Planes to the NT full as travellers rush to beat $2500 mandatory quarantine

TRAVELLERS have scrambled to get on flights from Sydney to Darwin to beat the $2500 a head forced coronavirus quarantine that comes into force tomorrow.

Brook and her children, aged 16 months and four years old, were among the passengers onboard the Sydney to Darwin flight that arrived today. Picture: Che Chorley

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TRAVELLERS have scrambled to get on flights from Sydney to Darwin to beat the $2500 a head forced coronavirus quarantine that comes into force tomorrow.

Passengers on two flights that landed today reported all seats were taken.

Cousins Rafael Soares das Neves, Tyrone Soares das Neves and Marina Soares arrived from Melbourne after a two-day journey.

They are from Darwin but now live in Melbourne where Rafel and Tyrone have been pursuing their soccer dream and were desperate to get home because of their grand mother’s failing health.

They described the situation in Melbourne as scary.

“Everything is shut down, studies, sport … it seemed to be getting better and then it all changed,” Rafael said.

“We play soccer and we’ve gone through pre-season twice. Now the season is likely to be cancelled.”

Rafael Soares das Neves, 18, Tyronne Soares das Neves 20, and Marina Soares 25, were on board a flight that arrived in Darwin today after travelling through NSW from Melbourne. Picture: Che Chorley

Paul Elliott, like many who arrived today, had changed his flight plans so he could get back to Darwin to avoid forced quarantine at Howard Springs.

“I’m a fly-in-fly out worker and was not due back for another three weeks, but I needed to get back so that I wasn’t in lockdown when rostered to work again,” he said.

“I’d only been home a week with my wife and I’ve had to come back.

“It was the first time home in 14 weeks so this is pretty hard on both of us.

“I’ve only seen her for six weeks this year but safety first and I totally support that.

“My work takes me to Indigenous communities and you cannot afford this virus getting into any of the remote areas.”

Fly-in fly-out worker Paul Elliott was among the passengers onboard the Sydney to Darwin flight that arrived today. Picture: Che Chorley

Cathy is a nurse and had intended on returning to Darwin next week.

She had been visiting her children while her husband remained in Darwin.

“There is no way I wanted to be staying at Howard Springs, alone and without my husband,” she said.

Cathy was among the passengers onboard the Sydney to Darwin flight that arrived today. Picture: Che Chorley

Mother of two Brook was also intending to come to Darwin next week.

She too made rushed changes to her flight plans to beat the forced curfew.

“My children are four and 16 months old and we wanted to be with my mum and dad not at Howard Springs’” she said.

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About 80 people are destined for two weeks forced quarantine at the Howard Springs workers camp when they fly into Darwin tomorrow on JQ 678 from Melbourne.