A Bendigo family aboard the coronavirus-affected cruise ship in Japan are expected return to Australia on Thursday.
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Bendigo's Tangey family are due to fly back to Australia at midnight on Wednesday.
Paul and Laura Tangey, along with their mother Liz, were quarantined on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship after the coronavirus broke out. The ship is currently moored in Yokohama, Japan.
Laura Tangey said the family expects to leave the ship on Wednesday evening. The Tangey family will fly into Darwin on Thursday morning and go into quarantine for a further two weeks.
They are among approximately 200 other Australians who will leave the ship and be quarantined in Darwin to stop the virus spreading.
"The captain announced (this morning) that a Qantas flight would be here for us in the next 24 hours," Ms Tangey said. "From the ship we will get straight on to the buses and head straight to the tarmac and walk on to planes.
"All going well we will be in Australia (Thursday morning). It will be great to get home.
"We just want to make sure we don't bring (the virus) to Bendigo. If we're not cleared, we are not coming back but we are looking forward to getting back home."
Fifteen Australians will stay on the cruise ship to support to infected family members. More than 30 Australians on the Diamond Princess have contracted the coronavirus.
"The predominate reason for that is that they are staying, in many cases, with family members who have actually contracted the virus and are receiving medical attention in Japan," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Ms Tangey said all three family members were feeling fine and would be seen by Australian doctors before leaving the ship. They hope to return to Bendigo by the Labour Day weekend.
The family, along with the other 3700 passengers on board the Diamond Princess, were originally quarantined at Yokohama two weeks ago.
On Wednesday they spent the morning watching officials work on the dock.
"We have just been watching all the movement on the dock, some passengers were leaving this morning," Ms Tangey said. "There is lots going on. A mobile kitchen has been setup outside and 15 buses are for other passengers."
Ms Tangey said more than anything she was exited to put her feet back on solid ground.
"I am really looking forward to touching real land after hopping off the ship," she said. "Mum is looking forward a proper roast and we all just (want to) see our friends as well.
"I'm also looking forward to going back to work and having the freedom to do what I want. We don't have it here (but we do) understand we are in quarantine."
She said the family discussed what might happen if one of them contracted coronavirus but said they planned to deal with it if and when they needed to.
"We talked about it briefly but not in too much detail," she said. "We were just being optimistic. If we sat and dwelled on it, it would bring a negative vibe, so we just said we will deal with it if it comes.
"(Day to day) it was about finding positives. Even small positives helped us through."
Speaking with Bendigo Advertiser last Sunday, the family said they had high praise for the ship's crew and the Japanese officials.
"We cant speak highly enough of Princess Cruises," Paul said. "They outlined what they were going to do for us (on the ship) and, once we get home, what they will do for us there. The crew have been magnificent and nothing has been too much trouble.
"On day three (of quarantine), the Japanese government delivered a digital thermometer to each person and asked us to watch our own temperatures.
"Things like that (for) 3700 people is not only costly, but logistically, this would be unprecedented."