ZM celebrate the border reopening with their Border Break competition. Video / ZM
Like something out of Love Actually, the emotional moment that a Kiwi woman flew home from London to surprise her parents has been captured in a heartwarming video.
After three long years stuck overseas, in the Netherlands then London, Olivia Adams entered and won a "Border Break" competition with radio station ZM in the hopes of getting home to New Zealand to see her family.
And last Friday, ZM hosts Fletch, Vaughan and Hayley brought the Aucklander home.
"I was over the moon," Adams, 28, tells the Herald. "I was shaking. Disbelief is probably the best word to describe it. And I think I was in disbelief until I saw Mum and Dad, actually."
Touching down in Auckland, after a 32 hour flight from London via Doha and Adelaide, Adams messaged one of her two sisters, who was in on the surprise: "Honey, I'm home".
And as she felt that undeniable sense of belonging that Kiwis often do as they pass through Auckland Airport's entry carvings and see signs that read "kia ora", Adams says she felt thrilled to be back.
Meanwhile, Mum Sandra Adams, at home in East Auckland's Whitford assumed her daughter was still in London, where she'd spoken to her over FaceTime just a couple of days prior.
"I'd FaceTimed Mum on the Wednesday (last week) before I flew out so her last memory of me was in my room in London. She had no idea that I'd be seeing her in two days."
Collected by Fletch, Vaughan and Hayley, Adams headed to see her parents, who thought they were about to be delivered morning tea to their construction business offices, courtesy of the radio station.
Instead, hiding behind a giant green box, Adams walked into a meeting room where her unsuspecting Mum, Dad and staff were likely looking forward to a round of free sausage rolls.
Captured on video, Adams takes the box away and her parents, stunned to see their daughter standing before them, leap up to hug her, tears streaming down their faces as the family find themselves suddenly reunited.
Emotional scenes as Olivia Adams surprised her mum, Sandra, and dad, Arthur when she arrived home from London after winning ZM's Border Break competition. Photo / ZM
"I can't even really put it into words," says Adams, recalling the moment. "I didn't know what to expect. I was quite nervous about it being quite public with the cameras and I know Mum and Dad don't really like that kind of attention. So it was more nerves than anything. But then seeing them, the cameras faded away and it was just us. It was incredible, really."
Speaking to the Herald today after the video aired on ZM this moring, Adams says it took a while for it all to sink in.
"Dad actually called me later in the day when I was out with Mum and he said, 'I just had a split second think about it all and got all jerked up again and just wanted to call and let you know how special it is to have you back'.
"They just keep saying, 'it's just the most incredible thing'. They say it in the opening of the video, 'it's one in a million, just so unexpected'. They keep saying, 'it's so special to have you back'."
Adams, who works in finance at Kraft Heinz, was in the Netherlands for almost three years before making the move to London nine months ago.
"The Netherlands' lockdown was pretty harsh. We had 8pm, 9pm curfews. You'd get fined if you were outside - so really strict lockdown regulations."
When the UK announced its plans to come out of lockdown, it was part of the reason Adams decided to head to London.
But it hasn't been the OE many Kiwis have experienced in years gone by: "It's been really hard. We've definitely seen the effects of the mental health side of it. We've been working from home for over two years now," says Adams, adding she's managed to avoid catching Covid in that time.
Still, she says she's had "a pretty hard year. I'd started a new role and have been working really long hours. And so when I talk about the mental health thing, I was definitely affected by that, probably more this year, actually."
So when Adams saw the competition on ZM, she jumped at the chance to get home.
"I thought, this would be incredible. So stars kind of aligned for me. I don't think I would've come until Christmas this year had I not entered."
Adams was at home with her family when her story aired on ZM.
"We were sitting together listening to it on the radio then watching the video, we all got jerked up with tears again."
Adams was also in time to celebrate her little sister's birthday on Monday and will spend a month at home before heading back to London.
"I'm just spending time with the family. I'll catch up with some friends from Wellington. It's that feeling that, this is home, this is where my heart is. It's incredible," she says before adding, "I'm so grateful for the competition and ZM, they've been so lovely."
