Family, friends wait and hope

By PAULA OLIVER

It has been four days and still they wait.

In Jakarta the family of missing New Zealander Jamie Wellington still cling to hopes that he escaped the Bali bombing with his life. But the hope is dimming as each day passes.

Nearby, at the Jakarta rugby club that Mr Wellington was in Bali to represent, his teammates gather every night for a drink, hoping to hear about their friend. But there is nothing to report.

Mr Wellington, in his early 30s, was last seen leaving the Sari Club when the bombs exploded.

It is thought the father of two was near the centre of the blasts. Five of his rugby team are still missing.

Mr Wellington, a former Aucklander who attended Rangitoto College and Massey University, has lived in Jakarta for seven years teaching maths to expat students.

At the Jakarta International School, where he was a popular and energetic rugby coach and teacher, staff are also enduring the long wait for news.

"There is a glimmer of hope but increasingly that's dimming," headmaster Dr Niall C. W. Nelson told the Herald last night.

"If it turns out he's not returning there will be a huge hole.

"We've tried every possible mechanism to find him, but it's all to no avail."

Mr Wellington met his American wife, Lissie, in Jakarta. They married in the Caribbean and have two daughters, Josephine, 2, and Annabelle, 10 months.

Dr Nelson said the girls were the lights of Mr Wellington's life.

"He is devoted to his wife and two young daughters.

"He has bags of energy. He's always involved in things, volunteering."

Dr Nelson said Lissie had spent time with a pastor since the bombings and was in the constant company of Mr Wellington's mother, who had flown to Jakarta from New Zealand.

"She's focusing on being strong and committed to a routine for the two little girls."

Mr Wellington's brother and father remain in New Zealand waiting for news.

Bali messages and latest information on New Zealanders
New Zealand travellers in Bali, and their families around the world, can exchange news via our Bali Messages page. The page also contains lists of New Zealanders in Bali and their condition.

Foreign Affairs advice to New Zealanders

* Travellers should defer travel to Bali

* NZers in Bali should keep a low profile and remain calm

* Foreign Affairs Hotline: 0800 432 111

Feature: Bali bomb blast

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