COUPLE’S AMAZING ADVENTURE AS THEY DRIVE ACRO

When Lisa and PhilPhi Armstrong packed up their liveslive in Australia to return to ScotlandScotla after 11 years of living abroad,a they decided against jumpingj on a plane home.

Instead, the keen trtravellers bought a map, a second-hand ToToyota Land Cruiser andnd started out on the 444,000-mile drive homeome across the world. The couple have already driven through more than 20 of the 35 countries that their expedition will see them visit. They have driven alongside the Great Wall of China, battled through a sandstorm in the Gobi Desert, almost been washed away crossing a raging river to get to Russia and accidentally camped in an area being swept for landmines on the Afghanistan border. Lisa and Phil have also braved temperature extremes ranging from 35C to -19C. They were even forced into a treacherous 10-hour dash to hospital after Phil broke his wrist at a remote beauty spot – a freak accident that eventually led to them being flown back to Australia for specialist surgery. But the couple say every one of the dramas has only added to the adventure of their journey home, which will conclude in May.

Lisa, 43, who grew up in Gullane, East Lothian, said: “Neither of us can remember the moment we decided this was how we would travel home to Scotland but we’ve always had a love of road trips and thought it would be an adventure.

“We’re not the most intrepid travellers in the world. We are just very ordinary people who decided to look into how difficult such a journey would be. The more we found out, the more we were inspired.”

Lisa and Phil, 44, gave up their jobs in banking and finance and started their journey with a four-month tour around Australia before putting their Land Cruiser – Troopy – on a cargo ship to Singapore.

From there, the couple drove through Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, before arriving in China at the end of March last year.

Phil, who is originally from Hertfordshire, said: “China blew me away. We a heavily industrialised cou downtrodden population bu absolute opposite.”

Lisa added: “Highlights for us through Tiger Leaping Gorge, th warriors and the Great Wall,

“The people of China made o were so welcoming and inter journey. We were asked for selfi gifts, escorts into towns and to homes and restaurants. W celebrities every day.”

From China, the couple drove a country famed for its vast w and nomadic culture.

Lisa said: “From the momen until the moment we left, challenged us. The Mongolian proud and a little crazy.

“We were invited into their ho their food, rode their horses, h build their yurts and I eve goat-herding, which involved c throwing goats across a river.”

While Phil does most of the d trip, Lisa was forced to take ov