Would you trade your job for a gruelling but fun-filled adventure? A young couple from Australia had no second thoughts about it.

Rhiannon Hossack, 29, a former environmental consultant in the energy industry, and Adam Muzur, 26, a university student, ditched their daily routine one-and-a-half years ago to cycle all the way to some of the remotest places in the world. They are now in Malta for a much-needed “sunshine” break.

“After enduring nights in the Patagonian winter where our tent reached -20˚C, we really needed some sunshine and sea. We also love history and learning about different cultures, and Malta has it all!” Ms Hossack told Times of Malta.

The couple, who have been together since July 2017, left Australia for Quito, Ecuador and travelled north to Otavolo, where they attended a Spanish school for a few weeks before they started their mountain bike journey.

Their adventure saw them cycling down the length of the Andes mountain range, from the Equator in Ecuador, across Peru and Chile to reach the ‘end of the world’ in Ushuaia, Argentina.

Mr Muzur in Argentina

Along the way, they pedalled through the Galapagos Islands, the volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru and Patagonia, the sparsely populated region in the southern end of South America.

They rode along some spectacular roads such as a hiking traverse through Ausangate Mountain, near the famous Rainbow Mountain in Peru.

“We slept at heights above 5,000 metres above sea level and were blown away with the most amazing scenery, something definitely outside of this world,” Mr Muzur said.

They also pitched their tents at various cemeteries, many fire stations, vineyards, farms, abandoned buildings and hotels, next to pristine rivers, lava fields and volcanoes.

The couple is adamant they would not have had such a thrilling and amazing time if they were using other modes of transport.

“A bike gives you so many opportunities that you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to if you travelled by structured bus, train, car schedules or along the usual backpacker routes,” Ms Hossack said.

“It is so simple to have everything you need to survive with you and with your own power to take you to the places you want to see, or stumble across hidden gems you wouldn’t otherwise discover,” she added.

Frozen tent and bikes in Argentina.

A bike gives you so many opportunities that you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to

Her companion described the experience as “pretty much a whole day of meditation on the bike”.

“You notice every smell, sensation, noise, image and you go slowenough to acknowledge it all and enjoy − or not enjoy − these feelings,” he said.

The couple also remarked that bikes draw curiosity, helping to break down barriers between cultures and to strike up conversations with complete strangers, sometimes in the middle of nowhere.

“Besides, it’s a very environmentally friendly way to travel and is cheap,” Ms Hossack noted.

Yet the feat was no easy one. The weather, altitude, fatigue, surface and gradient dictated how long the duo cycled at a stretch.

“Some days we would only ride 10km because we could not turn down a beautiful place to stop, or the trail would be simply unrideable and we just had to push the bike. Other days we would ride 100 kilometres,” Mr Muzur noted.

One of the worst experiences was when a child stole a bag of peanuts from their bikes while they were sheltering in their tent during a “crazy” storm.

Rhiannon Hossack cycling the last 200km into Ushuaia, Argentina.

“We didn’t really have any other food and were a long way from a supply point, so it was definitely inconvenient. But it was a boy from a small family house, completely disconnected in the mountains. In the end, we probably would have given them to him anyway,” Ms Hossack admitted.

“It really opened our eyes. He had the opportunity to take a GoPro but opted for some peanuts, something taken for granted by us, but for him it must have meant something completely different.”

Another mishap forced them to stop in their tracks when they were about to cross the border from Peru to Chile.

Riding across the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.

“We were stuck in areas that were devastated by flash flooding, landslides and road washouts. The place was in a state of emergency. We had to consider our safety and instead flew across the border to Chile,” Mr Muzur said.

These events, however, never discouraged the couple, who have now set their eyes on Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

“The sense of complete freedom while cycling with everything you need to survive strapped to your bicycle is incredible. Surrounded by a whole lot of high-altitude wilderness and small indigenous communities, it is a feeling unparalleled in our lives,” Ms Hossack enthused.

“Besides, the global biking community is just amazing. Before we began our trip, we thought we were kind of alone in doing this sort of thing… But it didn’t take us long for us to find groups of other like-minded cyclists.”

In Latin America, they stayed at a Casa De Ciclistas or ‘House of Cyclists’ offering accommodation to anyone travelling on a bike. Ms Hossack and Mr Muzur intend to repay this hospitality once they return home after their “nice, warm stay” in Malta.

The couple, however, opted not to ride through the islands, one main reason being the traffic-congested roads.

“We really aren’t used to riding our bikes in so much traffic and prefer to stick to back country roads and dirt trails, but when we do have to ride our bikes on roads with cars, we really appreciate when they give us some space. It makes us feel a lot safer,” Ms Hossack said.

The couple in front of St Publius parish church in Floriana. They are currently taking a “sunshine” break in Malta.