Cycling couple celebrate first year in the saddle on other side of world

A COUPLE from Caversham have celebrated their first year of cycling around the world in Australia.

Richard Mason and Kat Wilkinson have ridden more than 10,000 miles and visited 21 countries since they left their home in Nile Road in May last year.

They travel an average of 80km a day using a GPS system to navigate and sleep in a tent at the side of the road or in campsites at night.

The couple spent months cycling through Europe and then flew to Kuala Lumpur to travel through south-east Asia.

They flew from Singapore to Sydney for the latest leg of their journey and are currently cycling north along the east coast of Australia.

Mr Mason said: “Our goal is to reach Cairns and we are just homing in on Brisbane, which is about halfway.

“We will likely return to south-east Asia after this to see the countries that we haven’t been too.

“We have enjoyed many highlights on this latest leg of our journey, including cycling the Thakhek Loop in Laos, zooming through the Kong Lor Cave on a long tail boat, visiting the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia, going to the bridge on the River Kwai and seeing the incredible jungle scenery in Malaysia.

“Also the kindness of people as we travelled through Malaysia. We thought it might be difficult to travel there during Ramadan but we were often given food and drink by strangers.

“The most difficult thing was the heat and the humidity in southern Thailand and Malaysia. It reached 43C and 93 per cent humidity on some days.”

The couple took a break at Khao Lak beach in Thailand.

Ms Wilkinson said: “I’m not usually a fan of beach breaks but I do love swimming and it was great to recharge a bit and spend some time off the bikes.

“The last month has been a rollercoaster emotionally and we’ve been through the mill physically. What we really wanted was a break from the heat and a chance to rest and reset.”

Mr Mason said Australia was unexpectedly beautiful and they had enjoyed seeing the wildlife.

“In contrast with Thailand, some nights have been down to 3C, which makes getting out of the tent in the morning a challenge.

“But we are enjoying the freedom of camping again.”

The couple have lived in Caversham for 22 years and ran a garden and grounds maintenance service which they sold last year as well as renting their home to fund the trip.

To follow the couple’s journey, visit https://rideandseek.bike/blog