A pair of “not so grey” nomads are refusing to let a stage-four cancer diagnosis derail their dream trip around Australia.

Duncan Jones, 44, and Max Pascual, 46, set off on an indefinite lap around the country in early 2024 after selling everything they owned and quitting their full-time jobs.

“We didn’t really have an end date. We decided to just hit the road and keep going until we get sick of it,” Pascual told nine.com.au.

Duncan Jones, 44, and Max Pascual, 46, set off on a permanent trip around Australia in 2024. (Supplied)

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The couple were living and working in Queensland when they yearned for the nomadic lifestyle enjoyed mostly by retirees.

Pascual said they were desperate to escape the “trap” of normal life.

“We lived on Gold Coast and we had everything – houses and cars. And then we moved to Bundaberg and it was kind of like starting again,” she said.

“We found we got caught in the trap again where you find a job, then you need a car to get to that job… and then you need to stay in that job to pay for the car.

“People live on the Gold Coast with massive houses, but they have a lot of debt. And they have to stay in the job to pay for that debt.”

Pascual and Jones were lucky to be debt-free and simply traded in their big house for a 1997 caravan.

The first 12 months saw them travel across Victoria, South Australia, NSW and Queensland.

But life permanently on the road faced its biggest hurdle last year when former plumber Jones noticed a suspicious lump on his neck.

A scan showing the cancer in Jones’ neck. (Supplied)

“I had a bit of pain in my neck, it was like a tender lump,” he said.

“His dad was the one that said, ‘Oh, you should go see a doctor’,” Pascual added.

Pascual and Jones had stopped over in Colac in western Victoria when they visited a GP.

They continued booking specialist appointments on the road as they traversed the state, including a biopsy and a CT scan.

The diagnosis was grim: a stage 4 salivary duct carcinoma.

Jones had no idea a rare cancer was laying dormant in his neck as he and his partner lived their dream on the road.

“It wasn’t diagnosed properly until two weeks ago,” Pascual said.

“Because it’s a very rare cancer.”

Jones needed radical surgery to remove the tumour, which has impacted his vision and facial nerves, and will now undergo radiotherapy treatment.

Overall, his survival rate for the next five years is around 35 per cent.

“It’s not great,” Jones said, adding that he had always been “healthy” before the lump appeared.

Pascual and Jones were lucky to be debt-free and simply traded in their house for a 1997 caravan. (Supplied)

An advanced cancer diagnosis has certainly not spooked the couple into settling down somewhere, though.

Now with itchier feet than ever, Jones is more than happy continuing his treatment on the road.

“The medical system, in a nutshell, has been exceptional,” Jones said.

“I have absolutely zero interest in settling down.

“It’s not an option, I couldn’t think of anything worse.”

Surprisingly, Jones said he rarely encounters any issues with undergoing cancer treatment while travelling.

In fact, they both agree it can be more “convenient”.

“Some people would find it difficult if they got this diagnosis and had a mortgage,” Pascual said.

The couple want to stay on the road permanently – even during Jones’ cancer treatment. (Supplied)

Jones is now also “medically retired” and won’t be able to work on the road.

Pascual, meanwhile, picks up odd jobs at caravan parks whenever the couple need to top off their funds.

Their plan is to continue driving around Australia for years to come – as long as Jones is well enough.

“We’re living well, living on the road does give you freedom,” Pascual said.

“The comment that is made to us frequently from older travellers is, I wish we’d done it when we were your age,” Jones added.

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