Joking that they were too good at getting away from the Hunters, Joanna and Lee were completely unaware that a team of Ground Hunters were not only on their tracks but were driving up alongside them.
Realising they had been found, the pair fled the car and bolted on foot, leading to a thrilling footrace, but ultimately the pair were captured and their stolen money returned to HQ.
"I did not expect that and it just sucked," Lee told 10 Play. "We were so close and were getting back on track without our original plan and heading to Apollo Bay to go camping.
"We had some of the biggest bags, we came really prepared, we had all the gear and were ready to go off the grid, it just sucks we didn't get that far," he continued.
Initially, HQ struggled to hone in on the engaged couple and had no leads on where they had gone after they were released in Geelong.
The duo made a bold move to return to the scene of the bank heist, Ballarat, and hitched a ride with a stranger. During the trip, they used an ATM, pinging HQ of their location. From there, the Hunters were rapidly closing in.
It was a decision they'd come to regret, having otherwise had a perfect beginning to their time on the run.
"We were silly enough," Joanna said. "We should have parked around the corner of the servo but the adrenaline was just pumping and you don't think straight when that happens"
"They were just one step behind us the whole time," Lee said.
"Not two steps, one," Joanna joked.
"Any time we'd get comfortable they were always one step behind, so that really sucked," Lee laughed. "We couldn't relax at any point. When we saw them next to us it was almost like a sense of relief like, okay this is it."
Realising that they were running out of ways to slip away, the pair decided to split up the money in the hopes that at least one of them would be able to get away. But choosing to bolt on foot also meant they had to leave most of their supplies behind in the car.
"When I was out of the car with the money running I was stressed," Lee said. "Like, we've got nothing on us, we're separated... it's bloody over."
"I just tried to run as far as I could," Joanna said. "As long as I had the money I could wing it and ask for help."
Joanna had just finished two years of prepping for bodybuilding competitions where she admittedly did "absolutely zero cardio" training. "The most cardio would be just walking on a treadmill to get my steps up," she laughed.
The fitness-focused couple had to drastically overhaul their usual training in order to be prepared for a life on the run.
"We stopped lifting, we needed to get our cardio up in case we went on foot and needed to outrun the Hunters," Joanna said.
"We ended up taking up muy Thai boxing again and... at the end of our training block, we thought we could do it, but we really did underestimate the Hunters and unfortunately we got caught."
Despite their time on the run coming to an end, Joanna and Lee said their time as fugitives was "probably one of the most fun and challenging things we've done together".
"I don't think anyone really knows what to expect, you only see it on TV and, when you're there in person on the run, it's just so different," Lee explained.
"The adrenaline," Joanna said.
"And the anxiety," Lee added, "it really is a lot harder than what people at home think it is."
Looking back, the pair were mostly happy with how they handled the constant pressure and anxiety of looking over their shoulders for Hunters.
"I'm a pretty calm and collected person," Lee said.
"TOO calm," Joanna jumped in.
"That's what I mean, in moments of panic and pressure I don't do as well as Jo, she's built for that, but I'm happy with how I did everything."
"It was good to have someone there to make me laugh so I wasn't constantly in my head," Joanna admitted.
"Yeah, I was damage control in those moments when it was all going to hell, I just kept Jo calm and did what felt right. I thought we’d go further but I was surprised at how well we did and I just think we handled the situations well," Lee continued.
"Obviously everyone that goes on it probably wishes they did things differently and when they watch it at home they see little things they stuffed up and wished they did differently but I’m pretty satisfied with how we did. I’m just glad it wasn’t something I did that got us caught," he laughed.
Hunted continues Sunday at 7 and Monday - Tuesday at 7.30 on 10 and 10 Play
