bit Elven to us (word to Peter Jackson!), seeing as how her features are just as enchanting.
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#3. Hayley Holt
CLAIM TO FAME: She's a pro snowboarder by day and a Dancing With The Stars certified pro dancer by night. In a nutshell, she's got Jamie Anderson's skill with Julianne Hough's talent...and twos.
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#2. Rachel Hunter
CLAIM TO FAME: Stacy's mom (a.k.a Rod Stewart's ex-wife & Sports Illustrated favorite) has got in goin' on...even after years upon years in the modeling industry. Where is she now, you ask? Where everyone else go in the twilight of their career—reality TV.
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#1. Anna Paquin
CLAIM TO FAME: Despite the fact that True Blood's Sookie Stackhouse was born in Canada, the Golden-Globe winning actress' heritage and childhood can be traced back to that country everyone confuses with Australia. In the Almost Famous words of Anna herself, "Forgive me, Father, for I may sin tonight."
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