Former TV presenter and director Lenora Salusalu Qereqeretabua wrote a new chapter in the history of the Hibiscus Festival after she was crowned the 1988 queen.
On August 29, 1988, The Fiji Times reported that Lenora had won, twenty-six years after her mum Eta Uluvula was crowned Hibiscus queen.
Lenora, from Dravuni in Kadavu, a popular choice for the crown, had an advantage over the other contestants because she had her mother to advise her.
“Mum’s advice counted a lot,” Miss Qereqeretabua said at her Laucala Beach Estate flat yesterday.
“I was very lucky to have mum with me because she gave me useful tips that helped me during the week-long carnival.”
Lenora was advised to be as natural as she could and this she did to perfection. It was an important factor in her selection as the queen.
“I don’t use make-up, and the carnival was no excuse for me to start using it.”
The former student of Shri Vivekananda High School, with strong support from her mother, felt confident of winning the crown.
“In a way I knew that I was going to win the crown, but i did not want to want to over rate myself,”
Exposure to a wide range of fields helped her maintain balance and dignity in the face of gruelling competition.
Lenora attended the Sincair’s College and Philip’s College in Canberra for three years after leaving Shri Vivekananda High School.
She returned in 1987 and joined the Fiji Television company and trained as a TV director / presenter.
When Fiji TV closed at the end of last year, she teamed up with Suva’s FM96 radio station as a part-time announcer.
While with the FM96, she was offered a position with the Bank of New Zealand.
Lenora was selected as the BNZ contestant from a field of 11 girls and she had given her sponsors good value for money.
She thanked the bank staff and her workmates who helped her financially and gave her plenty of encouragement during the busy, taxing week.
Her family supported her throughout the carnival and encouraged her when she felt a bit down.
“I am grateful to mum, dad and my brother Sakiusa for their support because without a loving family like them I wouldn’t have achieved this.
“I would also like to thank all those who helped me and cheered me on during the quest for the crown and of course I can’t thank Mr Lionel Wendt enough for sewing all my dresses.”
The program of activities for the contestants was a tough one and by Saturday they were exhausted, but the lure of the crown kept them moving.
“I was excited before the crowning and when the two runners-up were announced, I was confident that I had won the crown.”
The tiredness, and anxiety were forgotten when she was announced the winner.
“I was lost for words when I heard my name.”
Her dad, well known hotelier Radike Qereqeretabua, her mother and brother Sakiusa were among the first to congratulate her.
Lenora would later take part in the Asia/ Pacific quest in Hong Kong the following month and fly Air Pacific to Japan as her prize.
In Japan and Hong Kong, she would be promoting Fiji as the “Paradise of the Pacific”
After winning the 1988 Hibiscus Carnival crown against 19 contestants, she looked forward to her holiday before getting back behind her work desk. || Lenora – Hibiscus || queen contestant
