When Maxwell Winchester and his wife arrived in the South Pacific island of New Caledonia nearly two weeks ago, they were excited for what would be their first child-free holiday since becoming parents. <\/p>\n
But what was supposed to be a romantic getaway has instead left the Australian couple stranded and far from their children back in their home state Victoria, after deadly riots broke out across the French territory sparked by electoral changes from the national government. <\/p>\n
In the hotel where they\u2019re staying, food and medicine are running low, he said, and there is no sense of when help is arriving; evacuations for foreign nationals have paused on Thursday due to French President Emmanuel Macron arriving for talks. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have people who have run out of medicine \u2026 People are running out of food. Other Australians stranded have had to go scrounge coconuts to eat,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Now, the couple and other foreign nationals stuck on the island are desperately trying to find a way home, with commercial flights canceled and the main international airport closed. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur embassy went AWOL the first day, and we only first heard from (them) last night for the first time for a welfare call,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re frustrated with it all \u2026 What I\u2019m hoping is that our government will evacuate us promptly.\u201d <\/p>\n
Australia and New Zealand began sending government planes to evacuate nationals starting Tuesday, with the Australian embassy in New Caledonia saying on Facebook that 108 Australians and other tourists were successfully transported from the island to Brisbane on two flights on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe continue to work with partners to support the departure of all Australians who want to leave,\u201d it said in a post on Wednesday. <\/p>\n
But Winchester said he and other tourists have no sense of when it might be their turn. The local government estimates there are around 3,200 people waiting to leave or enter the island. <\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says on its website it is \u201ccommunicating directly with registered Australians in New Caledonia about departure options from New Caledonia,\u201d and has instructed Australians on the island to register their details on the agency\u2019s online portal. <\/p>\n
Lying some 930 miles (roughly 1,500 kilometers) to the northeast of Brisbane, New Caledonia has long been a popular destination for both Australians and New Zealanders looking for some Pacific sunshine and beaches. <\/p>\n
But it is also a hangover of France\u2019s colonial past, a territory on the other side of the globe where many indigenous inhabitants suffer from entrenched poverty and have long chafed under Paris\u2019 rule. <\/p>\n
The latest protests, the worst since the 1980s, were sparked by anger among indigenous Kanak people over a constitutional amendment approved in France that would change who is allowed to participate in elections, which local leaders fear will dilute the Kanak vote. <\/p>\n
The unrest has killed at least six people, and has left a trail of burned cars and looted stores, with road barricades restricting access to medicine and food. <\/p>\n
The situation got so bad that Macron has been forced to fly some 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles), landing on an island seething with resentment from indigenous community leaders, business owners and stranded tourists. <\/p>\n
Macron arrived in New Caledonia on Thursday, telling reporters that \u201ca return to peace\u201d was his top priority \u2013 but that French security forces will stay in the territory for \u201cas long as necessary, even during the Olympic Games.\u201d <\/p>\n
Three thousand French security forces have already been deployed, with a number of those still arriving Thursday, he said. He added that he believes that the state of emergency \u201cshould not be extended,\u201d provided that all political forces on the island issue a \u201cclear call for the roadblocks to be lifted.\u201d <\/p>\n
As part of his visit, Macron will \u201cset up a mission\u201d in New Caledonia, government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot said at a press conference earlier this week. The visit comes as France prepares for the Paris Olympic Games, which will be held from July 26 to August 11. <\/p>\n
But Macron\u2019s arrival was little solace for Winchester and his wife, who are staying at a resort outside the city center. They described the anxiety and desperation inside among hotel guests and staff alike. The resort has barricaded all roads leading to the hotel, leaving just one entrance that is guarded 24\/7, he said. <\/p>\n
And among the stranded tourists, frustration is growing over what they say is a lack of assistance or clear instructions from their governments. <\/p>\n
The Australian government is only notifying its nationals of evacuation plans 30 minutes before the flight \u201cfor security reasons,\u201d said Winchester \u2013 meaning \u201ceveryone is constantly on edge, and they\u2019re frightened to leave the hotel rooms in case they get a call telling them (to get on the plane).\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Australian Government stands ready to assist more tourists out of New Caledonia and has planes ready to fly. We have not been given clearances for additional flights. We know this is frustrating for the Australians who remain,\u201d she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. \u201cWe are working to ensure flights tomorrow.\u201d <\/p>\n
With the international airport closed, evacuation flights can only leave from the domestic airport, located close to the city center \u2013 which is largely inaccessible to people staying further away, like Winchester and other guests at their resort, due to roadblocks and gun violence on the main highways. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife and I don\u2019t have a car, so we have no way to get to the city if we\u2019re put on a flight,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t know if they\u2019re going to come and evacuate us from the location we\u2019re in or not. But to drive through to the city is very dangerous in the moment.\u201d <\/p>\n
New Zealand nationals on the island are in a similar predicament \u2013 with their governments instructing them to drive to the city and leave their cars at a hotel to avoid being hijacked, before being picked up there for evacuations, he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd with Macron\u2019s visit, it could get worse,\u201d he said. \u201cThe French government has not handled this well. And if (Macron) says the wrong things and then goes back to France, it could all kick off again \u2013 that\u2019s our fear.\u201d <\/p>\n
In the meantime, stranded foreign nationals continue searching for a way out \u2013 while racking up hefty bills, with Winchester describing tourists spending tens of thousands of dollars on food, accommodation and supplies. <\/p>\n
The couple is now trying to travel into the city with some New Zealand nationals, and find a flight out with them \u2013 hoping for safety in numbers on the perilous drive. <\/p>\n
\u201cFrom our own government now, their position is the French will fly us out, and we\u2019re not confident in the French government\u2019s ability to keep us safe,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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