Former Bendigo woman Alexandra Stobaus and her boyfriend Jackson Callahan had a flight booked to Australia on March 20 but were not allowed to board, because airline staff said they did not have clearance to enter their home country.

But this weekend they started their return journey home, with the assistance of the Malaysian embassy.

With only 17 Malaysian citizens in Bolivia, the couple said, Malaysia opened up a charter flight to other nationalities.

Miss Stobaus and Mr Callahan caught a bus to the airport at 4am on Saturday, local time. On Monday night they are expected to fly out of Brazil to Qatar, and from there to Australia

Read more:

They hope to arrive in Melbourne on Wednesday evening.

Despite assurances of assistance from Australian authorities, the couple said they received little help.

"The Malaysian government organised the entire thing," they told the Bendigo Advertiser.

"The Malaysian embassy joined our Australian in Bolivia WhatsApp group and told us about it.

"We told the Australian embassy who told us they had nothing organised so we should take it."

They said the Australian consulate only booked them a taxi to meet the bus to the airport.

Miss Stobaus' mother, Junortoun's Eve Curtis, is relieved the pair are coming home, although she says she will not be able to completely trust in it until they are back on home soil.

Miss Stobaus and Mr Callahan are also excited to come home, although say they feel a little guilty to be doing so before others.

In particular, they are concerned about one man, a lung transplant recipient, who was supposed to be on their flight but was told the long journey would be too risky to his health.

That man said he had limited medication and no lung specialists in Bolivia to help him.

"So I wish he got to come home too," Miss Stobaus said.

Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.