A FATHER-of-two made it home from South Africa using planes, trains, automobiles and a ferry following the volcanic ash chaos.

Robert Van Niekerk, of Poplar Close, Kidlington, moved heaven and earth to keep a promise to his two young children he would make it home yesterday.

The 43-year-old, who teaches in South Africa, was awake for 60 hours after setting off from Johannesburg airport on Monday evening.

He said: “I flew to Madrid and when the plane touched down everyone started clapping. But my plan to get the Royal Navy ship didn’t work, because it had been and gone.

“I heard Paris airspace had been reopened but the flight there was fully booked. I begged the check-in lady and she found me a space.

“I had wanted to get the Eurostar, but was told it was booked up until Saturday.

“I had promised my kids I would be home for Tuesday so I got a train from the airport to Gard du Nord, then another train to Calais, and caught the ferry with just 15 minutes to spare.

“On the ferry there was a real Dunkirk spirit and at Dover I was the first to get off, which meant I could get a seat on a coach to London. Even though I had no English money, the driver said it was fine.

“Then I got the Oxford Tube and the driver stopped at a cash machine for me. I got a cab back from Gloucester Green and it was great to see my kids. They were over the moon I kept the promise.”

Meanwhile, website manager Rachel Harrison is back in Oxford after forking out £600 to cover the cost of her trip back from Iceland.

Ms Harrison, 38, who works for two Oxford University colleges, was due to fly back to Gatwick on Sunday, after a holiday in Reykjavik.

Ms Harrison was unable to get a flight back to the UK until Tuesday, after the cloud of ash from the Icelandic volcano grounded flights across Europe.

During her holiday, she drove out to see the erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano but could not get a clear look at it because it was covered by clouds. Ms Harrison said yesterday: “I’m pretty exhausted. I got to the airport about 8am and then eventually got on a flight to Edinburgh.

“Then I got a train from Edinburgh to Kings Cross and arrived in London at about 10.20pm.

“I took the Tube to Paddington, a train to Oxford and then a taxi home and got in about 2am today.

“There are still lot of people stuck in Iceland and the only reason I got out when I did was because I was prepared to pay extra for an alternative flight.

“Iceland is an amazing place and the locals were very helpful, but it was stressful being stranded. I wouldn’t want to go through that again.”

Eighteen choristers from New College Choir are hoping to fly back from the US on Saturday but Nancy-Jane Rucker, a spokesman for the college’s chapel office, said it was not yet certain that they would be able to travel, because of the continued disruption to airline schedules, which is expected to last for some days.

The award-winning choir set off on April 9 for concerts in Washington and New York, and are due to sing in Philadelphia on Saturday before flying home.

With them is the choir’s director, Prof Edward Higginbottom, who said their US hosts had offered emergency accommodation if the boys have to wait for a flight home.

One couple who are stranded in America have been told they may have to wait until 12 days before they can take off for home.

Luke Hearn, 24, and Penny Lloyd, 23, of Fludger Close, Wallingford, had been due to return on Tuesday, but will now have to wait until the backlog is cleared.

Mr Hearn said: “It was a shock at first. We tried calling Virgin Atlantic repeatedly and had no luck getting through. When someone finally answered, they said we will have to wait two weeks.

“It’s a bit of a worry, because we’re running out of money, but there’s not much anyone can do.”