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A neck brace and sling were not the souvenirs Stephanie and Jason Rowe planned to bring back to Queensland after a trip overseas.
Almost two weeks ago, the Brisbane couple defied death on what was meant to be their South American trip of a lifetime.
"We almost can't believe that we're here," Stephanie said.
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"It's been such an ordeal to get home so we're extremely relieved and happy."
"We were going on a four-day Amazon tour in Peru," Jason said.
"On day one, we figured our driver must have fallen asleep behind the wheel and drove off a cliff."
Stephanie said the van "spun three times" before it hit two trees and came to a stop.
"It was just carnage after that," she said.
Somehow, everyone survived the crash, including Jason who was knocked out for almost half an hour in the crash.
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All 10 passengers scrambled up the muddy cliff side with passersby helping them to safety.
But what unfolded in the following days was more chaos.
9News first spoke to the couple after multiple trips to Peruvian hospitals, where they couldn't get the medical care they so desperately needed.
They had found themselves stranded amid a struggle with their travel insurer and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs unable to leave the country.
The couple said when their story received media attention, the process started to speed up.
"It helped us get home, the Australian embassy stepped up," Stephanie said.
Stephanie and Jason boarded the first flight out the next day.
Now the couple is back on Brisbane soil with plenty to be thankful for.
"We like nearly died," Stephanie said.
"To be home and to see the people that we love is a pretty massive one."
