Gaj Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

You firmly believe life would be better 10,000 miles away

in a country you've never visited,

but if your partner's dead set against the idea,

how would you begin to change their mind?

In 2015, Hannah Gaj was hoping to convince husband Zameer

to follow her dream and move to Australia.

Today, one year on, we'll find out how and where they are now.

Back in 2015,

Hannah Gaj was on a mission to persuade husband Zameer

life would be better on the other side of the world.

She's crazy! Help!

Yeah? She wants to move me to Australia on a whim.

A trial week down under saw her dream come alive.

It's hot and sunny and I could definitely see myself living here.

One year on, have the family made it to the other side of the world?

It's kind of gone completely the opposite now.

We now get told, "No, you're not moving."

Laid out flat, Australia's coastline would stretch around the world.

The country's 32 times larger than the UK

but with just a third of the population.

With all that space, sunshine and plenty of work opportunities,

it's no surprise the country remains the number-one destination

for British families seeking a new life overseas.

Hannah Gaj was firmly of the opinion a move to Australia

could dramatically improve her family's life.

Husband Zameer, however, didn't share the dream.

A year ago, they faced a week down under,

which would see Hannah's theory put to the test.

When it was over, they had to make

the biggest decision of their lives -

whether to start a new life on the other side of the world

or stay put in the UK.

One year ago, the family's trial week began

with 22 and a half hours in the air,

flying from London to Brisbane via Dubai and Sydney.

Zameer had found the journey easy enough.

It's not as bad as I expected.

But he had mixed emotions about the week ahead.

A little bit apprehensive but, yeah, very much excited.

Having finally made it to Australia,

Hannah worried the country might let her down.

I feel nervous that what I've read on the internet is not real.

I've told Zameer what a wonderful life we can have over here

and tried to convince him that it's great

and that that's not going to transpire...

I hope that doesn't happen.

Hannah had just seven days to find out and persuade Zameer

the family's future lay on the other side of the world.

In 2015, home for the Gaj family

was Kingston upon Thames, in Greater London.

Dad Zameer lived with mum Hannah and Noah, who was four.

You find all the animals.

I found tiger...

Zameer loved having London on his doorstep.

I found the fish!

But Hannah had other ideas about where they should call home.

She's crazy. Help!

Yeah? She wants to move me to Australia.

-On a whim.

-It's not a whim.

-It's a whim.

-It's not a whim.

-It's a whim.

Hannah had dreamt of a life down under ever since

her grandparents visited the country ten years earlier.

They were, like, saying how amazing it was.

That's kind of, that's the seed that was planted.

When she qualified as a nurse in 2012,

Hannah hoped her profession would be her ticket to Australia,

but the cost of bringing up Noah had forced her to stay put.

Three years later, her dream was back with a vengeance

and Zameer knew she would stop at nothing to get her way.

Hannah is very stubborn, and whenever she wants to do something,

most of the time, she'll get her way.

Trying to convince her of anything else is very difficult.

Both Hannah and operations manager Zameer

worked shifts and often had just one day a month together with son Noah.

Though never having been,

Hannah felt their lives could be transformed in Australia.

I feel their kind of,

their vibe and their culture is more of a work/life balance,

it's more of a relaxed lifestyle.

She also believed the country would offer them all

a more active way of life.

It's cold in England and it's rainy a lot of the time,

so you do spend a lot of time indoors.

I think kind of being able to just get out the house in the sun

and just enjoying outdoor space, I think that would be beneficial.

Just one thing stood in Hannah's way,

persuading Zameer to make the move.

To leave London, such a spectacular place

with so much depth and history, it would take a lot of convincing.

Having instigated four house moves in five years,

Zameer feared Australia was just another of Hannah's moves

that could backfire.

I think he thinks I get bored.

Before, we've just moved and it has been on a whim,

whereas I've been planning this for so long,

that it's something that I do really want to do.

He also worried about leaving loved ones nearby.

I'm so lucky to have the friends that I do, and family.

And to say goodbye to all of them would be really difficult.

And he was wary about starting again on the other side of the world.

The financial commitment and changing jobs...

And if it went wrong, just trying to build our life again,

I'm not prepared to take that gamble, at all.

In a bid to convince him a move could be worth the upheaval,

Hannah had spent hours researching Australia online.

I do look on kind of property websites

to see what property we can get,

kind of job websites, different schools.

But her efforts had fallen on deaf ears.

Fair enough, Hannah's done a lot of research,

but to actually commit to a place without ever experiencing it

is a completely foolish endeavour.

Hannah was determined not to give up, though.

I feel like it may have to come to one of those situations

where I just say it enough and he'll eventually agree.

That's her stubbornness coming through right there.

