Queenstown businesses are being warned to brace for potential flooding as more heavy rain is predicted over the next two days.

The brief respite of rain for Northland farmers yesterday is not enough to quench the parched pastures.

More stranded trampers will be flown out of flooded walking tracks a day after 120 were evacuated from the Milford Track.

Trampers were evacuated by air, phonelines cut and bridges washed out last night as the South Island was inundated by rain and flooding.

Corporal Apiata, who had been serving with the SAS in Afghanistan, touched down at Auckland International Airport at 5.15am yesterday.

The first flight back from London after disruptions from volcanic ash has landed at Auckland airport.

The quiet of the no-fly zone has been replaced by the roar of airplane engines across Britain today.

Another Icelandic volcano is expected to explode, potentially causing more disruption than Eyjafjallajokull.

Europe has received a sharp shock of awareness about its addiction to cheap jet travel.

Tourism Auckland has had more than 200 offers from people offering rooms for stranded travellers.

A NZ couple's wedding plans are in tatters - they are grounded in London and their guests are waiting in Tauranga.

Stranded travellers are piling into buses, trains and high-priced taxis in a frantic scramble to accomplish an increasingly tricky mission: Escape from Europe.

The eruption is unlikely to have inflicted significant financial pain on Air NZ, analysts say.