Rugby players fly privately as airline passengers wait and hope

Thelma Norton, 82, wanted to leave because she has had enough of the earthquakes - but was dismayed to be stopped in her tracks by another natural phenomenon. Photo / Greg Bowker

A Super rugby team will today travel to Wellington on a private DC-3 because of the ash cloud from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano.

Amid news of cancellations, Sanzar rugby officials rushed to resolve travel challenges that threatened to disrupt fixtures in the final round of the regular Super season this weekend.

The cancellation of flights in Australia and New Zealand by Qantas and Air New Zealand had put the travel plans of three teams in doubt - the Crusaders, Highlanders and Reds.

The Crusaders will travel this morning to Wellington by DC-3 for their clash against the Hurricanes.

The Highlanders, who will meet the Blues at Eden Park tonight, arrived in Auckland yesterday afternoon on a privately chartered flight.

Top-of-the-table Reds arrived without disruption in Auckland yesterday, en route to Hamilton, where they will face the Chiefs tomorrow.

The players were among thousands of passengers who waited hours yesterday until it was safe to resume flights delayed by volcanic ash clouds.

After at first cancelling 11 services, Air New Zealand resumed flights to Dunedin, Invercargill and Christchurch yesterday afternoon, though travellers to Queenstown had to wait.

Dan Fogarty, travelling from Auckland with his wife and 8-week-old daughter, Beatrix, hoped their trip would get rebooked. "We're going to see the grandparents."

Other travellers just wanted clarification so they could plan alternatives.

Cantabrian Annie Lewis was determined to get from Auckland to Christchurch. "I would rather know now so I can make other arrangements."

Chris Carswell, also trying to return to Christchurch, was hoping to book a flight to Nelson and fly on from there. "It's pretty frustrating."

The main ash cloud was about 8300m above the country but a southerly front moving up the South Island moved some of it a lot lower.

In Christchurch, Thelma Norton, 82, wanted to leave because she has had enough of the constant earthquakes - but was dismayed to be stopped in her tracks by another natural phenomenon.

Mrs Norton said Monday's aftershocks were "the straw that broke the camel's back ... They were terrifying, absolutely terrifying ... I was screaming my head off."

She was heading to Invercargill to live with grandson Jonathan Peterson and his family for the next two or three months at least.

She said she would be sad to leave the city she had lived in her whole life but a stint with her family after the February quake had been "sheer heaven".

Her home was not badly damaged but living alone through hundreds of quakes was beginning to take its toll.

"It's hard to get a good night's sleep ... Every time a truck goes past, you almost have a heart attack."

Gemma Brain, 26, was another traveller desperate to leave the city. She was booked in for a course that had cost her $1000 in Auckland.

"I'll drive there myself if I have to. At least I'd know I would get there."

The flight delays were a setback for a lot of people, Ms Brain said, but "there's nothing you can do about it. It's just your attitude you can control."

Tokoroa resident Judy Andrews got up before 5am for her 6.50am Air New Zealand flight from Hamilton to Christchurch. At noon, she was one of several passengers still waiting to board, but was hopeful she would eventually make it to Dunedin for her dad's 85th birthday today.