Ahead of them lay a week to discover if Australia could be everything

Hannah hoped for, and persuade Zameer it was where they should be.

For their trial week, the family visited Brisbane

on Australia's east coast.

Home for the week was a three-bedroom house in West End,

a cosmopolitan inner-city suburb.

This way, shall we go in?

-Whoa.

-It's amazing!

-Is it amazing?

-SHE LAUGHS

This is really nice.

Outside, Zameer was equally impressed with the garden.

This whole open-plan deck thing's lovely.

-I told you.

-I love it.

Kick it, this way.

While Noah had an impromptu kick-about with Dad,

Hannah contemplated her Australian experience so far.

My first impressions are it's hot and sunny.

I could definitely see myself living here.

Ultimately, though, she knew her dream would come to nothing

if the country failed to show Zameer proof

they'd have a better life down under.

It has to be right, for me.

And if that's not the case, I'm not going to make the move.

End of story, basically it would be.

In the UK, Zameer, Hannah and Noah

were living in a rented two-bedroom apartment in Kingston upon Thames.

It's very convenient,

we're ten minutes from the train station and the town centre,

but it's not big enough for our needs.

If Hannah got her way,

the couple would be buying their first house in Australia.

And she had some grand ideas when it came to her ideal home.

Four bedrooms, really big, fancy swimming pool.

Huge open-plan, maybe two living rooms,

one for a playroom, one as like a snug room.

Really modern, high ceilings,

because I don't like these boxy new-builds.

Zameer's expectations were more humble.

-I just want enough space for all of us, that's it.

-And light.

The couple's budget was £350,000.

To find out what that could buy them down under,

we showed them three properties,

two on budget and a third, which could be their dream home.

The search began in Forest Lake,

just over 11 miles from central Brisbane.

Did this four-bedroom cottage-style home

meet Hannah's high expectations?

-Pretty garden.

-It's lovely.

Regardless of the rain, it was a promising start.

This is really nice.

-A lot of space.

-Ooh, I like that!

The spacious master bedroom with ensuite impressed everyone.

-Wow!

-Very nice.

-Look how big it is.

And the walk-in wardrobe was a hit with Hannah.

Oh! Oh, my God, I love it!

It had the open-plan living style she wanted.

-That's really nice.

-Mummy!

And the kitchen wasn't short on space either.

Oh, look how much storage.

-And outside...

-Wow!

-This is lovely.

You'd just spend most of your time here.

Wow, this is amazing.

-I'd buy it just for this.

-Yeah!

But was it somewhere they could afford to buy

on their £350,000 budget?

I want to go for 475, what are you going for?

I'm going for 500.

-Are you ready?

-Yeah, go ahead.

-What?!

-No!

It was £67,000 under budget.

-That's nothing, really.

-Can we buy it?

That's more than achievable.

Yeah, I mean, we could definitely hit that mark.

The Gajs' property search was off to a solid start.

For their next viewing,

they moved to the popular inner-city suburb of Greenslopes.

Was this three-bedroom house

somewhere the family could see themselves living?

While Noah took a break, the couple moved inside to find out.

This is lovely, Hannah, this has character.

A lot of character as soon as you walk in.

-Oh, wow.

-This is a really nice space.

This is really nice. And I love the stained-glass windows.

It's really cute. It's like a snug area.

Boasting brand-new appliances, the kitchen worked for Zameer.

-It's a nice-sized kitchen.

-Yeah.

It's open and it's lovely.

It looked like he was slowly coming round to having an Aussie home,

but fitting in could have been a problem.

Do you reckon you'd fit in that?

-It's a good child's bath.

-Yeah.

Smaller than the last place, the house had gone down well.

This is what I imagined, like being able to open the doors

and just go straight into, like, the outside space.

But, with £350,000 to spend, was it within the couple's reach?

-Shall I turn it?

-Yeah.

-The big reveal.

-Wow.

-Ooh, 390.

That was £40,000 over budget.

It's a bit over our budget, but...

Well, no, it's, like, top of our budget.

-400 is top, top.

-Yeah.

I'm happy with that.

Refusing to let the price wash away her dream,

the search was going in Hannah's favour so far.

The final stop of the day was the coastal village of Sandgate.

Would this four-bedroom house meet the Gajs' expectations

-for an Aussie dream home?

-Wow.

OK, this is big.

This is huge.

Split over two floors,

this bright modern house promised plenty of what Hannah fancied.

This bathroom is you, definitely.

I love the mirror.

The funky furnishings in the open-plan living area

caught her eye too.

Oh, I could just spend all day looking at myself!

And the kitchen was a real showpiece.

-This is very modern.

-Wow, this is so nice.

