'Cycling around the world has been liberating'

A man who quit his job to cycle around the world said carrying his worldly belongings on a bike and living in a tent had been "liberating".

Simon Watts, from Sheffield, set off on 8 May and has travelled through nine countries to reach his current destination, Turkey.

Mr Watts, 31, plans to cycle to Sydney before working there for one year then continuing his journey, arriving back in his home city in 2028.

He said the trip had so far been a "whirlwind" and "a bit surreal".

A veteran of several ultra marathon events, Mr Watts said his round-the-world challenge felt like "the next step".

He was also motivated to embark on the adventure by the deaths of his 33-year-old cousin, Rachael, and his uncle, Phil, who both lived in Sydney.

"It hit our family with quite a big shock," said Simon, who is using his trip to raise money for the mental health charity Mind Over Mountains.

"It felt like the right thing for me to do and it went from a fantasy to something I should do in memory of them."

Mr Watts, who has previously cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats, said he worked as a fast food delivery rider to build up his fitness ahead of his biggest challenge yet.

Despite being injured in a crash in Belgium, his "absolutely magical" legs have held up so far.

Although he plans to complete most of his journey on two wheels, Mr Watts, who took a ferry from Dover to reach mainland Europe, will take a flight from his next destination, Georgia, to central Asia to avoid travelling through Russia or Iran.

From there, he will travel from China to South East Asia before catching another flight to Perth and making his way along the coast to Sydney.

He then plans to cycle through New Zealand, Japan and South Korea before travelling across America and back home through Europe.

A proud Yorkshireman, Mr Watts has been riding on a Harrogate-made bike christened "Hendo" in honour of Henderson's Relish, a popular condiment in his home city.

While he admitted homesickness had yet to kick in, he was given a "surreal" reminder of Yorkshire during a recent homestay in rural Turkey.

"I was staying with a host family and the guy said to me 'this is my favourite programme' - it was Our Yorkshire Farm.

"It was so random and it was all dubbed in Turkish. I couldn't believe it had made it out to Turkey, that made me miss home a bit."

Mr Watts said travelling on cycle routes had taken him away from popular tourist destinations and allowed him to experience the "true culture" of the countries he has visited.

"Experiencing the really remote rural areas and interactions with people, it pulls you out of your own social bubble," he added.

"I'll pick up things from each culture, I'm sure, and hopefully bring some back home - and introduce them to some Yorkshire culture."

So far he has spent just €15 (£12.96) on accommodation, with most of his time in Europe spent wild camping.

Meanwhile, everything he needs for his trip is strapped to Hendo.

"That's my life for three years pretty much," said Mr Watts, who has spent most of his working life in hospitality.

"It's a strange feeling, it's quite liberating."

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