It was a family affair for the del Carpio Zevallos sisters who, along with 26 others, became New Zealand citizens, in Dunedin this week.
They moved with their family from Peru to Auckland five years ago and have all moved south to study at the University of Otago. Martha (24), said she and her sisters Anapaula (20) and Fernanda (18), "really like it" in Dunedin, despite it being "really cold". All of their father's family members live in New Zealand.
It was a proud moment to swear allegiance to the Queen and officially become New Zealand citizens. "We are happy, after all this time we can finally be Kiwis," she said.
Mayor Dave Cull welcomed the new citizens to New Zealand and Dunedin, encouraged them to take part in activities on offer, and to be "caring and responsible citizens".
Others receiving citizenship were: Sandra Jane Adams (South Africa), Preet Pal Kaur Baidmaan (India), Caroline Marie Bouffard (United States), Eric Paul Repphun (United States), Bhavneet Kaur Chahal (Malaysia), Dennis Shen Han Chan (Malaysia), Ester Seow Yieng Yap (Malaysia), Shameel Chandra (Fiji), Nancy Earth (United States), Mary Falconer (Britain), James Anthony Flannery (Britain), Lai Man Fung (China), Nattakarn Kaan (Thailand), Kirubhen Kandasamy (Malaysia), Nan-Kyung Kim (Korea), Ryan U-Vern Kong (Malaysia), James William Lindsay (Britain), Nicole Joy Minnaar (South Africa), Juanita Bharti Nair (Fiji), Kensak Tenney Palepoi (Samoa), Anthony James Rayner (Britain), Hyundoo Shin (Korea), Seungwoo Shin (Korea), Surabhi Shukla (Fiji), Leslie Turner (Britain), and Augusto Cesar Vale e Sousa (Brazil).
