Do not wait for tomorrow....cause it may not come :-((

Well said Fred, One never knows when our time is up. Been on the road 12 years and still love it.
Duke

Fred, condolences to you for your fallen friend.
That is good advice you are espousing, you really have no idea when something will spoil or totally ruin your dreams.
With that in mind the minister for war & I head of in 2 weeks for an open ended trip around the block. We will come home when we are totally ready to, or sadly forced to.

My best wishes to your comrades family.
Colin.

Very wise words indeed Fred. I have lost two good friends in the last 18 months to bowl and prostate cancer. The first fellow I said nothing too personal and regretted it. The second fellow I told what a privelage it was to have known him and how greatful I was to have him as a friend. Something I should have said to the first fellow as well. As you say, it all passes by too quickly. My condolances to you and your friend's family. Cheers,Bob.

Condolances Fred. Losing friends is just as hard as losing family.

I echo your sentiments of taking life on for today and not waiting for tomorrow.

I am a keen 4WD now and it all came about because of my own loss. When I came from London back in 2002 my Dad had already passed in '96. He had emigrated to Aus along with my Mum and grandparents back in 1990.

Along with my Mum they bought a nearly new Patrol to do the `around Aus' trip. He didn't make it as his time was up. When I arrived over here I had dreams of buying a V8 and had set my heart on a HSV. However, in little under a week after my arrival, my Nan took me aside and said that my Mum wanted me to have my Dad's car. It wasn't what I wanted but how could I say no???

In the end though it was the best thing I ever did and got me into a whole new lifestyle that I hadn't previously contemplated or explored.

Getting to the point of your posting though, is that I don't want to have the same misfortune as my Dad, and miss out on the marvelous opportunities available to us that live here, in this great Southern Land. I don't want to put off too long my own dream of clocking up the km's around Australia. Hence we've dipped into my cash reserves deeper than I would have liked to make sure that we live for today and know that when my time finally comes, that I did infact, make the most of it.

I do hope that this isn't too morbid or inappropriate a posting, but Fred, just wanted to shout out loud and back up what you've said to those that maybe hesitating on which road to take.......follow your heart.

Cheers all.

I'm too tired right now to express my agreement as eloquently as above, so I'll just say this... LIKE

Michelle

Fred,

My condolences and not a truer word has been spoken.
Just recently bought some second hand tyres off a fellow who has just survived a heart attack at 44.

Hi Fred,

I totally agree too.... I had a terrible year healthwise back in 2003 when my husband and I were living in Perth (8 episodes of pneumonia in 8 months, I had even contemplated electing not to be treated because I had had enough). When I finally got better, thanks to my wonderful Haematologist back in Melbourne my husband and I decided to do a lap around the block in 2004. It is the BEST thing I have done in my life (apart from having my 2 precious kids in 2005 and 2011). We did it in a tent, so it was hard work, but absolutely fantastic.

I tell everyone that "you never know when your number is up, so get out and enjoy your life and do what you want to do".

Now that we have the kids, we have a campertrailer and take them camping whenever we get the chance, but hope to be able to do another big lap with them at some stage.

Leanne

As a young Pharmacist (23 at the time...) working at a hospital in 1987 I was trying to summon the courage to do my solo lap around Australia.

In the cardiac ward one day, I met a panel beater from Sydney who had saved all his life to retire and do his lap. He sold the business, bought a Cruiser and a van, and together with his wife set off on their grand adventure.

They made it to a caravan park in Woy Woy (about an hour north of Sydney) and unhitching the van on their FIRST night, he had a massive heart attack... (:

I was in charge of his medications in the cardiac ward and although he was not well, we spoke a lot of his dreams and mine.

I told him of my grand plan and of my fears of leaving a good job.

He reached out with a frail hand and said "Go now mate........Don't wait..."

I strode downstairs, saw the chief pharmacist and resigned. By the time I got back upstairs to thank him, he had passed away.

I told his wife what a special man he was and how inspiring I found him.

I packed my old Subaru wagon and spent two and a half years on the road. And here I am 25 years later still travelling and I owe a lot of it to that wonderful man....



"Go now...............Don't wait........"


Michael O

can't agree more Fred..

@ 36 and having a pretty bad 18 months, having lost both parents, a couple of friends, and a couple of friends parents, I'm currently in the process of selling everything i can find so I can finish the travelling my parents didn't get around to.

I've done East coast, top to bottom, now for the LAP. Hope to be on the road by Mid January.

Get out there everyone....


Steve

Hello everyone.
While on this subject, my neighbour a couple of streets away had his 4x4 and van out the front for sale so I called in to look them over, we got talking and he told me that 3 weeks after retiring it was discovered he had a large tumour in his brain so he was selling his dreams without really getting to use them. Bill,

oh that sux eh, it is hard to see that happen and it is a big wake up call for us all but the thing is always happening around us ...
We have a couple working for us, they have sold up and brought a bus, younger than me and he had a small heart attack on the weekend and it has completely turned there world up-side down, they are at the start of there BIG adventure and he now has tests, probally operations and so on and he now cant work .....................
So some will look at this and say well they should NOT have sold all up as it leaves them in a real spot, but i look at it as they should have done it long ago and they would be settled and happy and travelling and not under stress and probally healthy .....
I DONT have any house, i live very remote and now have 3 young kids, we have travelled for 12 years now, working travells, if something happens like that so what, it is going to happen and we will sort that out when it does, it is risky but i now have met so many people that are older, winging about fuel cost, food costs, asking for cappachinos at Camerons Corner (never forget that) and loaded with money, houses ect and so bleedin sad it is pathetic, they will get sick and will have all the services and backup but they will NEVER be happy ...........
In September we will have again saved up enough to buy a house or at least land so we will again pack up the 4wd and head off and invest it in expensive food wine and spirits, hotels and motels, food from small remote places and THOUSANDS in fuel from every remote place i can stop at .... and come back to work after a few months broke with 3 kids n missus that will be able to tell the world all about our wonderful back yard and work my butt off for the next 11 months to save for the next holiday ... my assets are ... the Outback of Australia, my kids and wifey, old 75 series and a few other carbon spewing beasts and that is all i ever want .....
Cheers and foget the rest, look after the important things in life (you)
Joe