Bernard's passion for long-distance cycling started in 1991, when she rode down Australia's east coast, and then around Tasmania. This was followed by a spontaneous decision to join two friends cycling across the Nullarbor (Kalgoorlie to Melbourne) in 1994. Difficult terrain and isolation were no deterrent; spectacular views and vast expanses of nature were essential criteria when she planned her rides. She joined up with old friends or made new friends along the way. In 1996, she decided to ride from Australia to England, a decision that yet again impressed friends, who were unsurprised. What ensued was an epic solo adventure spanning more than three years, 19 countries and tens of thousands of kilometres through remote, extreme, sometimes hostile but always wildly beautiful parts of the world. Starting in Indonesia, Bernard's ride took her through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand (twice), Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Israel. Her journey was cruelly curtailed when her bike and gear were stolen in Egypt and she was forced to fly on to England. Along the way she enjoyed the kinds of privileges and joys that the really bold encounter - such as an escort by tribal chiefs and blanket-clad henchmen on motorbikes through an unsafe region, to a private audience with the Dalai Lama, and a free night in a luxurious Indian hotel at the top of a particularly excruciating ascent.

Then there was the horror of spending five days alone in an Iranian jail on the spurious charge of ''bad intentions'' when she was escorted on the street by the sons of her host family. Bernard narrowly escaped punishment of 60 lashes when a religious cleric conducting the trial in Farsi asked her in halting English what she thought of soccer. Although no fan of the sport, Bernard managed to bluff a response that secured her freedom and she made a hasty dash to the Turkish border. A skilled communicator, she often paused long enough on her travels to live, teach in a school or orphanage, and learn a smattering of the language to get by and make friends. Bernard wrote for the Cambodia Daily, hosted Thai radio programs and mailed taped dispatches back to a Melbourne radio station every week. She also blogged long before it had a sphere, and her ''kristbike'' adventures online enjoyed a growing audience with each new country she visited. A skilled photographer, she was sponsored by Australian Geographic, and wrote articles for the publication. On her return in 2000, she was awarded the society's gold medallion for Young Adventurer of the Year. She returned to Britain a few years later and finally met the man who could match her spirit and stamina, Daniel Coward. In 2002, she rode from Casablanca to Tangiers in north Africa, and in 2007 tackled the Tunisian mountains to prepare for a more gruelling test.

In 2008-09, she and Dan embarked on an epic ride from London to the Himalayas, to raise funds for Rainforest Rescue, a forest conservation organisation. The 15,000-kilometre journey took them through Europe, Turkey and the Central Asian republics to China, and along the world's highest (Karakorum) highway to Islamabad in Pakistan. All the way they wrote, photographed and shared their incredible stories with readers around the world. Bernard's activism and unswerving commitment to environmental and social causes won her wide respect, and her love of music, art, singing, dancing and yoga won her countless friends. She financed her travels by working in advocacy organisations such as UK Greenpeace, Rainforest Rescue, the Deaf-Blind Society, or teaching yoga and writing. Her seemingly insurmountable strength and determination helped her battle the onset of depression that rivalled the toughest of headwinds in intensity and relentlessness. She is survived by her fiance, Dan, parents Clency and Mary, brother Luc, sister Anna, and nieces and nephews.