CHOCKS AWAY: TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE REUNITES FAMILIES
After months of separation, there were hugs, kisses, tears and laughter as families were reunited across the country. At Wellington International Airport yesterday, people said they were excited and nervous to see their loved ones as the trans-Tasman bubb
It was a day of hugs, smiles, kisses and tears as months of separation came to an end for thousands of New Zealanders who were reunited with family as the trans-Tasman bubble opened.
The wheels of Wellington’s first passenger flight touched down from Sydney about 1.30pm yesterday. Fiftynine flights from Australia landed in New Zealand yesterday, with about 400 flights scheduled to land by the end of the week.
As the first flight arrived in Wellington, Ngati Poneke performed a haka powhiri at Wellington airport. A two-way video screen meant those waiting in the terminal could see passengers in the arrivals lounge. People waved, took selfies and babies were held up to the camera.
Every passenger aboard those flights had their own story, but the constant thread was relief and joy.
No-one from Suada Hoxha’s family had met her daughter until yesterday when her sister landed in the capital from Sydney.
It was the first time Isidora had held a baby and Suada said she could now use her sister as a babysitter.
About 4pm Jacki Berry could be seen holding a balloon that said ‘‘Welcome Home’’.
Berry said she was waiting for her son and his partner, and her 1-year-old grandson – who she had yet to meet.
When they arrived, Berry held them in a tight embrace.
Another person waiting at the terminal, Charlotte Christiansen, rushed towards her mum when she saw her walk through, enveloping her in a hug.
Christiansen said she had not seen her mum in 18 months and was ‘‘so excited’’ to have her arrive for her graduation today.
‘‘No-one thought it was going to happen.’’
Two families were the last left standing, bonding over the wait and sharing the rush of looking over whenever movement was spotted near the exit.
Liz Pepe and her family had been at the airport since 1pm.
The family had said goodbye to her niece, who was flying to Brisbane, and would be welcoming her grandson’s father, Alofa Leota.
Pepe said her family was feeling really excited to be reunited with Leota, and she was excited for her grandson Slade, who had not seen him since August 2019.
As Leota walked through the exit, he was met with a hug and kiss from Slade.
Beside them Andy and Paula Mackay grinned as they watched on – in many ways, they had been waiting for him, too.
Before saying goodbye, Pepe told the couple that she felt as though she should stay and keep waiting with them, but within a minute, their daughter came through the terminal.
Paula Mackay said she had been excited and anxious all day. The couple had last seen their daughter in January 2020.
Now, she would be spending six weeks with them.
‘‘She has a new niece that she hasn’t met,’’ Mackay said.
As for Mackay’s husband, Andy, he would be flying out of the country in two weeks to Western Australia to see their family over there. That included five grandsons.
Airlines and airports on both sides of the ditch celebrated the occasion with gusto, with Air New Zealand serving up 24,000 bottles of bubbly, and Wellington International Airport painting ‘‘welcome wha¯nau’’ in enormous letters at the end of the runway.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern thanked border workers as she celebrated the opening of the bubble at Wellington airport. She had a box of tissues at hand as she watched scenes of families reuniting.
Australian High Commissioner Patricia Forsythe said it called to mind the ‘‘where the bloody hell are ya’’ ad campaign.
‘‘We are here,’’ she said.