WHILE Fiji’s Hong Kong 7s campaign compelled fans to book airline tickets to fly over and watch them here, it was also a family reunion for mother and daughter duo Reyape Taubale and Mia Taubale.
Four-year-old Mia travelled from Nadi to Hong Kong with her uncle Kilimo Vueti to not just watch the Fiji 7s sides but to meet her mother after a lapse of two years.
Taubale, who works in the United Kingdom, had made the journey over to see her daughter while also having the opportunity to watch Fiji battle for glory at its hunting ground.
Vueti explained how they both left Labasa by plane, flown over to Nadi via Fiji Link and then made their way in to fly to Hong Kong.
The uncle and niece duo were nervous about getting themselves through the journey: it was his second plane ride (the first being their flight from Labasa) and first overseas trip to Hong Kong.
However, when the trio met at the arrivals hall of the Hong Kong International Airport, it was a teary reunion for the cousins and a joyous one for Mia, who held onto her mother after two years of being apart.
Reyape had her phone out and was filming the arrival of her cousin and daughter.
For Vueti, it is now the farthest he’s been away from home and from his village of Nukusa, in Udu, Macuata, Vanua Levu.
Vueti and his niece were among the many Fijians who were part of a full Fiji Airways flight FJ393 that flew from Nadi to Hong Kong at 11.30pm on Thursday night.