Very bold as well, with the black and white.

Hannah was sold, but what about Zameer?

But I think it's a bit too garish.

Staying dry, the couple admired the gardens from inside.

That's really nice, looking onto the outside.

And that pool just looks magnificent.

Upstairs, four double rooms,

a home cinema and a huge master bedroom were a hit.

Wow.

Hannah was blown away.

-I love the bath.

-I love it, too.

-Do you?

And a perfect little boys' room sealed that deal for Noah.

Wow.

This is my room!

It was Hannah's perfect property, but was Zameer in agreement?

-This is like Mummy's dream house.

-This is...

This isn't really Daddy's dream house, is it?

It may not have been the property to persuade Zameer to move,

but with £350,000 to spend, were they able to afford it?

I really like it and I'll be really upset if it's expensive.

467,000.

-Aw!

-It's cheaper than I thought it would be.

It was £117,000 over budget.

-It's cheaper than I thought, but...

-I thought it was that.

-Did you?

-Yeah.

I'm happy that you can't have it, basically!

-Oh! But I really like it.

-I don't.

Despite a disappointing end for Hannah, on the whole,

the couple's day house-hunting had been promising.

Property One had the pool and space Hannah wanted,

and at £67,000 under budget, the price was a bonus.

With its modern interiors,

Property Two seemed to charm both Hannah and Zameer,

even with a bath on the petite side.

And while the final property really was Hannah's ultimate home,

the style wasn't quite to Zameer's taste and neither was the price.

So, after everything they'd seen,

did they choose property in the UK or Australia?

-Australia.

-Yeah.

-Thank you!

We're more likely to get a nicer place with the money we have

and have a nice size compared to the UK.

Yeah, definitely.

Slowly, slowly, I can crack you.

Zameer's vote for Australia was a great start to Hannah's week,

but she knew her victory would be short-lived

unless both she and Zameer

found the jobs to afford the Australian lifestyle she dreamt of.

In the UK, the couple juggled shiftwork with looking after Noah.

Having qualified as a nurse in 2012,

Hannah had spent the previous 18 months studying midwifery.

It's been a very intense 18 months,

but at no point did I doubt that being a midwife

was something that I wanted to do.

Could you repeat last on the teams in North, please?

'Got 80 teams in North.'

Zameer was an operational manager

responsible for deployment of security staff

at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.

Persuading him to leave his career behind wouldn't be easy.

If we emigrated, I would really miss my job.

I'd miss my job, I'd miss my colleagues, they're all fantastic.

With Noah looked after by a childminder,

the couple set out to explore work prospects down under.

Hannah visited the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

where she met with clinical midwife consultant Libby Ryan.

-Hi, Hannah, I'm Libby.

-BOTH:

-Nice to meet you!

First up, a tour of the maternity facilities.

So, this is one of our beautiful birth centre rooms.

-It's lovely.

-It is lovely.

-It is a really, really nice room.

It was an impressive set-up and Hannah was keen to see

if she could be part of it.

Hannah, I think you've got a very good chance

of getting a job in Australia.

There's a shortage of midwives everywhere, so we would put you

in a role that you could go in all areas of care,

-so you get a little bit of everything.

-Yeah.

It looked like it could be a case of right place, right time for Hannah.

Across town, Zameer had gone to Brisbane International Airport

to meet site manager Paul Sharman.

-How you doing?

-Hi.

-I'm Paul.

-Nice to me you, Paul.

-Go and have a look around?

-Yes, I would love to, cheers.

Paul advised Zameer he'd have to complete a week-long course

to work in airport security in Australia.

And after checking out the equipment,

Zameer was keen to find out if there might be an opening for him here.

Look, we're always recruiting screeners

and that may be your best option, to do a short while of doing that.

-Yeah.

-To get to know how we do things out in Australia.

Having allocated security staff for Britain's biggest terminal,

becoming a screener would have been a step back for Zameer.

Back at the hospital, Hannah was keen to find out

if being a midwife in Australia

would facilitate the family time she so badly wanted.

Rosters are usually family-friendly.

Antenatal clinic's good when you have little people

because it's daytime hours.

But then you've got shiftwork all over the place

if you're in the ward or birth suite.

So many options at this hospital.

-Yeah, it sounds really good. Really encouraging.

-Yeah.

What kind of salary would I expect as a newly qualified midwife?

Our starting is 62,000 Australian and that's with no shiftwork.

Just under £30,000 was around £4,000 more

than Hannah's basic salary in the UK

and she could earn more with experience.

Some of our midwives are earning up 100,000 a year.

-Wow! That's nice.

-Yes!

-I like that answer.

-Yes, it's good.

It was a great result for Hannah.

