The photo appeared with an Otago Daily Times story about Dunedin’s homeless. The story and photo eventually reached his niece, Rebecca Hereora, in the Bay of Plenty, where Mr Hereora is originally from.
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.
‘‘He's got so many people looking forward to seeing him ... all his buddies are still alive.’’
A relative in the Bay of Islands has family in Dunedin, who sent the photo and article to Ms Hereora.
‘‘I saw the picture, and I was like ‘Yes, that's my uncle’. I can see every one of my aunties and uncles in him.’’
Ms Hereora then got in touch with Janine Walker, of the Dunedin Bedding Bank, who organised the surprise reunion.
Mr Hereora recognised his niece immediately, despite a gap of more than 30 years.
He used to send her father postcards of all his southern travels, and Ms Hereora’s dad would pin them on a map of New Zealand showing where Mr Hereora had been.
‘‘Where we are from, it's little country — no shops — so it was quite fascinating for my dad to have his brother all the way down here.
‘‘Not long after that ... the early ’90s would have been our last contact,’’ Ms Hereora said.
Mr Hereora said he was very excited to be reunited with his family after 30 years.
‘‘It’s about time ... I can't let her come all the way here and go home without me.’’
He said he had not been on a plane for years, and had been sleeping rough around Dunedin for 10 years.
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.
‘‘I’m going to miss this place — I’ve been well looked after and the people that have helped me have been good to me.’’
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.
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.
