A PAIR of former Woodbridge High School students are setting off today on a gruelling journey across Africa in a 45-year-old Land Rover they bought on eBay.

Life-long friends Adam Ataar and Alex Collard, who are both 27, aim to drive over 3,000 miles across the baking sands of the Sahara desert over the next four weeks as part of an international rally.

They organised the visit to help raise money for charity the Mercy Corps, which helps poverty-striken people in developing countries.

However they hope they can also have a bit of an adventure at the same time.

“We’re really excited about going,” Mr Ataar told the Guardian last night.

“Some of our families think we’re really brave, but some of them think we’re absolutely crazy.”

The pair, who are taking part in the race under the team name Rusty Rhinos, first got the travel bug after taking part in the Mongol Rally last year, when they drove all the way to Mongolia in a beaten up old Suzuki 4x4.

You can keep track of their progress by going to website saharan-rally.com, which they will be updating via GPS technology.

To help out in their fund-raising quest, visit justgiving.com/saharanrally2009.