90-Second Read: First Australian Hantavirus cruise ship passenger speaks from quarantine

The first Australian to speak publicly about being onboard the MV Hondius recounts what happened and their experience spending five weeks in a quarantine facility in Western Australia. Australian passenger Peter Marsh, who spoke exclusively to the ABC from inside the Western Australian quarantine centre, said he had no bad feelings about how things had played out. Six passengers who were on a cruise ship that was hit by an outbreak of Hantavirus have had their quarantine period in the outer Perth suburb of Bullsbrook extended until June 23. The quarantine period is due to end next Tuesday, and Mr Marsh and his fellow passengers are expected to fly to their homes in New South Wales and Queensland.

The first person who died, obviously, was the person who brought the virus onto the ship, but he had no knowledge that was going to happen, and he had no symptoms when he got on the ship and he paid the ultimate price. Initially, it was all he had hoped it to be, but then passengers started getting sick. Peter Marsh and five other passengers from the ship arrived back in Australia a month ago. From the Spanish island, they were flown to the Netherlands, then repatriated to Australia to begin their six weeks of quarantine at the COVID-era quarantine facility.

Peter Marsh has spoken to the ABC from a quarantine facility in WA. The 82-year-old says spending five weeks so far in quarantine at a facility in Western Australia has been "somewhat tiresome" but well worthwhile. Ever since, the group has been completing a six-week quarantine period at the Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience, about 40 kilometres north-east of Perth. And the [cruise company], once they became aware of what was going on, they worked assiduously to minimise the risk for the rest of us.

His birding experiences, more than two decades' worth, have helped pass the hours. Peter Marsh was drawn to the Atlantic cruise odyssey to see birds like the Ascension frigatebird. After so long away, Mr Marsh cannot wait to see his family and what comes with it.