Cycling home from New Zealand: British couple ride more than 16,000 miles on a TANDEM - and still have 5,700 miles to go

Kat and Steve Turner plan to beat previous tandem journey record

Kat had to learn how to ride before selling possessions and leaving home

Suffered health problems, been bullied by police and survived rockfalls

They say they have also been stunned by kindness of people and scenery



A British husband and wife team have spent an arduous 568 days cycling in an attempt to break the record for distance travelled - on a tandem bicycle.

Kat and Steve Turner set off from Christchurch in New Zealand in April 2012, just eight months after they wed, and have traversed a vast portion of the globe on trusty tandem 'Hooch' - mostly sleeping in a tiny two-man tent.

The intrepid couple gave up well-paid jobs as a teacher and caseworker for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman before leaving their chickens and cat at their home in Forest Hill, south east London, with friends who are house-sitting for them.

A bicycle made for two: Kat and Steve Turner are trying to break the world record for the longest tandem ride

Breather: Steve takes a break as the couple near the end of their trek through China

Incredibly, Kat, 32, had never even ridden a bike more than a few yards before they decided to take on the challenge, which is being made to raise money and awareness for development charity Practical Action.

So far they have travelled through New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and are currently in Greece.

The couple hope to return to the UK in early 2014, having beaten the previous world record of 38,143kms set by Phil and Louise Shambrook 15 years ago.

In more remote parts of central Asia and the Far East, many people had met few foreigners, if any

The couple admit to tensions, but say their relationship is now stronger than ever. Due to inflation, Steve was given a carrier bag full of money (right) in Uzbekistan in exchange for gingerly handing over $50



So what did their family and friends think when they first announced the epic trip?



Steve, 34, said: 'Initially they were surprised and of course they raised a few worries about our safety but from the outset we had overwhelming support from our family and friends who were excited on our behalf of all the places we would see and adventures we would have. Now they, like us, are astounded that we have cycled all this way.'

The couple say they are constantly 'inspired and amazed' about the glimpses they get into the daily life of all the different communities they cycle through, such as the hill tribes of Northern Laos and Northern Vietnam, the minority groups in Yunnan province of China, aborigines in Central Australia,

the nomadic people of Kyrgyzstan and the shepherds on horse back in Kazakhstan.

Some of the landscapes the pair cycled through were almost otherworldly

Home sweet home: Some of their sleeping quarters were unconventional to say the least

Tandem: Steve and 'Hooch' in Malaysia - but there's no time for a shave

'What really inspires us is that while there are vast differences in culture, language, fashion, wealth and religion, to all these communities family, friends, love and laughter are the most important thing,' Kat added.

However, the trip has not been without its moments of tension, even danger.

They say they had the most difficulties with authorities in China. If they were staying at a hotel, there were many times when the police would bang loudly and incessantly on the bedroom door.

Steve added: 'Two to five officers would barge into our room, demanding our passports and reasons for our presence in their town.

'They were always courteous but we could never relax when staying in a hotel as we waited for the dreaded knock at the door and we found their interrogations about our comings and goings intimidating.'

Epic ride: The couple's journey from New Zealand to London via three continents will last well into 2014

Kat added: 'There was an occasion when the police refused to let us onto the only road to Urumqi which skirted between the Gobi Desert to the north and the Taklamakan Desert to the south. The police insisted we use the old road which we knew from our research no longer existed and which they also admitted they knew no longer existed.

'Despite this there was a stand-off between us and them for about an hour as we explained they were putting our lives at serious risk by sending us into the middle of the desert on a road they knew was not there. '

'They insisted that bicycles were not allowed on the only road to Urumqi despite us seeing at least two Chinese cycle tourers cycle past on that very road.



'In the end we took the old road, which soon turned to dust. It was impossible to even see, let alone cycle. We managed to find a gap on the only road and snuck onto it.'

