Emotions are running high at the country's largest airport as the deadline looms for mandatory self-isolation of arrivals.

All international arrivals, except those from the Pacific, have to self-isolate for 14 days if they land after 1am Monday.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF Vince Rodrigue and Jane De Metz, from Canada, plan to continue their holiday as planned.

It's the latest precautionary measure taken by the Government as the coronavirus outbreak continues its rampage across the globe.

Cries of "we made it" could be heard from beaming arrivals near the gate at Auckland Airport's international terminal on Sunday afternoon.

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Kasey Barnett, her husband and three young children looked tired but relieved after cutting short their trip in Australia.

Sneaking in before the deadline had come at a cost, she said: "1800 bucks and six hours on the phone".

Both she and her husband start new jobs in the coming days so are doubly desperate to avoid the mandatory self-isolation period.

School bus driver Howard Harris had been in Australia for the Formula 1 GP, called off on Friday after a member of the a member of the McLaren Racing team tested positive for the virus.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF Howard Harris was thrilled he got back home before the self-isolation deadline.

He too was stoked to miss the self-isolation period and had arranged an earlier flight at no extra cost, he said.

In Christchurch, those who had to buy new flights questioned the "arbitrary" deadline.

Phil Roberts took an "absolutely chocka" flight home from Sydney, landing in the Garden City about 2pm on Sunday.

He ended his trip for the cricket early, with the $460 flight leaving "a bit of a dent to the wallet".

"I was in the very last row and I think I got the very last ticket … I bought it last night, it said one seat left and I got it."

He questioned the 1am timing of the self-isolation deadline as "arbitrary and random" but acknowledged something needed to be done to stop the virus spreading.

Wayne Skelton spent $733 to fly back from Melbourne to Christchurch a day earlier than planned so he would not have to self-isolate.

He had been over to watch the Australian Grand Prix Formula 1 race, which was cancelled on Friday.

The extra cost was "money that you hadn't allowed for" and he still had not tried to get a refund on his accommodation.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF Board of Airline Representatives NZ executive director Justin Tighe-Umbers says flight restrictions will have a huge impact on the country.

While the Kiwi tourism industry is bracing for a massive decline in visitor numbers, a trickle of foreign travellers continue to arrive into the country.

Among them were young Canadian climbing enthusiasts Vince Rodrigue and Jane De Metz, who hail from Quebec.

They had earlier been in New Caledonia and did not have any idea of the looming self-isolation deadline.

The couple landed in Auckland planned to continue their holiday as usual and were looking forward to climbing in the South Island, they said.

Meanwhile, long queues snaked out of the ticket office of foreign tourists desperate to get home amid fears of further global travel restrictions.

One young German traveller, who did not give her name, was sitting outside anxiously scanning expensive flights to her native Bavaria.

She was on a year-long working holiday visa but had decided to call time on her Kiwi experience after just five weeks.

Those coming home from further afield also felt an impact as people rushed to beat the deadline.

Hospitality worker Erica Boyd and Will Finnis, who works in medical supplies, plan to self-isolate after getting back to Christchurch from their UK holiday.

Boyd said their first flight was almost empty but their second was full and had lots of passengers using face masks and sanitiser wipes.

She said they had just spent a lot of money overseas, and now could not earn it back while they self-isolated, but she would "rather be broke than be the person that brought coronavirus into Christchurch".

Nicole Rutherford ended her year au pairing in Switzerland six months early due to coronavirus restrictions, preferring to come home than be stuck in quarantine overseas.

She said the flight home was cheap and the first leg to Dubai had about eight passengers, but the next leg to Christchurch via Sydney was the busiest plane she had ever been on.

Rutherford said clearing customs was "nuts" with a one hour queue.

She said it was good the Government was making new arrivals self-isolate from early Monday, but thought it should have been introduced sooner.