Antarctic expeditioners caught up in a fire at sea on Australia's resupply ship now face a foreign world of check-ins and masks on home soil.
About 70 expeditioners, some who had spent almost a year and a half on the frozen continent, arrived in Fremantle on Tuesday evening aboard the MPV Everest.
The ship was forced to head back through the wild Southern Ocean on axillary power after a blaze tore through its port side engine room on April 5.
The chartered ship was meant to dock in Hobart but was diverted following the fire, which destroyed two inflatable boats.
Davis Station leader David Knoff was part of 22-strong team that left for Antarctica in October 2019, prior to the pandemic.
He was due back in November but coronavirus wreaked havoc with transport plans, forcing a stay of 535 days.
"This is our first experience of COVID. For us it's quite a daunting experience to see how the world's changed," Mr Knoff told reporters in Western Australia on Wednesday.
"It was quite a strange time to be down there and watching everything happening back home."
Strict protocols have kept Australia's two Antarctic, and one sub-Antarctic, research stations free from coronavirus.
Mr Knoff, who is from Melbourne, said the return of phone reception meant downloading different apps needed to check in at venues.
"I haven't been to a supermarket yet, I don't know what it's like. I'm worried I'm going to get yelled at by someone for doing the wrong thing," he said.
The cause of fire aboard the Everest, which was chartered for this summer's resupply missions from a Dutch company, is being investigated by a range of authorities.
None of the 109 people aboard were injured, with the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) offering them extra support.
"Any fire at sea is a pretty frightening thing for people who are involved," Mawson Station leader, Matt Williams, said.
Those on Everest, including a crew of 37, received a welcome ceremony in Fremantle and underwent temperature and clearance checks.
AAD manager of safety and operations, Charlton Clark, said the fire investigation would look at all aspects of the vessel's operations.
"The people on board responded incredibly well. We have an amazing band of people who work in the Australian Antarctic Program," he said.
"They're resilient, they have to deal with the unexpected. (But) we recognise a number of people have been through a really challenging experience."
The Everest was hired after the delivery of Australia's new $529 million icebreaker RSV Nuyina was delayed due to COVID-19.
It had completed stops at Davis and Mawson research stations and is now expected to undergo repairs.
"Sailing into Fremantle Harbour to see trees for the first time for almost 500 days was pretty exceptional," Mr Williams said.
"Putting that mask on when we got off the vessel really brought it home that things had changed."
