A Tasmanian family of five who spent nearly 700 days cycling through seven countries on four push bikes have been recognised with a national adventure award.
Andrew and Nicola Hughes, both teachers in Hobart, and their three children have received a Spirit of Adventure Award from the Australian Geographic Society as part of its 2026 Adventurer of the Year Awards.
The Hughes family, from Flowerpot near Woodbridge, completed a self-supported bike-packing expedition across four continents over nearly two years.
They travelled through New Zealand, South America, Europe, Central Asia and Southeast Asia, beginning with a tandem and triplet bicycle and a breastfeeding infant.
Their youngest daughter Jeannie was 18 months old when they left, still in nappies and breastfeeding.
Their other children, Hope and Wilfred, were eight and 10 when the journey began.
In the first year the children rode on a triplet bike, before graduating to their own bikes in the second year.
Andrew Hughes said the aim was to give their children early exposure to the world beyond Australia.
“We want our children to get outdoors and experience the world from an early age,” he said.
“When you travel by bike, you feel every hill, every change in weather, every shift in culture. It’s the most exciting way to experience life.”
Nicola Hughes said the journey challenged assumptions about parenting and adventure.
“This journey wasn’t just about distance; it was about becoming stronger together – both physically and mentally,” she said.
Andrew Hughes earlier told Pulse the experience had confirmed the world was not as dangerous as people often believe.
“We realised that every country we went to was neither as scary or as dangerous as people told us it was,” he said.
“There’s a really nice confirmation that the world’s got its troubles but it’s also pretty okay.”
The Spirit of Adventure Award was one of several presented as part of the 2026 Australian Geographic Society Adventurer of the Year Awards, which recognised Australians undertaking a range of ambitious expeditions.
Other recipients included 15-year-old pilot Byron Waller, who circumnavigated the globe in a single-engine aircraft, and solo kayaker Alan Davison, who completed a 13,000-kilometre inland river journey through the Murray–Darling Basin.
Australian Geographic Society chair Chrissie Goldrick said this year’s recipients reflect the depth and diversity of Australian adventure.
“Whether retracing historic routes, pushing environmental limits or achieving world-firsts, this year’s recipients embody the determination and curiosity that define our explorers,” Goldrick said.
