Tributes flow for single mum killed in Vanuatu earthquake, as ...

Hundreds more Australians who were stranded in Vanuatu after devastating earthquakes have been flown back home on RAAF flights on Thursday evening.

Brisbane Airport's international terminal welcomed the arrivals, with the first flight touching down shortly after 6pm.

The repatriation flights followed other emergency rescue flights which brought 148 Australians home from the disaster zone on Wednesday night.

Australian teams are currently on the ground in Vanuatu, working closely with local authorities on urban search and rescue operations, conducting safety assessments, removing hazardous materials, and supporting health authorities who are treating the injured.

Crews are on the ground overseas offering assistance. (Supplied: DFAT)

The powerful magnitude-7.3 earthquake which struck the Pacific Island nation on Tuesday is so far confirmed to have killed at least nine people, and aftershocks have caused further concern.

Shane Cook said he was in the middle of Port Vila when the earthquake hit.

"I watched buildings come down around me and I had no idea what to do, so we just started following the crowd running up a giant hill, because people started screaming 'tsunami!'" he said.

Emer Entiana was swimming with her family at a lagoon when she said the water "instantly turned brown ".

"We were very far from where we stayed. It was shocking. We were struggling to get back to the hotel because there were landslides everywhere," she said.

Emer Entiana said it was tough to get back to her accomodation after the quake.  (ABC News)

Ms Entiana, who was in Vanuatu for a wedding, said she has family from Papua New Guinea who are stranded on the island.

With fears the death toll will rise, seasonal workers in Queensland have been desperate to hear news of their loved ones in Port Vila.

Among those tragically taken by the disaster was Valerie Kalkoa, a single mother who only returned home two days ago after a second season with labour hire firm I Comply in the Burdekin region.

Seasonal worker Valerie Kalkoa died in Port Vila. (Supplied: Facebook)

Chief executive Rodney Prestia paid tribute to Ms Kalkoa, who had left behind a three-year-old son.

He said she was part of his work family and was an "amazing, beautiful soul".

"In the lead up to Vanuatu's Independence Day she would get the team to rehearse their custom dances to perform — she just loved to dance and would lead that, teaching all the boys who had two left feet.

"We use to call her the I Comply dance instructor; it just won't be the same without her presence."

Mr Prestia found out she had died after finally getting in touch with Ms Kalkoa's parents.

She was shopping when the magnitude-7.3 earthquake struck.

"We have chat groups through our regions, and everyone is so sad, it is an absolute tragedy," he said.

"She was a woman of faith, here for the sole purpose of supporting her son financially, and now he has lost his mother.

"That is what makes it so hard, when the man upstairs takes the good ones early."

Overnight, 148 Australian citizens returned from Vanuatu on defence force aircraft. (Supplied: DFAT)

With commercial flights back to Vanuatu cancelled, I Comply had to move workers to company accommodation in Toowoomba.

The local Vanuatu cricket team, called the "Vanthorpe", was going to forfeit the grand final this Saturday at Stanthorpe's CF White Oval.

Instead, the undefeated team said it would hold a minute's silence for Ms Kalkoa before the game.

If the Stanthorpe cricket team wins this weekend's grand final, they will donate the prize money to Valerie's son. (Supplied: Facebook)

They are hoping for a victory so they can donate the $3,000 in prize money to help support her son, who is being cared for by his grandparents in Port Vila.

Mr Prestia said another worker's 13-year-old brother had died in the quake — a tragic loss he only heard about last night.

"It was a double whammy for our company yesterday, it was tough," Mr Prestia said.

Thousands of Pacific Islanders come to Queensland every year through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM), which allows Australian farmers to hire workers from nine neighbouring islands.

A group of seasonal workers were collected from Brisbane Airport after earthquakes in Vanuatu prevented them from returning home. (Supplied: Facebook)

It helps fill labour gaps in the agriculture sector across regional and rural areas.

Banana farm worker Jones Malkunsum said he'd been on an "emotional roller-coaster", praying his loved ones back home were still alive.

Mr Malkunsum is a seasonal worker in northern Queensland. (Supplied)

He is one of about 160 Ni-Van seasonal workers from Vanuatu, based at Mareeba in Far North Queensland.

"Most of us during that lunch time, we were on the phone with our families back home," Mr Malkunsum said.

"And, all of a sudden, that tragic incident took place and that's when all the networks and everything just went off.

"Later, after only a minute maybe, we were still on our lunch break, and we started seeing people on social media saying 'oh, there's an earthquake here'."

Jones Malkunsum is one of about 160 Ni-Van workers on the Far North Queensland banana farm. (Supplied)

Mr Malkunsum said many tried to ring their families back.

"We couldn't make any calls," he said.

"Some of us didn't have a good sleep, we were thinking of our kids back home, our families, our parents."

Mr Malkunsum was overwhelmed when he was finally able to speak to his two daughters, 14-year-old Jocelina and eight-year-old Amanda, who are still in Vanuatu.

"We don't care about damage to our houses, we just praying our families are okay — that's our priority," he said.

Mr Malkunsum said a committee had been set up to raise support for compatriots back home.

Mr Malkunsum was worried about daughters Jocelina, 14, and Amanda, 8, who were in Port Vila when the earthquakes hit. (Supplied)

In the meantime, the workers are supporting one another — especially those who have lost loved ones in the disaster.

"We've reached out to our bosses, people who work with us, they are very kind, they help us — they just let us know, whatever we need, they can help," he said.

"Our families back home, they will definitely not be celebrating a good Christmas so it's better we … have good contact with them, and encourage each other through this disaster."

The desperate search for survivors continues in Vanuatu, where there's been major landslides and the main airport sustained damage.

It could be years before the island community, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, can return to normal.

Rescuers overseas are still searching for survivors. (ABC News: Lillyrose Welwel)

Australia has sent urgent aid, as well as teams of firefighters, paramedics, volunteer engineers, canine handlers and doctors.

Australian citizens and permanent residents in Vanuatu have been urged to register with DFAT's registration online portal to receive information and updates.