we have 7months to go ,we are having a house sitter in for 3 months to start to see how we wlll go. we have a 16ft van towed by a toyota hilux we live in hill end and also in sydney

Onya, Sparrow!!!
We have done the opposite, to my great regret.
At 68, am still working 6 or 7 days a week, in our own business,have just purchased another house, and now changing that!
I should have heeded the advice I gave my two sons, who were reluctant to go to university to get their degrees:
They both said,"Dad, if I go to uni, it will be 5 years before I get my degree.My reply was,"and how much older will you be in 5 year's time, if you don't go?"
They now have their degrees, and are contributing to this great nation.
Me? just a silly old bugger who should listen to his own advice!!!
Enjoy your very wise decision, and enjoy the lucky country.
Best wishes,
Magicbob

Might be better if you tell me again in the morning.

Hey Sparrow, sounds so much like us! We have tossed up for about 5 yrs about trvelling. Always said we wanted to travel by the time we were 50. Leo is 50 now and I (Gemini) am heading that way very quickly!! So have purchased the van, am sooooo close to selling our house (hope to have final word by end of this week) and then if all goes to plan, we are off in March 2011!!
Life is too short to procrastinate! You never know what is ahead of you.
We have a friend who is much younger than us (early 40's) who has just been diagonised with an inoperable brain tumor and this really prompted us to follow our dream.
Am not sure about giving notice at work tho. Think I might take some LSL and we might head off for 3 months and see if we like traveling and life on the road. Dont want to burn all our bridges!
Gemini&Leo;

Hi Sparrow. You've got us excited now. Please keep posting during your trip so we can see what you're up to.

Gooday Gemini and Leo, Burning bridges.......did you consider burning the job, and not the house?. A while back we met a tragic case of serious illness in a caravan, and no home to go back to.
It might be easier to get a job, than buy a house, down the track.
Hope it all works out well for you.

Hi,
Goodluck to you Sparrow.
Magicbob a question.....if you regret not doing what Sparrow and co are up to why at 68 are you still working and buying houses?? Surely at 68 you are over being a capitalist and ready for some well earned rest and travel.
I dont intend for you to think i'm having a serious shot at you just curious as how your thinking if as you say you regret not doing it yourself.
Working 6 or 7 days a week seems a bit over the top at 68 unless there are reasons that you prefer not to divulge in a forum setting. Im not trying to invade your privacy either.
I will stop now before I getting stuck in huge hole......
Regards Alan.

I have been travelling for two months and decided not to sell the family home, as it gives us some where to come back to should this cancer take over. the kids look after their inheritance for the time being

Hi Alan 1963
you have asked the same question that I often ask myself.
Although this is off topic, (and hope to be forgiven) the fact is, my wife is 12 years younger than me, and I have always strongly believed that it is my job to be the "hunter and provider", and if statistics are to be believed, I will fall of the perch 15 years before my wife.
I believe that it is my duty to ensure that my wife is able to live a comfortable life when I have turned my toes up.
I know I should give myself an uppercut, but that is my thinking, and 15 years without my fiscal contribution would be relatively uncomfortable for her.Once an officer, always a gentleman (I hope).
And, Alan, I am not offended by your question, I think I am just a silly old bugger trying to do that which I think is proper.
Kind regards,
Magicbob

Well, the time to departure has just gone under the 12 month mark. We have been workin hard towards our goal for the last seven years. getting the morgages down to a level where rent will pay for them, just. We are madly saving as much money as possible for our trip of a lifetime. Just before we go we move into the van and rent this house out, then no turning back. Greg n Jen:)