A Scots couple have reached the other side of the world as part of their epic fundraising challenge to tour the globe by tandem bicycle.
Bob and Deborah Gulliver set off on their world tour from Rachel House Hospice in Kinross in March 2022 after being inspired by long-distance cyclist Mark Beaumont’s book 'The Man that Cycles Around the World”.
The determined duo, who weren't cyclists prior to their trip and are from Biggar, have now covered 27 countries and 22,000 km, recently completing the New Zealand leg of their world tour.
They have most recently explored Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland, and the New Zealand Parliament.
According to Guinness World Records, to officially cycle around the world there is a requirement to start and end in the same place, pedal 28,000km, and cycle through an ‘antipodal pair’ - which points at directly opposite sides of the planet.
With this in mind Bob and Deborah chose Alaejos, a small village in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain, and the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington as the antipodal points.
While they aren't attempting to break any actual round-the-world records, the couple are well on their way to satisfying the Guinness stipulations, aiming to complete 30,000km by the end of the year and finish their journey in the same place they set off - Rachel House Hospice.
READ MORE: 'Hospice gave me precious time with my daughter, now I want to help'
The next country on the couple’s hit-list is the US, where they aim to cycle from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, before flying to Morocco and cycling back to Scotland via Spain, France, England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Bob, who owns Britsail sailing company in Inverkip with Deborah, said: “We hope, if the weather is kind, a few of our sailing friends will be able to collect us from Ballycastle in our yacht and drop us off at Campbeltown for the final Scottish leg of our journey."
Reflecting on their incredible journey so far, he said: “We have explored many amazing cities, from Prague to Athens, Istanbul to Tbilisi, and Ho Chi Minh City to Kuala Lumpur, but it is the non-touristy things that are the most memorable, such as staying with monks in a temple in Thailand, fending off camels from eating our tent in Kazakstan and sitting chilling with a koala on a stretch of grass at the side of the road in Australia.
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“If there is a single thing that we will take away from this tour, it is the kindness and generosity we have encountered from people we have met around the globe, often those with the least giving the most.
"We have received gifts of food, water, and accommodation across every country we have visited from complete strangers, with tens of thousands of smiles and shouts of welcome, the memories that will stay with us forever.
"Our Hase Pino Tour tandem has suffered many failures, with it now held together with multiple frame welds, cable ties and lengths of duct tape.
"We will finish our circumnavigation even if we are forced to carry the bike across the finish line ourselves."
CHAS Community Fundraiser Alison Rennie said: “We are grateful to Bob and Deborah for raising awareness and funds for CHAS through this incredible once-in-a-lifetime trip around the world.
"Their contribution will help us continue to support children with life-shortening conditions and their families across Scotland."
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