Honeymoons are typically a precious time for newlyweds to enjoy each other’s company and escape the pressures of daily life. But one British couple, Kate and Steve Turner, decided to take a different path. Instead of indulging in a beachside retreat or checking into a spa resort after their lavish wedding, they chose to tour three continents by tandem bicycle and raise money for charity. The Turners plan to break the world record in this field over the course of two years.
　　 The Turners got married in August 2011, then gave up their well-paid jobs and left their pets in the care of friends as they set off from their hometown of London for Christchurch, New Zealand. They planned to begin an extraordinary honeymoon journey from there to celebrate and affirm their wedding vows. After six months, covering more than 9,000 kilometers, enduring the freezing cold, snow, rainstorms, and hurricanes of the Arctic, as well as sweltering heat and physical challenges, the brave couple finally arrived at Darwin, the northernmost part of Australia.
　　 Although completing the cycling leg through Australia and New Zealand was no small feat, it still didn’t even make up a quarter of the entire trip, as their honeymoon journey spans three continents.
　　 Currently, the couple is in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, ready to begin their Asian leg. This will include stops in Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and China. From there, they will enter Pakistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey from northwestern China, starting the European portion of their trip in Turkey, before returning to the UK in early 2014.
　　 The Turners are also raising funds during their journey for the UK-based international development charity Practical Action, which aims to use technology to solve the everyday problems of people living in poverty in developing countries.
　　 Steve, 33, who used to be a teacher at South Grove Primary School in Ilford, described the journey: “It’s tough, but once we overcome all the challenges, it will be the most amazing experience — the most extraordinary honeymoon.”