Well, I was planning to drive from UK down to Cape Town, visit the rest of the family, not like we don't fly down a couple of times a year.
Then after spending a few weeks in Cape Town, drive back to UK, thought about selling the 'cruiser in Cape Town, for a handsome profit, as we both have SA residency, and a house there, or simply ship it back to UK / Norway.

All was going well, I got the Land Cruiser, started making some nice savings, bought a load of books, bought the maps, even bought the water purification tablets !
Then it all went pear shaped.

I ended up getting a job which gave me a 3 x normal salary increase.

Thats good and bad.

Good because I have the trip money right away.
Bad, because I just don't want to take so much time away from work, while having the good fortune to earn 3 x normal salary. As in "Buy another house in just 1 year" kind of salary. (Not boasting, please no bad stuff, that don't help)

I am 50 this year, fit and health, I would like to put this trip off for a couple of years, and build the bank balance up some what.

How old are other 4x4 overland travellers.?

I would expect that it would be some what easier in a nice comfortable, air conditioned Land Cruiser, than a 2 wheel beast.

I (we) really want to do this trip, and I know I can never just give up on it.

Hi Vette
I met a Kiwi woman in the Philippines who was mid 70s and said she would keep going as long as she could get her feet in the sink, and some Germans who had just crossed the Sahara, and they were all 70+, so no need to worry, you are as old as you act.
Rave on
Bruce

Congrats on the big job.

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

The simple answer is, as long as you have your health and fitness, no age is too old.
I did a 20 thousand km, (bike), trip last year and had my 59th birthday on the road.
60 now and looking forward to the next trip.

On the other hand, I actually know guys my age that will get the car out to drive 500m to buy fags!

John

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Nostradamus Ate My Hamster

At 59 I went on my first bicycle trip. Bought a planeticket for Agadir, Morocco and cycled through Morocco to Malaga ,Spain.
At 60 I travelled by bicycle from Saigon to Singapore. No sweat (ahem, a lot of sweat actually, but no problems)
I'll probably be buying my first Offroadbike this year, if I get time to use it between my roadracing bike and my Hobiecat FxOne ;o))

Do as I, work a lot and fill all the money into your "toy and expedition account" and then maybe take some of the overtime out as compensation time. For the last ten years I've taken 8 weeks off every year, gone on kayak, bicycle, trekking divingtrips/expeditions in Greenland, Nepal, Tibet, China, Polynesia, Egypt, South East Asia.

I am already planning my retirement: at least 6 months on the road, somewhere in the world and no need to stop before _I_ feel like ))

Poul
"Old Enough To Know Better,Young Enough To Give Damn"

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Poul
May you enjoy peace and good health !

There is an old saying, 'Make hay while the sun shines'. So pocket the dosh and set it aside to do all those things you couldn't have done without it. Maybe invest in a house to let or something, then you will have an extra source of income forever ( and so will your kids, much better than a pension). If you look at it like a bonus or windfall, should it end you can leave happy knowing you made it whilst you could. I am considerably older than you and just did a trip to south of france and teh alps.. I made one mistake of travelling twice for about 9 hours non stop ( except for petrol), and I still get aches and pains from it. That though was my fault. I should have stuck to my original plans of taking my time, but I had a breakdown and was stuck for two days and tried to make up the time. Today I had another breakdown,,, a new ( two months old) tube failed. My wife asked me how often do you get punctures on a bike? My reply was the last time I had one was the winter of 1961/2, The BMW is completing my bike education, by giving me my first ever electrical breakdown ever, and I started riding Brit bikes back in 1961 Bring back Joe Lucas I say...

With luck, next year I will save my OAP and buy an Enfield

Hey Vette,
One is as old as one acts and feels!
I am 50, and living in Egypt, I have every winter to go around Egypt's part of the Sahara, and it is quite nice. I consider myself lucky in that regard. I hope I can go on for as long as my feet can carry me! I drive an old Defender 90, model 1984, no AC !
We are planning a short trip to Morocco, my brother and myself, out of Portugal where he lives, around Easter 2010 ! Would you be interested to join in! It is a 2 weeks thing! No AC though in our Defender TD5i soft top! I never liked AC in the desert!
You can check our little group on :- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2573861229
I lived once in South Africa for two years, 84/86, some of the best days in my life. In Bryanston, Jo'burg.
Congrats for the new job! Stick to it and keep it last!
Cheers
Jean-Paul