In the crowd will be 12 New Zealand family members, who will join her parents to welcome Jessica home after she spent nearly seven months at sea in a pink 10m yacht.
The "Kiwi contingent" comprises her grandparents Gordon and Margaret Chisholm, of Lowburn, aunts and uncles Wendy Taylor, of Ripponvale, Neville and Jenny Chisholm, of Tarras, Vivienne and Andrew Ivory, of Wellington, and five of Jessica's cousins - Terri Taylor (10), of Ripponvale, Charlie (8) and Jody (7) Chisholm, of Tarras, and Conor (14) and Joseph (11) Ivory, of Wellington.
"I can't wait to see her. It's going to be awesome," cousin Terri said yesterday before heading to Australia.
Wendy Taylor said Jessica's parents were New Zealanders and "that's why she's really a Kiwi".
The family were expecting the official welcome and masses of spectators to be overwhelming, but were looking forward to the experience. Jessica would have a busy round of interviews in the next few days but they were sure she could cope well with all the attention.
"I'm not sure what she'll do next, though. This will be a hard act to follow," Mr Chisholm said.
Jessica is bidding to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world.
Even though it was revealed last week that new rules put in place during her voyage mean she cannot claim the official world record for youngest person to sail solo and unassisted around the world, Jessica brushed aside any controversy in her blog this week.
"If I haven't been sailing around the world, then it beats me what I've been doing out here all this time! Have I mentioned how excited I am? It's like the day before Christmas except I don't ever remember getting this excited about Christmas.
"Two more sleeps until a hot shower, fresh food and, and, and, everything else!"
After a wobbly start - Jessica collided with a coal freighter during a test sail - she left Sydney in her yacht Ella's Pink Lady on October 18 last year.
She battled 12m waves and storms during her journey, which took her northeast through the South Pacific and across the equator, south to Cape Horn at the tip of South America, across the Atlantic Ocean to South Africa, through the Indian Ocean and around southern Australia.
She has lived on prepackaged meals, dried fruit, sweets and the occasional cupcake, baked on her stove. Yesterday, she told her parents she was eager for a fresh salad and pavlova.
People around the world have followed Jessica's adventures on her blog, which she has regularly updated from the computer on board her boat. She has used a satellite phone and Skype to keep in touch with her family and management team in Australia.
Jessica will not be able to claim the title of the youngest person to sail solo and unassisted around the world, after the rules were changed during her trip.
The World Sailing Speed Record Council no longer recognises the category of "the youngest". This follows the furore over allowing ever younger sailors to undertake such a risky endeavour, sparked when the Dutch courts intervened last year to prevent Laura Dekker (13) from setting sail solo.
The council also queried whether Jessica had sailed far enough to beat the previous record, held by Australian Jesse Martin.
Jessica will potentially earn millions as a result of her highly publicised venture. She has several lucrative deals with media, will immediately start a nationwide "Meet Jessica" tour, a book is due out in July and she may become a poster girl for apple grower Pink Lady Australia.
Her website is doing brisk trade in baseball hats, wall charts and other sailing paraphernalia.
It boasts 14 major sponsors, including Dunedin-based GPS global tracking company TracPlus, which provided tracking equipment for her and her website, so the world could keep tabs on her trip.
- Additional reporting, NZPA
