A Hunter Valley family stranded in New Caledonia were flown out of the besieged island territory on Friday after an ordeal that saw them forced to ration their food, as unrest there turned deadly.
Jason Desmond travelled to New Caledonia for a holiday on May 8 with his wife Ashleigh and their two sons. The family, of Lovedale, near Cessnock, were scheduled to leave the capital Noumea on May 14, but violence broke out in the streets the night before.
NBN reported on Friday evening that the Hunter family were in the air and bound for home after deadly unrest in the territory left them trapped.
"it's hard to put into words how I feel," Mr Desmond said, "It's just such a relief."
Two Australian government-assisted flights were set to take off from the French territory in the Pacific, AAP reported Friday morning, following more than a week of riots that have resulted in at least six deaths.
Two Royal Australian Air Force planes and a French-organised flight have brought 187 Australians home alongside dozens of citizens from other nations.
"We wanted to go somewhere that was a short flight for the kids," Mr Desmond told the Newcastle Herald. "We looked it up online and it said 'safe', 'clean', 'friendly', and it was all of that from the 8th to the 13th.
"But we woke up on the 14th and our transport said it was very unsafe to get to the international airport. Flights were cancelled.
"We thought 'what's going on?' Then an hour or two later we saw it in the media. It was pretty hectic."
The violence was ignited by plans approved in Paris to impose new rules allowing non-Indigenous residents to vote in the French territory, which Indigenous leaders fears will dilute their political influence. Six people have been killed in the unrest and at least 300 Australian travellers registered for repatriation flights including the Desmond family.
The family went back to their hotel, which is where they have remained since.
Supplies low
Food supplies have been low, and Mr and Mrs Desmond have been skipping lunches to ensure their kids have enough to eat.
Mr Desmond said they felt relatively safe in the hotel, but trips to the shops have been "edgy".
"You're anxious because you don't know if someone is going to pull out a gun or a machete," he said.
"Our hotel said they're on limited supply of food, because they're not getting resupplied because of all the road blockages.
"We're lucky we get breakfast, which we're very grateful for, but it's limited each day and it's getting smaller and smaller and they don't supply lunch or dinner.
"The local grocery store near us is completely empty. They've only got smokes and vapes. The bakeries are all closed.
"Yesterday we searched high and low for shops open. The odd shop that is open you're in a massive lineup which we don't complain about, we'd rather just line up and get food for the kids more than us, but its definitely dire."
'Everyone's lost hope'
Two military transport planes have repatriated dozens of Australian citizens, but Mr Desmond says he feels further away from coming home than he did when the flights arrived earlier in the week.
The Australian government says it has planes ready to fly, but has not been given clearance by French authorities for more flights.
"The government said yesterday 'you are now in the hands of French authorities'," Mr Desmond said.
"Everyone here's just lost hope, thinking they'll start sending their own to Brisbane and then back to France because there's a lot of pressure on their government to get their own tourists back let alone Australians and others.
"We're lucky there's a big group of Australians here, but everyone's just at their wits end.
"Everyone was pretty good up until the start of the week, and then there were broken promises from the government.
"The kids have been really good up until probably the last two days. Being cooped up in the hotel, they're definitely wanting to go now.
"And just not knowing if things will flare up with President Macron coming to the area, so that's a big concern even for the locals."
Lack of communication
Mr Desmond described the amount of communication from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) as "absolutely bugger all".
"It's been absolutely atrocious," he said.
"We've got New Zealanders in our hotel and they've had fantastic communication from their government."
Mr Desmond said they weren't warned about a consulate meeting in the hotel, but luckily found out about it from another stranded hotel guest.
"They said 'what's the biggest problem?' Everyone said communication. We've heard nothing, no support from DFAT, we've had one phone call to confirm our details in case we die basically.
"We get a nightly email and it's just generic - this is what's happening with flights, be ready at a minute's notice.
"If we knew we were wave one or wave two or whatever we would know what we're doing, not sitting here not going to get food, worried we're going to miss the flight out of here."
Government response
Hunter MP Dan Repacholi said his office had been in touch with the family and others from the region trying to get home.
He acknowledged there had "been issues with clear and concise communication with stranded families."
"I have spoken with the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and have been working through the issues case by case and I am hopeful that all the families stranded will be on flights in coming days," Mr Repacholi said.
"We are just awaiting further approvals from French authorities so flights can bring these families home."
Minister for International Development and the Pacific and Shortland MP Pat Conroy said he had asked that representatives from DFAT reach out to the Desmond family.
"I sympathise with the Desmond family and all the other Australians who are currently in Noumea and waiting for flights home," Mr Conroy said.
"The Australian Government stands ready to assist and has planes ready to fly. The government has not been granted clearance for these flights which we know is frustrating.
"The Desmond Family can be assured that the Foreign Minister and myself are working as hard as we can to get those clearances so they can get home."
