Queenstown residents have rallied together to get dozens of South Americans to Auckland to board a mercy flight home on Friday night.
Many of the group have lived in Central Otago for years, but unemployment in the area is forcing them to go home.
Saying goodbye to the tourist town they called their own, 60 stranded South Americans leave in the dead of night to make a mercy flight home.
Among them are chefs, cleaners, and a professional skydiver, many of whom have been living and working here for years.
"They have been the silent backbone of our community," Queenstown resident Kaye Parker said.
They all lost their jobs when the Government escalated its coronavirus response to alert level 4.
"I want to stay here, but it's not for me. It's not good living here with some like no future," Brazilian Leandro Aguiar told Newshub.
Another Brazilian, Lucas Franco, says his position simply doesn't exist any more.
Running out of money, Queenstown rallied around answering their call for help. Mayor Jim Boult organised a bus to Christchurch.
"Some of them do not have money for tickets from Christchurch to Auckland, so we just rolled up our sleeves and got into gear," Parker said.
Checking in at Christchurch Airport, and the reality of what they are returning to is starting to hit home for some of them.
"Brazil is not really safe at the moment," Higor Farinelli said. "Brazil there are a lot of cases, you know? New Zealand is safer but we don't have a choice."
"New Zealand is amazing. Wanaka is the perfect city - I wish I could come back," Bruno Borges said.
It may be one step closer to home, but their repatriation flight is taking them a long way from where they'd much rather be.
