Far from family, trying to get home
IT is looking likely a stranded British tourist will miss his father’s funeral due international travel disruption.
Simon BakerMoore arrived in New Zealand with husband Robbie on March 3 for a threeweek holiday. The couple were originally due to return home to Wales tomorrow but their Emirates flight through Dubai is no longer operating.
“There are flights that you can buy but they transit either Australia or Singapore, so they could sell those tickets to us but they wouldn’t allow us to land,’’ Simon said.
“The only way is if the UK government sends a flight over to repatriate everyone that’s over here.”
The couple say they have struggled to receive any help from anyone.
“We’re just getting no information from anywhere, the UK embassy in Auckland, they won’t answer their phones. We’ve heard from people that are up there that they won’t even let them in the building.”
It is looking likely the couple will have to stay with Robbie BakerMoore’s uncle in Wellington for the lockdown period. Also stuck at the Top 10 Holiday Park in Arthur’s
Point were two Australian couples.
Dean Sale said his group had received an email a few days ago from Jetstar to say their Queenstown flight to the Gold Coast was cancelled.
“We were bitterly disappointed with that service. We thought they could at least try and contact us personally and also thought they should try and organise something else for our transport home,” Mr Sale said.
The group have managed to book a flight to Sydney today with Virgin Australia, he said.
“We’re hoping that flight goes ahead because we need to get home back to our family.”