A gap year student stranded in New Zealand says she feels "neglected" after two of her flights were cancelled due to coronavirus. 

Maya Reid, 18, from St Albans, is taking a year out to travel before going on to study at Leeds University. She arrived in New Zealand more than two weeks ago, after visiting Bali and Australia.

Within a week of arriving, she said everything in the country changed and the bus company she was travelling with was unable to take her home.

The UK Government has called for people to return home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But many Britons have been stranded abroad as other countries have closed their borders and many airlines have cancelled flights. 

Maya's first flight which was supposed to be last Monday (March 23) was cancelled and she was left at Auckland Airport at 4am without a flight to get home.

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She said flights are expensive, with one ticket costing £1,300 - but admitted she is lucky to have financial support from her family.

Her second flight, scheduled for last Friday (March 27), was also cancelled.

She said the flight would have taken her to three stops, including Singapore and eventually London.

She said: "In the last four days, I have gone from Queenstown, to Wellington to being left at Auckland Airport at 4am." 

"I have made calls on the phone for hours, contacting MPs. There are hundreds of people losing sleep and who are stressing about accommodation.

"There is no access to anyone who can help us. I have friends who are German, French and Swiss who are getting help. 

"It just seems like the UK are very behind and I feel neglected."

"I think people assume we're in New Zealand and it is a safe country but we're quite far away from the UK so we have to transit meaning we have to rely heavily on communication with other countries."

St Albans & Harpenden Review:

Maya and her friends she met since travelling to New Zealand. Photo: Maya Reid

She also said the British Embassy in New Zealand were not helpful as staff there were keen to maintain social distance.

She added: "They told us to call them instead. Eventually they shut the doors on us.

"We later tried to call them but no calls went through.

"We were also told to be at the airport at 5am to get assistance with flights. We turned up at 4am. An hour later we were told there would be no help, but representatives from the embassy would help at 8am, but no one showed up."

She is currently staying in an AirBnB with a girl she met when her first flight was cancelled and a friend she made four weeks ago. 

She said at the airport they were given a leaflet of information with a list of hotels, but she said self-isolation there is "unrealistic" as you rely on room service and rooms are expensive.

She said: "Hostels are open, but you can't stay there unless you're planning on being there for four weeks. 

"I have been staying up in hostels until last Wednesday (March 25). It makes you wonder if those people who are self-isolating, if they're using the communal kitchen and bathroom, which is scary when you know people are coming in and going out." 

Maya has reached out to her MP Daisy Cooper, who has been speaking about the issue in Parliament.

Mrs Cooper said: “I am supporting many St Albans residents abroad who are struggling to get home due to travel restrictions, airport closures and cancelled flights.

Some are short of money and some are short of medication. 

“I have raised these issues in Parliament and am pushing the Government to do all it can to repatriate Brits as soon as possible, especially those who are most vulnerable at this time."

At around 1pm today, the Government said it would make an announcement on efforts to repatriate Britons stranded abroad by the coronavirus crisis

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We have been working with airlines on options for government to charter flights.

"You can expect an announcement on that imminently."

Anyone from St Albans who is stuck abroad should email daisy.cooper.mp@parliament.uk with their name, address, post code in UK and travel details, including the exact address where they are staying and any cancelled flights.