Tassie duo enlist the help of an international army in drama-filled trip home

A seven-month cycling tour ended in a crazy dash home for two Tassie mates, involving a ride in an animal transport truck, a clandestine bus trip and a plane flight with the Israeli military.

THE Israeli military came to the rescue of two Tasmanian travellers stranded in South America in a drama-filled story of escape amid the coronavirus crisis.

During the ordeal, Izaac Gardner and Gus Goodwolf, both 22, also hitchhiked in an animal transport truck and endured a tense eight-hour covert bus trip through Bolivia in darkness.

The Hobartians were on a seven-month cycling tour of the continent when the global spread of the deadly virus brought their adventure to an abrupt halt.

It left them in a desperate race against the clock to secure safe passage back to Australia, as Bolivia moved to introduced a nationwide lockdown.

Speaking from a Sydney hotel where they are now quarantined after arriving on Sunday night, the travellers spoke of their relief at being back on home soil.

“We are just so grateful and our families are hugely relieved,” Mr Gardner said.

“It was weighing on us a lot ... we were losing sleep over it and were really worried about what would happen if we did get stuck in Bolivia.”

Boarding the Israeli military plane in Bolivia.

They had all but accepted they would be stuck indefinitely in a hostel in the major Bolivian city of Santa Cruz when they received an unexpected call at 11pm on Thursday last week.

It was a representative from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and there were spots on a plane organised by the Israeli military to get dozens of that country’s citizens home.

They flew the next day, arriving in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo before travelling to Australia via the Chilean capital Santiago.

Just days earlier, they had faced several setbacks as they exhausted seemingly every avenue to try to get home.

Hitchhiking in an animal transport truck from Oruro to Uyuni while trying to flee Bolivia to Chile during curfew.

They hitched a ride in an animal transport truck to the Bolivian city of Uyuni, where they discovered a clandestine bus was soon leaving for the major centre of La Paz.

It was late at night, and the driver told them to keep quiet and not use their mobile phones because authorities were restricting movement within the country’s borders.

They arrived safely in La Paz but finding themselves unable to secure a flight home, they flew to Bolivia’s biggest city, Santa Cruz.

Attempts to book a flight home were in vain, a bid to flee to Brazil also failed when they were stopped at the border, and after returning to Santa Cruz they accepted they could be quarantined for months – before the Israeli option saved the day.

As a surprise bonus, the Israeli flight came at no cost.

Izaac Gardner and Gus Goodwolf at the Brazilian border after being denied entry.

Mr Gardner and Mr Goodwolf will be subject to a further 14 days in lockdown once they reach Tasmania after they complete their two weeks of quarantine in Sydney.

It comes as hundreds of other Australians prepare to land in Australia after the Federal Government helped facilitate charter flights from Peru and Uruguay.

But Federal Independent MP for Clark Andrew Wilkie said he believed there were still at least nine Tasmanians stuck in Peru.

“There are also four Tasmanians aboard the Atlantic Voyager berthed in Uruguay, reportedly facing repatriation charter costs of up to $US5000 each,” he said.

Mr Wilkie said some citizens were stranded in remote places in South American countries and unable to travel to major centres because of travel restrictions.

Inside the military plane that left Bolivia and travelled to Brazil.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the agency was working with Australians overseas who were seeking to return home.

A charter flight by Chimu Adventures from Peru — which the Federal Government helped to facilitate — is due to arrive in Sydney on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, it is understood 276 Australians from the Costa Victoria and Costa Luminosa cruise ships left Italy on Sunday bound for Perth.