An Ilkley family are finally all packed up and about to set sail for the trip of a lifetime Down Under.

The Campbell-Ross family had planned to set sail on an 18-month voyage to Australia two weeks ago but bad weather has held them back until this week.

Sue and Rod Campbell-Ross and their three children, Pippa, nine, Harry, six, and Emily, two, will cast off on Sunday in their 44ft aluminium yacht called Tintin.

Their first stop is Guernsey before they continue on to France, where they intend to cruise for a few months to visit its attractions.

Their voyage was originally planned for Monday, April 8, but the windows in five of the yacht's compartments needed replacing.

Sue said: "We had to delay our departure by two weeks. The windows in the saloon needed replacing and we had to wait to get a slot in the boatyard to have the perspex cut.

"As Rod began to take the windows out the rain started and then continued solidly for two weeks, sometimes accompanied by gale force winds.

"He needed dry weather to put them back in again. So poor Tintin sat draped in Tarpaulin until we got back from a skiing break and the sun was shining!

"The windows are all in now and Rod has also replaced the wood panelling around the windows, which was another huge project just on its own.

"Last week I was feeling quite anxious and concerned that we were not going to get the boat all sorted in time. The interior of the boat looked like a building site and it was hard to imagine that it would be home to a family of five. I suppose at least I will have windows that let light in and a fridge that works."

The boat was finally put back in the water on Monday in Totnes, Devon, and the family sailed it down the river to Dartmouth to commence their longer voyage.

The family, formerly of Westwood Drive, Ilkley, decided last June to buy a boat and sail around the world. Now they have got their visas and the boat has been moored in Dartmouth since November.

The couple left Ilkley in February and moved to Dartmouth ready for their journey, after selling their worldly possessions to fund the round the world sailing trip.

The trip has been a lifetime ambition of Rod's and the family plan to settle in Sydney, Australia, when they get there.

Accountant Rod was made redundant last June and this prompted them to take the life changing step. Sue has no sailing experience, but has been attending courses to prepare herself for the 18-month voyage, and Rod is an experienced yacht master.

They bought their 20-year-old yacht in November for £80,000 and since January Rod has been working on the boat to give it a complete make-over.

The couple were born in South Africa and moved to Ilkley five years ago after travelling around Britain.

Leaving Ilkley was sad for Sue but in the days leading up to her final departure from England she has been too busy to think about it.

"My last few days in England have been spent sorting out the provisioning of the boat, cleaning it up and packing in our things and seeing that we have all the bits and pieces we need," she said.

"Selling the car and everything was seriously frantic, there was no time to think of relaxing in any way. The children were desperate to visit the local Hedgehog Hospital so we have had to fit that into the plan.

"Our first stop is Guernsey and it will only take us a day, so we don't need to worry about supplies too much! I have stocked up on English things that I will find hard to buy elsewhere, such as groceries, but since we will be in France for our first few months I know that I will be able to get most things there.

"As far as luxuries go - I have to have a hair dryer and can't cope without it. Other than that, my needs are very simple and I don't need much more than my bikini and the sun cream. Oh and chocolate."

The family will stop in Guernsey for a day or so and then sail on to Cherbourg in France and then on to Le Havre.

In Le Havre they will stop for a few hours to have their mast taken down and then they will begin their meander through the French rivers and canals to Paris and on to Marseilles, the French Riviera and the Mediterranean.

Their voyage will then take them via the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean through the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean.

Prior to leaving the family went skiing for a week with their friends from Ilkley.

The 35-year-old added: "We caught up with Ilkley friends. It was great but it did remind me that I am leaving behind so many fantastic friends and I was reminded of how wonderful Ilkley is. I will really miss it."