A photo of Sam Hereora sleeping rough in central Dunedin has spurred a life-changing family reunion 30 years in the making.<\/p>\n
The photo appeared with an\u00a0Otago Daily Times\u00a0story about Dunedin\u2019s homeless. The story and photo eventually reached his niece, Rebecca Hereora, in the Bay of Plenty, where Mr Hereora is originally from.<\/p>\n
Ms Hereora said after seeing the photo of her uncle, who the family had not heard from for about 30 years, she hopped on the first flight she could and came to bring him home.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018He’s got so many people looking forward to seeing him … all his buddies are still alive.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
A relative in the Bay of Islands has family in Dunedin, who sent the photo and article to Ms Hereora.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018I saw the picture, and I was like \u2018Yes, that’s my uncle\u2019. I can see every one of my aunties and uncles in him.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Ms Hereora then got in touch with Janine Walker, of the Dunedin Bedding Bank, who organised the surprise reunion.<\/p>\n
Mr Hereora recognised his niece immediately, despite a gap of more than 30 years.<\/p>\n
Ms Hereora said when she was a young girl Mr Hereora moved south to work on the orchards in Central Otago.<\/p>\n
He used to send her father postcards of all his southern travels, and Ms Hereora\u2019s dad would pin them on a map of New Zealand showing where Mr Hereora had been.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Where we are from, it’s little country \u2014 no shops \u2014 so it was quite fascinating for my dad to have his brother all the way down here.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Not long after that … the early \u201990s would have been our last contact,\u2019\u2019 Ms Hereora said.<\/p>\n
Mr Hereora said he was very excited to be reunited with his family after 30 years.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018It\u2019s about time … I can’t let her come all the way here and go home without me.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
He said he had not been on a plane for years, and had been sleeping rough around Dunedin for 10 years.<\/p>\n
Despite that, he would miss the South, and had delayed his flight home until tomorrow so he could say goodbye to his friends in the city.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018I\u2019m going to miss this place \u2014 I\u2019ve been well looked after and the people that have helped me have been good to me.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Mr Hereora is one of 18 children who grew up in Waikare, a small locality in the Bay of Islands. Of the 18 siblings, five are still alive.<\/p>\n
He said he had applied for housing in Kawakawa, which is about 30km from where he grew up, and was hoping he would be approved fast, but was taking the process day by day.<\/p>\n