Lesley Garae

Vanuatu seasonal worker's body returns home for final funeral rites

Forty-four-year-old Garae, a seasonal worker, died hours upon arrival in Auckland on Wednesday, 3 February.

He was part of a group of 150 men that travelled to New Zealand under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme.

Garae’s body was repatriated to Port Vila. 

New Zealand High Commissioner to Vanuatu Jonathan Schwass, Commissioner of Labour, Murielle Meltenoven and relatives of Garae in Port Vila paid their final respects to Garae before his body was flown to Santo yesterday (Wednesday).

Garae reportedly died of a heart attack.