Crosswords, novels and Netflix: What life's like in hantavirus quarantine

Crosswords, novels and Netflix have helped keep boredom at bay for a New Zealander and five Australians at a hantavirus quarantine facility.

The group left the Perth venue at 3.45 am on Tuesday after staying there for six weeks because of an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius.

The head of the facility, Kath McDermott said they had mostly been in good spirits - but morale was particularly high as home-time approached.

The group did not have direct contact with each other but communicated by phone, computers or a wave from their verandahs and became close.

Each person was allocated two one-hour slots to walk by themselves in the grounds. They spent the rest of the time alone, she said.

"Everyone had a laptop, their phone, TV, some had Netflix, novels, ringing family and friends,crosswords..."

There was a daily newsletter with a quiz and one of the group was a keen birdwatcher, so started a competition to how many different species they could spot during their stay.

Meals were ordered in from local restaurants - usually decided by the group.

"The passengers could choose what they wanted - they could say 'we want Thai tonight, or Chinese or Indian'....it was very democratic," McDermott said.

McDermott was from the federally funded National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre in Darwin and had travelled to Perth to operate the quarantine facility at Bullsbrook, just out of Perth.

There were 500 rooms but the group was just in one block.

Each person had a double room and a verandah.

There were daily health checks for symptoms and always a nurse on site.

Everyone stayed in good health for the entire time.

McDermott said she would miss the group as she headed home to Darwin.

"This group they were just such an excellent group of people to take care of in quarantine. They really did help us help them get to the finish line together and they were just so smooth," she said.

"They were intelligent people, understood the need for quarantine for the individual and what that mean to the Australian community so it was really good."

One passenger, Australian Peter Marsh, told ABC, the quarantine was worthwhile to help keep people from getting sick but said he could not wait to hug his wife and see his children and grandchildren.