Claire Leong says she's been on an “absolute rollercoaster” of emotions over the past three weeks.
On Sunday that rollercoaster came to an end as the Perth-based teacher's two parents - Madge and Jesz Fleming, both in their 70s and with confirmed cases of coronavirus - .
The Flemings had been among the more than 100 Australians and New Zealanders stranded for more than two weeks off the Uruguayan coast aboard the Greg Mortimer cruise ship.
Earlier this week, Aurora Expeditions, the Australian company that operates the cruise ship, confirmed 128 of 217 people on board, nearly 60 per cent, had tested positive for coronavirus.
“We are so incredibly relieved," Ms Leong told SBS News.
"We are just so thankful to the Uruguayan people [and] the Uruguayan government who held out the hand of friendship when really they were just like us, so scared.”
The evacuation flight carrying 112 people - 96 Australians and 16 New Zealanders - arrived in Melbourne just before 7am local time on Sunday.
Passengers from aboard the Antarctica Cruise ship The Greg Mortimer arrive at Melbourne Airport from Uruguay, Sunday, April 12, 2020. Source: AAP
The evacuated passengers were repatriated using what the Uruguayan government called a "humanitarian corridor" with strict biosecurity measures.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne tweeted her thanks to Uruguay and its foreign minister, Ernesto Talvi, on Sunday morning for the country's role in helping the Australians get home.
But not everyone aboard the Greg Mortimer made the evacuation flight, with eight people transferred to Montevideo hospitals in "life-threatening" conditions.
Ms Leong’s dad Jesz had originally been transferred to a Montevideo hospital as well, but was later been given clearance to fly home.
“We were really worried for dad and how this might pan out until he got the certificate from the doctor saying he was good to fly," she said.
"We were worried about what that might look like, with one coming home and one not coming home, considering the situation the moment."
All evacuated Australian passengers will now spend two weeks in quarantine at a Melbourne hotel.
The Greg Mortimer departed on 15 March on a voyage to Antarctica and South Georgia when their adventure was cut short on March 20 due to the nearest South American countries - Argentina and Chile - closing their borders and imposing lockdowns.
The ship traveled to Montevideo on 27 March as it was the nearest port still open, where it remained docked for more than two weeks.
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