A DONEGAL couple stranded in New Zealand have issued a plea for help as they attempt to make their way home.
Jack Gallagher and Katy Tysall-Gallagher have been in Auckland since March 12, initially planning one-month tour before emigrating to Canada.
Their flight to Canada, scheduled for April 7, was cancelled by Air Canada after Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister, closed the borders to non-essential travel.
Their tour of Neww Zealand was cancelled last week.
Two flight cancellations today have left them in limbo.
“We attempted to book a flight back to Ireland, but they kept selling out or were completely unaffordable,” Katy told Donegal Daily.
“We eventually got a flight with Emirates for Tuesday (today) via Dubai, but our flight out of Dubai was cancelled. We only found out on at 10 o’clock on Monday night.
“No-one is flying out if Dubai from Wednesday. No-one can fly into Dubai/UAE or Singapore or Hong Kong and the airlines can only tell us to wait and see.”
An alternative flight has not been offered to the couple, whose strife is added to by the closure of the Irish Embassy.
“We can only contact the Embassy via phone, but all that we have been told now is to register our information.”
All international travel will be halted in New Zealand from Thursday.
Katy was born in England is clinging to the hope that the British Embassy may assist and have registered with an initiative in New Zealand that is aiming to get travellers back to the UK.
Katy has issued a plea for assistance. She said: “We are stuck, so if any one has any contacts in any position to help us get home please let us know. We know that it’s a long shot, but we are just desperate to get back home.”
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