A homebound Tauranga couple trapped in Indonesia as a volcano erupted were among the first to catch a flight home.
Michelle and Jared Harper arrived in Bali just before flights at Denpasar Airport were cancelled on July 2.
Clouds of gritty ash spewing from Mount Ruang in East Java have plagued the airport, forcing airlines to stay grounded as the ash can be potentially hazardous to aircraft engines.
The Harpers planned to leave on Sunday but had been forced to stay an extra two nights as the Balinese airways remained closed.
The couple were among thousands of travellers left stranded until yesterday, when an Air New Zealand flight was able to return to Auckland.
Their flight, via Perth, left Bali last night.
Despite the heavy impact on the country's travel industry, Ms Harper said: "You'd never know there was a volcano erupting or ash."
The couple had stayed in Seminyah and Nusa Dua, about 150km away from the volcano.
There had been clear skies for most of the last week but then it became windy and hazy.
"If no one had said there was an ash problem -- you'd never know."
The pair had enjoyed a couple of extra days by the pool in the sun.
Ms Harper said the holiday had been idyllic but the biggest hassle was the travel delay had meant not being back at work in time to meet a work deadline. It had also been frustrating trying to get information and being kept on the phone for two hours while arranging new flights.
"Many have had to book or wait until the 19th or 20th to get home," she said.
"As far as I'm aware there's a big backlog of people who were due to fly out before us so we are so grateful to have our travel agent look after us.
"I can imagine how frustrating it is for other families with no outside assistance."
The Air New Zealand plane heading to Auckland yesterday was the same one that was forced to turn back after making it about halfway to Denpasar on Sunday -- a 10-hour trip which affected more than 200 passengers.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is advising Kiwis with Indonesia travel plans to confirm their travel arrangements with their airline or travel agent directly, prior to heading to the airport. Travellers should register their details on www.safetravel.govt.nz and ensure they have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place, a spokesman said.
Insurance Council New Zealand's communications manager Sarah Knox said travel insurance cover in this situation was dependent on each provider.
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Mount Ruang
Ruang volcano is the southernmost volcano in the Sangihe Island arc, north of Sulawesi Island.
The 4km by 5km island volcano rises to 725m across a narrow strait southwest of the larger Tagulandang Island.
The summit of Ruang volcano contains a crater partially filled by a lava dome initially emplaced in 1904.
Explosive eruptions recorded since 1808 have often been accompanied by lava dome formation and pyroclastic flows that have damaged inhabited areas.
Eruptions in 1870 and 1871 also caused fatalities.
