More than 3000 lucky New Zealanders stranded abroad snapped up a ticket to MIQ last night - but tens of thousands more have missed out on the draw.
While there will be another room release coming soon, the state of limbo is having a massive toll on expats desperate to come home.
Among those who missed out the release last night was Hannah Whiston, a mother of two stuck in the UK, who fears she'll miss a second Christmas away from her family.
She spoke to Corin Dann.
