Middle East War: Northern Ireland couple stranded in Australia in desperation trying to get home
A Londonderry couple have described their desperation at being stranded in Australia due to the Middle East war – with no idea when they will get home.
Stephen and Ann Marie Powell had gone out to visit their son Laurence, who has been living in New South Wales for ten years.
They had enjoyed the trip of a lifetime, taking in famous sights such as the Sydney Opera House and the Blue Mountains during their stay.
However just as they were preparing to come home, they discovered that their home flight through the Qatari capital of Doha had been cancelled due to Iranian missiles.
The airline has now closed down all communication, they say, and they have no idea when they will get home.
Alternative routes home would cost them over £6,000 which they simply can't afford.
Stephen said: "We were coming out for a month to see our son. And then just as we were ready to come home, they attacked Iran and then Iran attacked Doha and Doha closed down."
Initially their airline, Qatar Airways, offered them a flight to Doha on 22 March, but because there was no connecting flight home, the airline cancelled it.
The couple have had a dream trip - their first to Australia.
"Last Saturday we took the train up to Sydney and the skyline at night is absolutely unbelievable," Ann Marie said.
"We also walked around the Opera House, which is absolutely stunning and we visited a place called the Blue Mountains, which was really beautiful."
However they were due to arrive in Dublin on Monday this week - and now have no idea when they might get home.
Anne Marie works in a deli in Londonderry.
"I had to phone and tell them that it is just out of my hands. They have been fine so far, but it's a loss of income to me because I'm not getting paid now."
Stephen, a bus driver for the Education Authority, had been off work with arthritis but was due to start again on 18 March.
However he now has no idea if he will be back in time.
They called the British Consulate, which advised the couple must get in contact with Qatar Airways before they can help them.
But Anne Marie says its not possible to get through. "You just ring the number and it is dead."
The airlines is not responding to emails either, she said.
The couple priced tickets to fly home through Singapore to London, which they found would cost over $8,000 (£6,000).
"But that is crazy money. At the end of the day if you are working class you just can't pull $10,000 out of the air," she said.
On the plus side, they are able to stay with their son Laurence, a manager in the spray bay of an engineering plant.
"And the weather is beautiful. We're very lucky that we're staying with family because I don't know what we would have done otherwise."
However they are really stressed by the uncertainty.
"I find myself waking about six in the morning to check emails, and there's nothing there. And then you're checking the news to see what's happening, if there are more missiles after more strikes. And just all the news has to be contradicting itself".