SIR Paul McCartney expects to tour Australia for the first time in nearly 15 years as soon as his divorce from Heather Mills is finalised.
Speaking by phone from his office in Britain, the ex-Beatle said he is waiting for life to get back to normal before he firms up his touring plans for 2008.
"Next year I am starting to plan some touring but I don't know how much," Sir Paul said. "In truth, the whole situation is a little complicated by the fact that I am separating from my missus. "That kind of colours an awful lot of what my travelling plans are because I have got a little four-year-old (daughter Beatrice)."
Sir Paul, 65, is currently in a bitter legal battle with Mills, officially separating in May last year after four years of marriage. He is rumoured to be dating American actor Rosanna Arquette and reportedly introduced his new love interest to his daughter last week. "Anyone who has been through this kind of thing will understand that she is my priority, the little one," he said, promoting the release of
The McCartney Years DVD retrospective. "But I am going to tour. I just have to think a little more carefully about it than I would in the past."
Despite his personal troubles, plans are under way for a world tour. "I have been dying to get to Oz for an awful long time," he said.
"I am planning it. I am hoping for it. I would love to get down there because I haven't been forever. If we get down there, man, we're going to have fun."
It has been nearly 15 years since the former Beatle last toured Australia. He played the Sydney Entertainment Centre in March, 1993 for his global
The New World Tour, with former wife Linda McCartney in his band. Sir Paul was set to tour Australia in November, 2002 but cancelled after the Bali bombings that year.
He said the 2002 tour was cancelled out of respect for the Australians that lost their lives in the tragedy.
"It wasn't the right moment and very regrettably because of that we had to cancel," he said. "We didn't feel like it would be the right moment."