The mother of six-year-old Que Langdon says she wants to go back to New Zealand, accompanied by her daughter.
Ariane Wyler was reunited with the six-year-old after she was missing for 27 days at sea with her father Alan.
In a Newshub exclusive, Ariane has spoken about how difficult that time apart was.
She said she was worried about missing important milestones in her daughter's life such as losing her first tooth.
"I haven't been allowed to speak to my daughter on the phone; I haven't seen her running around and playing" she told Newshub.
The ongoing custody battle became national news over summer, with an international search launched after Alan took Que on what he claimed to be a trip to the Bay of Islands.
But they ended up in Australia after 27 days at sea.
Ms Wyler was reunited with Que in the NSW town of Ulladulla yesterday, when Que went to the toilet and spotted her mum while Alan was on the catamaran.
"It was just really beautiful to be back in her presence" Ms Wyler said.
She said she felt she had to act after following other legal routes got her nowhere.
"I had enough basically. I wanted to see my daughter and spend time with my daughter, there's no reason why I should not."
Ariane told Newshub she wouldn't mind Alan spending time with their daughter in future, as long as visits are supervised. However she said Langdon has "demonstrated he's a flight risk", and she fears the courts may allow split custody.
''I'm convinced he loves Que very much, but so do I. Where we go from here has to be very clearly laid down."
Mr Langdon, 49, is due to appear in a New Zealand court next week, but only if he chooses to come from across the ditch. He's being charged with taking a child from New Zealand under the Care of Children Act.
Newshub.
