Rose and I and the boys are pretty much your typical family, well from our point of view probably. We're in our mid 50's, still pretty fit. We've got each other, our health, two great boys approaching their 30's who are well settled with wonderful partners. The grand kids are still a couple of years away.... we think! We enjoy getting out and about and we've been blessed with many good friends who are in a similar stage of life.
I came home from work back in February and I said to Rose, would it be about the right time to take a year or two off and travel..... "OK", she said...... and the rest is history....
Then came the questions.... how can we do this, what do we want to do, where do we want to do it, and when.
The Motivation
We decided that there was no perfect time to do this...so why not now!
We have several friends and family members who have some pretty serious health issues. They are our age. I suppose we're getting in before someone or something tells us we can't.
I've worked 10-12 hour days for most of my working life. It's now time to build up a few more family credits.. if you know what I mean!
The family
Let's talk to the boys.... "Hey we're thinking of taking a short break and doing some traveling, are you guys OK with that"..."Of course Dad, see you in a couple of years".... so much for push back....!
Our Friends
"Whaaaat... but you guys are too young"
"Who will make our banana cakes"
"We'll meet you at......."
My Job
As it happened the project I'd been on for the past few years is winding up. My contract would have seen me finish in Feb 2015, but things were starting to slow a little, so I told them my plans and we agreed I'd finish in April.
The House
Rose was talking to a card friend who was looking for a house. She said to me "would you mind if I asked Michele if she was interested", "no problem". The contract was signed the following week and a long settlement.
A colleague was moving house and needed furniture, so we sold the house full to him.
The Noosa house
The tenants are great. A lovely couple getting married in May this year.
The Caravan
We were in Victoria in February and my Brother in law had just purchased a new caravan. We looked at it. Not a bad unit. He'd spent two years researching it so we took advantage of his work, and bought one of our own.
The Car
A good mate showed me his VW Touareg. Yep nice one Steve. We liked it so we bought one.
The Plan
We'll finish work in April, move out of the house, drive to Melbourne, pick up the caravan. Spend a short couple of weeks bouncing around Victoria sorting out any "bugs", get them fixed, then off through South Australia, up the centre to Darwin (to be there in July), down through the west to the south west to be there by mid October, then back across to Victoria to be back there by Christmas, then to Tasmania for a couple of months (booked a walk at Cradle mountain mid February), then NZ, back up the East coast to the extreme North East by July August, back in Brisbane around Sept/October.
Well that was the plan..... !
My time in the North of England has almost come to and end. The cavalry have arrived to take my place.
