The girlfriend of a New Zealand man who died while rescuing her from a freak wave in Bali is taking his death "really hard", as she recovers in hospital after suffering a collapsed lung.
Leonie Hafke, 20, and Temson Junior Simeki, 23, were taking a selfie on the edge of a cliff at the Angel's Billabong tourist spot last Monday when she was hit by a wave and swept into the sea.
![Temson Junior Semeki and his partner, Leonie Hafke, were on a months-long trip around Asia.](/web/20170330033647im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/6/w/8/j/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gv6w3l.png/1490527140671.jpg)
Mr Simeki, known as TJ, jumped in to try to save her, but was washed away.
Ms Hafke, a German national, was rescued about four hours later by an Australian snorkeler. Mr Simeki's body was found by fishermen on Friday.
![Leonie Hafke in a Bali hospital with Temson Junior Simeki's brother Cruz at her bedside.](/web/20170330033647im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/6/w/8/n/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gv6w3l.png/1490527140671.jpg)
Ms Hafke remains in a Bali hospital, with both her family and Mr Simeki's by her bedside. She suffered a collapsed lung and it was not yet known when she would be released from hospital.
Speaking from Bali on Sunday, Mr Simeki's father, Temson Simeki senior, said his family hoped to be able to bring his son's body back to New Zealand on Wednesday.
"We're working with the authorities and everything's in place. I'm just cautious that there might be any hold-ups or any problems we might come up against, but everything seems to be okay at the moment," he said.
The family had not set a date for his funeral, as Ms Hafke wanted to be able to attend.
![Temson Junior Simeki's family hopes to bring his body back to New Zealand within days.](/web/20170330033647im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/6/w/8/k/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gv6w3l.png/1490527140671.jpg)
"I'm thinking that when TJ gets home, we're going to try and delay the funeral until Leonie's well enough to travel," Mr Simeki senior said.
Physically, he said, she was "getting better every day".
"The first time I saw her, she was a mess, but ... she's laughing and smiling now.
"She had a collapsed lung, I think they were trying to drain it out, but she's still got a needle in her lung, and she can't wait for them to take it out so she can get better soon and return to New Zealand."
However, Ms Hafke was struggling with the loss of her boyfriend, with whom she'd been travelling around New Zealand and Asia for several months.
"She's taking it really hard," Mr Simeki senior said.
"They were really, really close. They've been together every day for the last two years, raising money for their Asia trip, camping in their car, for a year or so, just working and saving to get to Asia, to travel around the world together."
His voice breaking, Mr Simeki senior said he and his wife, Minnie, were "trying to get by".
"We still have our moments, it still hurts. We're always crying, but we're trying to be strong for TJ and everyone, and we just can't wait to get home."
Stuff.co.nz