Still smiling: Kat had barely any experience cycling before they took on the challenge

Odyssey: Over two years, the couple plan to cycle from New Zealand back to their home in Forest Hill, London

Hardened: The pair traded comfortable lives in London for intense physical activity and spartan conditions

At the beginning of the trip in New Zealand, the couple were forced to cycle through the night as their progress to the nearest campsite had been hampered by a rough gravel road, endless hills, strong headwinds and icy rain.

FROM NEW ZEALAND TO LONDON: THE JOURNEY IN NUMBERS 568 days on the road

Distance cycled - 26,200km

World Record - 38,143km

11,943km left to go

Elevation Gain - 249,365m

(Everest climbed 28 times)

Time moving in the saddle :

1585 hours (Kat could have typed the complete works of Shakespeare three times)

Kat added: 'We had to cycle through a gorge with a sheer cliff rock face to our left and a huge drop to a raging river to our right. Due to the terrible weather, there was water pouring out of the weaknesses in the rock face and evidence of rock falls and boulders the size of footballs. It was a very scary situation to be in.'

They were also in the eastern Chinese town of Dingxi when an earthquake hit, killing 95 people.



There were health trials too. Steve suffered with a terrible episode of heat exhaustion in Cambodia, Kat had a fractured knee-cap after they hit a railway track and she was also bitten by a dog on a campsite in the Outback.



Steve said: 'We've both had regular bouts of poorly tummies, sore bums after long days, bad backs after terrible roads, but all in all we've probably been healthier than when we are at home.



The trip has been full of incredible experiences, but the Turners say Kyrgyzstan was the highlight so far.



'It was a great experience because we didn't know what to expect as we'd never heard of it before and couldn't even spell it,' said Steve.



'The mountains were stunning, the nomadic people on horseback were friendly, it was interesting to see yurts being packed up for the winter and we spent peaceful nights camping under the stars.'



The pair have have also eaten an incredible variety of different cuisines as they traversed Asia. They say the best meal was shashlik (barbequed kebabs) and bread in Central Asia - a treat after so many months of eating rice and noodles.

Desolate beauty: Much of the ride took them through unspoilt countryside

The worst meal was probably pig intestine served as a special dish at the home of a 'wonderful' Chinese couple who had never met a foreigner in their 70 years.

Kat said: 'It wasn't a terrible taste but a difficult texture. However, being hungry cyclists, any food usually looks and tastes pretty good to us.'

How have most people they have met reacted to their odyssey?

Steve said: 'The sight of us two on our huge tandem and trailer makes people laugh. People are excited to talk to us about our trip.

'We've been completely taken aback by the many acts of kindness we have received, from being handed a chocolate bar or cold drink out of the window of a passing vehicle, to being warmly welcomed into the homes of strangers and fed wonderful meals.'

They admit to missing roast dinners, clean toilets and being part of a community in England, but also feel there are some things to be learned from other cultures, such as less emphasis on material possessions and less fear of strangers, the unknown and taking chances.



They are completing the trip to raise money for British international development charity Practical Action, which uses technology to help solve the problems of people living in poverty in the developing world.



Steve added: 'Practical Action is a charity that sets out to use technology to challenge poverty and more often than not, it is the simplest ideas that have the biggest impact.'



The food Steve most enjoyed was shashliks (a type of kebab) found in central Asia

Creature comforts: The Turners admit they miss toilets in the UK

He added: 'A great example of simple technology is the bicycle. It is such a simple form of transport – yet it is life changing to millions around the world and in our case is capable of taking us around it.



Our trip has taken us through thousands of villages, towns and communities of all walks of life. But no matter what the local religion, culture or climate is - the basic physical, emotional and spiritual needs are universal.

'Basic human needs are actually quite simple, yet there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor of the world, with many people on the planet struggling to meet even their basic physical needs.



'The resource and ideas to raise all people above the poverty line are in our hands and Practical Action is a charity that seeks to do this is a practical and sustainable way.'