NOUMEA, France (AFP) — Tourists trapped by rioting, looting and separatist roadblocks in crisis-wracked New Caledonia expressed joy that they may soon be rescued after the first military evacuation flights landed on Tuesday.

For the last week, Australian tourist Maxwell Winchester and his wife Tiffany have been barricaded into a normally idyllic hill resort outside the capital Noumea.

As gunfire rattled down the valley and smoke spewed from nearby towns, they faced a fearful wait for help as supplies of food slowly dwindled.

“Every night, we had to sleep with one eye open,” Winchester told Agence France-Presse. “Every noise, we were worried that they were coming in to loot us.”

For days, they monitored the latest news — which brought alarming reports of six dead and hundreds injured — while struggling to get help from Australian consular staff.

Winchester received word around lunchtime Tuesday that Australia was finally sending two military evacuation planes.

“We are ecstatic,” he said, even though the couple believe they may not be among the first evacuees.

More than 3,000 people are estimated to have been stranded by a week of unrest that has shuttered the Pacific archipelago’s main international airport.

It is not known how many of those are tourists on holiday and how many are Caledonians stuck outside the islands.

But Australia has estimated at least 300 of its nationals have registered for rescue.

For those hundreds, the sight of a Royal Australian Air Force C130 Hercules landing at the city’s Magenta airport on Tuesday will have brought overwhelming relief.