'After Beirut's hell, this is heaven'

Michael Moore (right) welcomes his son Michael Moore jnr at Auckland Airport. Picture / Kenny Rodger

"We came from hell, but we came to heaven," an exhausted-but-exhilarated Nawal Torbey said as she emerged into the arrivals lounge at Auckland International Airport yesterday.

"Since four days I haven't smiled ... but now I am happy."

Mrs Torbey - who has been living in Beirut for five years - arrived back in New Zealand with her two tired children, Yara-Meera, 8, and Carl-Kristopher, 5, in tow.

"It's hard to know where they are," she said. "I don't, they don't."

Touchdown in New Zealand marked the end of almost six days solid travelling since the terrified trio fled Beirut on Thursday.

After hitching a ride to Cyprus on a British warship, they flew to Sydney on Sunday, then Auckland yesterday.

The Torbeys were among the first evacuees to arrive in New Zealand. Others returned to various parts of the country through the day.

About 40 New Zealanders remain in Lebanon, nine of whom want to leave. The rest were either staying or were undecided, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

It was working to get those who wanted to leave on to vessels. About 30 New Zealanders are in Cyprus, many making their own way home.

Mrs Torbey, a nurse, is a sister of Manukau restaurant owner Fadi Bouchaaya, who went to Beirut for a wedding, and became trapped.

The family was staying in an area surrounded by Lebanese soldiers, making them a potential Israeli target.

That was incentive enough for Mrs Torbey to be the first member of the family to escape Beirut, she said.

Now she is out, and other family members - including Mr Bouchaaya - are en route to New Zealand.

Only her husband, Jean Kahlil Torbey, remains in Beirut, stuck there until he can arrange travel documents.

The family returned to Lebanon five years ago, so Mr Torbey could practice his profession, dentistry.

The plan had always been to bring the New Zealand-born children back for a visit, and the Israeli attacks helped expedite the expedition. Now, the Torbeys are likely to stay for good.

For Michael Moore, there were quiet tears as he grasped his tired son, Michael Moore jnr, at the gates.

Michael jnr, 21, went to Lebanon in March to see relatives, including his maternal grandmother who is ill.

He had intended to stay until at least September, working with a Christian youth group and enjoying the renowned Lebanese summer.

Instead, the shelling started and his summer was over - his family there told him to evacuate.

"You sort of feel relieved that you can get out, but at the same time you're feeling guilty because they are stuck and have to sit there under the bombs and you think 'why shouldn't I?"'

He got to Cyprus on the second evacuation boat late last week, then Malaysia, Perth and Sydney before reaching New Zealand.

He said the evacuation was well organised. Where the British and Australian governments could not help, the evacuees helped each other.

"I paid US$500 [$800] to get an English girl out, whose passport had been destroyed ... It was all the cash I had left. I wouldn't leave someone in that situation."

Michael jnr is still concerned. "I do worry that they're pretty much just waiting for the foreigners to get out and then flatten the south."

For now, said his father, his son would be allowed to "sleep for a week."

>> Read New Zealand woman Claire Brickell's diary of her escape from Beirut

Ticket home not free

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has helped 27 people with arrangements, including flights, accommodation, and food.

Evacuees did not have to pay for the initial evacuation from Lebanon to Cyprus but for any help getting beyond the initial "place of safety" they signed an undertaking to repay the costs.

Ministry spokeswoman Helen Tunnah said it was standard practice for the ministry to use the undertaking when helping New Zealand nationals overseas.

She said Australia had a mixed system, where the Government paid for the return home of Australian citizens who lived in the country, but overseas residents with Australian passports paid their own way.