Dying wish sees sisters reunite
A retired nurse from the West Coast has thanked her supporters after she was given special permission to travel to Australia to care for her dying sister.
Christine Archer was granted the travel exemption after four previous applications to the Department of Home Affairs were rejected.
Archer’s younger sister, Gail Baker, was told in March — after a fall in her Bowraville, New South Wales, home — that she had advanced ovarian cancer and weeks or months to live.
But the sisters, who haven’t seen each other for six years, found themselves stranded on opposite sides of the Tasman after borders in both countries were closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Archer told the Herald on Sunday:
“I would like to thank everyone in New Zealand for their support in what has been a very stressful time.”
She also thanked Australian officials “for showing some compassion” and the members of the public who texted or rang those officials in support of her application.
Baker told the ABC seeing her sister again was “everything”.
“She’s obviously going to have to quarantine in Sydney, most likely for two weeks, but at least she’ll be in the country and she’s closer to getting here. It’s something to stay alive for and stay well.
"I’m hanging on for the day that we can get together and have a good old chinwag.”
The department was able to grant an exemption to those with “a compelling and compassionate reason” to travel to Australia urgently.
Archer said she hoped her success would “open the door” for others in the same position.