"She was just a delightful person - really warm and genuine and just very caring," Ms Stephenson added.
She was very popular, Ms Stephenson said.
"She was just a genuinely beautiful person."
Ms Handa was the youngest in a small University of Auckland class of five diploma students.
"I just think sometimes bad things happen to good people," Ms Stephenson added.
In 2007, Ms Handa was in a Gujarati play at Auckland Centennial Theatre and a community newspaper said she lived in St Johns, Auckland.
After studying, Ms Handa moved from Auckland to Brisbane.
She had been working at Metro North Hospital in Brisbane as a psychologist. Queensland health authorities were aware of her death.
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) said it was aware of "the tragic death of a New Zealander" in the Turkish city.
The New Zealand Embassy in Ankara, Turkey's capital, was providing consular support to her next of kin, Mfat said in a statement.
"Our thoughts are with the family at this sad time."
Ms Handa participated in Latin and Indian dance activities and sometimes acted as well.
She also performed with a bellydance group at a school fete in Queensland.
The Queensland Bellydance Academy was aware of the news today but a staff member said the academy was waiting on instructions from Ms Handa's family before saying anything publicly.
It's believed members of Ms Handa's family were now in Istanbul.
Social media posts suggested Ms Handa had travelled in Southeast Asia earlier this year.
Ms Handa was at the Grand Hotel de Londres on the night she died, according to Turkish media.
She travelled the world to take part in dance parties, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.
"Handa and two friends arrived in Istanbul on September 16 and checked into a hotel in Istanbul's Asmalimescit neighbourhood in Beyoglu to attend a dance party at the same hotel," the newspaper added.
On Saturday, Ms Handa was with about 200 other people on the hotel rooftop.
"The accident occurred as Handa moved away from the centre stage to get some fresh air," Hurriyet Daily News said.
She apparently stepped on a grate placed between the hotel roof and an adjacent apartment to create a makeshift bridge.
But the grate broke when Ms Handa stepped on it, and she reportedly fell about 10m.
Police and firefighters attended but Ms Handa did not survive the fall.
Hurriyet Daily News said police conducted a crime scene investigation.
A staff member at Grand Hotel de Londres said he saw no police at the hotel this morning New Zealand time, but declined to comment further.
The hotel's website said the venue included a rooftop bar or terrace overlooking the Golden Horn. The Terrace had a capacity of 200 people.
Hotel owner Ibrahim Huzmeli told BGN News hotel staff were greatly saddened after the accident.
BGN News said an official investigation was still underway.
Ms Handa's body was initially taken to the local Forensic Medicine Institute but she was expected to be repatriated to New Zealand soon, Turkish media reported.
Tourist Police in Istanbul declined to comment on the investigation, referring questions to New Zealand diplomats in Turkey.
