An Ilkley family have taken the plunge to sell up and sail into the sunset for the experience of a lifetime Down Under.

Sue and Rod Campbell-Ross are to give up their everyday existence for a life of adventure on the open seas with their three young children.

The couple have decided to fulfil their lifetime ambition by selling their worldly possessions to fund a round the world sailing trip to Australia.

The family, 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 is moored in Dartmouth ready for their voyage of discovery.

Accountant Rod was made redundant last June and this prompted them to take the life changing step. "It was something my husband has always dreamed about doing," said Mrs Campbell-Ross. "When Rod told me he wanted to do this it didn't come as a shock but I just wasn't expecting it to happen at this point in our lives. I thought it would be something we would do in our retirement.

"I never imagined in my wildest dreams that at 35 I would be giving up everything to sail around the world. Thinking back, if he had mentioned this when we got married I may have thought twice about him.

"If everything goes smoothly then it should take us 18 months to get to Australia. We are going to take our time because we want to stop off and see all the places on our way."

Sue has no sailing experience, but has been attending courses to prepare herself for the 18-month voyage.

"I am nervous and I have a number of great anxieties, but if I didn't I wouldn't be taking it seriously," she said.

"I have done masses of courses now but my husband is a yacht master and he has got a lot of experience of sailing in the South African waters. If he can sail those, which are some of the toughest waters, then I am hoping the Mediterranean will be a doddle in comparison."

"I have done no sailing at all, I used to go out with my husband on his boat in South Africa but I never sailed it.

"A woman said to me the other day that I must be nuts not having any sailing experience or medical knowledge and contemplating this trip, but I don't think I am."

They bought a 20-year-old 44ft aluminium yacht called Tintin in November for £80,000. It was formerly own by an elderly couple who also sailed around the world.

Since January Mr Campbell-Ross has been working on the boat to give it a complete make-over and has been returning to Ilkley at the weekend. They will be leaving Ilkley within two weeks to move to Dartmouth, where they will live in rented accommodation until they set sail at the beginning of April.

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

It won't all be plain sailing though, as the couple intend to take part in a cruiser race when they reach the Canary Islands in November.

They will race with other yachts from the Canaries to the Caribbean island of St Lucia, the race will take them between 21 to 24 days and they will have to stock up on plenty of food for it.

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

When they reach Australia, they plan to settle in Sydney initially. They have lots of friends and family there and, after a visit in December, the children already feel at home there.

Despite looking forward to the trip the family will still miss their home in Ilkley.

Mrs Campbell-Ross said: "We have been incredibly happy in Ilkley and for me to leave my home which I love, our dog and my neighbours it will be very emotional, but we have to do this and give it a go."

The family will have to leave their Welsh terrier Tombi behind, and she will go to live with Mr Campbell-Ross's sister in