The short version says we met, traveled, built a boat, had kids, and traveled forevermore.
But – Do you believe in fate?
We like the concept of karma and have always been kind to Earth and her creatures.
Jack grew up in a megacity of Earth. He received a good education in the topsy-turvy time just after WWII. He had few escapes. One was a donkey ride down into the Grand Canyon with his father and mother that awakened a love for the great outdoors. His norm were Skyscrapers, super highways. Rarely the stars; smog and streetlights hid them.
Judith, aka Jude, had a very different youth. Raised in a more quiet north England town, her family often walked and picnicked on the open green hills overlooking the North Sea.
How did these two extremely different people met? What forces brought them together?
Was it love at first sight?
Or was it karma weaving an intricate plan that sent Jack overseas at the precise moment Jude went off celebrating her graduation as a registered nurse. Karma may also have sent him lonely and disheartened into that Frankfurt Pub looking for someone with a cheery laugh. For when he saw two vivacious blonds, aglow with laughter, he did something quite uncharacteristic, for he was shy, even backwards with the ladies. Ordering a round of drinks, he approached fidgeting, then stammered in rather poor German, “Hi, my name is Jack.” And both girls burst out in laughter.
African Honeymoon
Our honeymoon was a road trip through Africa, north to south, in a derelict combi van we resurrected out a Scottish farmer’s field.
Jack and Jude
From South Africa, we came to Australia with the intention of earning enough to reach Expo 1970 in Japan. But when we arrived in the sunburnt country, there was space everywhere with a feeling of ‘she’ll be right’ that encouraged us to not only start a family, but to also start the construction of a 12 metre sailing yacht.
Three arduous years later, with little sailing experience and sons just two and three, we began a journey into the unknown. Frightened and unsure, there were mountainous obstacles to overcome, while our sea roving life took us around the world, touching eighty countries in an odyssey that lasted not the one year imagined, but the next fifteen.
Still hear the call of the wild
We have grandchildren now. And while our physical forms have weakened and our confidence has been tempered, we still hear the call of the wild. In our lifetime, man has taken what it wants from the wild kingdom, leaving less for every creature. In doing this, the balance of Nature has been upset. Jack and Jude have for a long time wondered if that’s right, so we set off on a 9,000 mile journey around Australia, crossing six climatic zones to witness Man’s effect. During this odyssey we wrote many stories peppered with facts and historical notes, all interwoven with the happenings of two grandparents alone, manning a powerful sailing machine through some of the world’s most dangerous waters. These were edited, adding additional material and photographs to become our first book titled,
Thank you for these excellent tips!! Are you a member on twitter at all? Can give you a twitter update through my account later
A cool post there, mate . Many thanks for posting .
Thanks for your help and suggestion. Your site looks awesome. I’m going to have a good read. Hope to follow in your wake. We (my wife and I) are not real tech savvy and have found good e-help elusive so far. If you know anyone reliable would love to hear about them. U-tube is one thing I can handle. I have posted a few videos of our adventures at “alanrb1″ Thanks again.