Romantic weekend turns to horror for Rotorua woman

Rotorua's Kylie Hoyle visits a strangely quiet Eiffel Tower yesterday, the day after the terror attacks. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Rotorua woman Kylie Hoyle and her boyfriend decided to take a short trip to Paris, but instead of a romantic weekend sightseeing they arrived to scenes of death and devastation.

Miss Hoyle, 26, contacted her parents in Rotorua soon after arriving at her hotel, just 3km away from where most of the attacks took place.

Her father Chris Hoyle said he and his wife Kerry were very worried about their daughter when they heard of the attacks, but their minds were put at ease soon after when Kylie contacted them via text message.

"We don't know a lot about what happened, but we had messages saying she was safe.

"We were quite worried because she got there a few hours before it happened. She's living in London and she and her boyfriend went there for the weekend," Mr Hoyle said.

"I heard about it on the radio when driving and it wasn't long after we heard the hotel they were staying in was in lockdown. She has been out since but said the place was very quiet."

Mrs Hoyle said her daughter told her there was a very eerie and quiet feeling around the city.

"They went and did some sightseeing about 2pm yesterday (Saturday) and went to the Eiffel Tower and Arc De Triomphe.

"She said most places were closed and they thought they would be inside all day. There were army and police everywhere she said."

Mrs Hoyle said the couple were planning another trip after Christmas.

"She said it was such a scary and sad thing to see," Mr Hoyle said.

"She said she felt so sorry for the French people and wondered why it had to happen."

Meanwhile, the mother of Rotorua woman Jennie Besic (nee Andrews), who is living in Paris, said her daughter is safe.

Mrs Besic, who lives in Paris with her husband, contacted her Rotorua mother, Marion Andrews, yesterday.

In a message to her parents, she wrote: "I'm in complete shock and disbelief. We are so sad and angry that this could happen here, or anywhere else in the world. We are just going to try and get on with our lives, and help those affected, in any way that we can."

Jennie Besic

Mrs Andrews said Facebook was coming in very handy.

"They put up on Facebook that they were okay ... all of her friends have been doing the same and she has been in touch with them and so far they are all okay."

Mrs Andrews said her daughter got in contact with her before she saw what had happened on the news.

"She's not happy, but she is functioning okay. She's a teacher and is waiting to hear if her students and their parents are okay. It's quite stressful for her."

- Additional reporting Kyra Dawson