Tauranga mother Kerri Tilby-Price screamed with excitement when she heard her daughter's voice for the first time since Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu, where the teenager was living.
Courtney Tilby, 18, has been volunteering as a teacher in the small village of Namaram on Pentecost Island, north of Port Vila, since early February as part of a six-month trip.
Today, Miss Tilby was able to make the first contact with her family since the storm hit, with reception returning in an area near her village.
"She said, 'Hey Mum, sorry I've just got reception. What's going on?
"I just went 'AHHHHHH' and she said 'are you okay?'."