Scott Rush is in a "remarkably positive" mood since being released from Indonesian prison and returning to Australia with four other members of the Bali Nine.
Mr Rush spent almost 20 years locked in Bali's Kerobokan Prison after being found guilty of attempting to traffic heroin, alongside Matthew Norman, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen and Michael Czugaj, all now aged in their late 30s or 40s.
After spending four days in the Howard Springs federal accommodation facility near Darwin, the men returned to their respective homes on Thursday to continue reintegrating with Australian society.
Townsville Bishop Timothy Harris has been in regular contact with the men and says they need time to rest and recuperate.
“I have spoken several times to the Rush family, and they are so happy that Scott is free and back in Australia," he said.
"I have also spoken with Scott and he sounded remarkably well and positive since his return.”
Bishop Harris said the media should leave the five men alone as they try to reintegrate.
"It is a stressful time for them as they transition back to life outside of prison," he said.
"The intensity of the media spotlight is taking its toll on their mental wellbeing and my appeal to all media outlets is to allow them to prepare and celebrate their first Christmas together in 20 years.”
Anthony Albanese said it was time for the men to return home, citing Paul Kelly's classic song How to Make Gravy in which an inmate laments spending Christmas away from his family.
"(The Bali Nine members) committed a serious crime. They paid a serious price for that crime," the prime minister told reporters on Friday.
"Tomorrow ... is Gravy Day (December 21).
"They sing the great Paul Kelly song in jail over Christmas - 'who's going to make the gravy?’ - well, their families had their loved ones in jail for 20 Christmases and that was enough."
Mr Albanese reiterated the government respected Indonesian laws and warned his nation's citizens to do the same.
"Don't be stupid ... don't take a risk like that," he said.
The men's release draws an end to the saga which up-ended their lives and tested Australia's diplomatic relations with its northern neighbour.
Indonesia has some of the world's strictest drug laws and sparked a diplomatic incident when Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed by firing squad in 2015.
Renae Lawrence was released in 2018, the same year Tan Duc Than Nguyen died of cancer.
Previous attempts to free the remaining Bali Nine members failed to gain traction, but the accession to power of President Prabowo Subianto in October renewed hope for their release.
The two governments finally struck a deal in December, which Indonesian senior minister for legal affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra said was "reciprocal in nature".
Australian ministers have denied a quid pro quo agreement that would force the federal government to consider freeing Indonesian prisoners in the future.
The five men, who have not been pardoned, are banned from entering Indonesia for life.