Back at the airport, Zameer was finding out

about his potential working hours.

For a screening officer, it's basically you work 24 hours.

Some of the shifts, we've got four-hour shifts,

some of them are 12-hour shifts.

It just depends what your particular job is on that day.

With similar hours to home

and a screeners basic salary set at around £25,000,

Zameer would have been worse off working down under.

But Paul assured him he could quickly work up

to a shift supervisor role.

They're probably looking around 60,000-65,000

and they do four days on,

four days off, on a 12-hour shift pattern.

That sounds good.

Around £30,000 was much better news

and the shift pattern could give Zameer time with the family.

So, how did their findings impact on Hannah's dream?

Has the couple voted on work in Australia versus the UK?

-Aust... Oh, God!

-UK.

Why?

It's just basically because I know

I'm comfortable with my job in the UK.

-That's such rubbish!

-That's why.

It's a draw at the minute. No?

-No.

-Oh.

HE SIGHS

Zameer's reluctance to leave the job he loved

was a real setback for Hannah.

But would a taste of the Aussie lifestyle help persuade him

a professional sacrifice could be a price worth paying?

The family spent the day exploring Brisbane's South Bank.

Covering 17 hectares, it's home to lush gardens,

cafes and river views.

And for once, the sun was shining.

-Wow, that's so cool!

-Yeah, look at it.

-Look at all the sand castles you can build.

-Lovely.

With its man-made beach, South Bank's a magnet for families

and Noah couldn't wait to dive right in.

-It's freezing!

-SHE LAUGHS

Do paddle, paddle.

It's somewhere Hannah could picture spending more time.

This is definitely the environment I'd like for Noah,

he loves the water.

And she was confident the chance to spend time with his son

-was winning over Zameer.

-Three!

This could possibly persuade him to come here, to do this more often.

A turn in temperature meant she was right.

I could get used to this lifestyle, it's really good.

Just having this contrasting weather where you had all that rain

and now we've got just heat, it's amazing.

-Say cheese.

-Cheese!

Noah had loved spending quality time with both Mum and Dad.

What's been your favourite part of the day, Noah?

-Erm, picnic.

-That's nice.

We could do this all the time if we lived here.

It had been a perfect day out

and it looked like being a turning point for Zameer.

There's just so many things here that you think, "Wow," you know.

And it just seems to be shaking my foundations a bit.

But at the same time, thoughts of what he'd be leaving back home

were playing on his mind.

To be without my friends and family would be very difficult.

It's not going to be the same if I move out here

and that's my biggest fear.

Zameer was torn.

For now, though, had the lifestyle done enough

to secure another vote for Australia?

-Australia.

-Australia.

-Australia!

Can't knock it, it's been amazing.

It's been such a carefree day.

It just feels so relaxed.

I agree with you, I think it's such an easy thing to do.

-Do you agree?

-Yeah.

-Good. All agreed.

Despite Zameer's concerns about leaving loved ones,

the Australian lifestyle had proved enough

to put Hannah's dream back on track.

But with Zameer facing a potential pay cut,

she knew she'd be back to square one if she couldn't convince him

the move wouldn't lead to financial ruin.

While Noah played, Hannah and Zameer prepared to work out

how figures in Australia compared with the UK.

Is this the thing that sends you hurtling down to earth?

Yeah, pretty much. Yeah.

First up was the weekly shop.

Strawberry jam... Aw, it's 20p cheaper!

Bolognese sauce, 104.

Ooh, that's cheaper as well.

That's good, I like that.

Comes to...

144.06.

Yeah, it's not bad. 51p difference.

51p more expensive in Australia.

-That's nothing.

-Yeah, we could manage.

Next, the bigger monthly bills.

Basing their figures on the second property they'd viewed...

The mortgage in Australia will be...

1,770.

That's a lot.

Which is what I'm worried about with your wage.

Things like this being more expensive.

But totting up all the other outgoings,

things look better than expected.

So, 3,507.

3,507.17.

Which is cheaper.

Even with a high mortgage payment,

it looked like they'd spend almost £65 less in Australia every month.

I like that. I'm very pleased with that.

And things continued to look good

when Hannah factored in her potential earnings.

So, the difference in your income would be 745.

-I particularly enjoyed that part.

-Oh, look...

Zameer's salary difference wasn't so positive, though.

-So, you're minus...

-217.62.

In the UK, the couple spent £272 more than they'd earned every month

but the final sums in Australia showed they'd have money left over.

Then we're £592 better off living in Australia.

I knew I was right!

I'm rarely wrong.

Better off.

We can have a little smiley face.

And a yay.

There you go.

So, when it came to finances, did Zameer vote UK or Australia?

-Australia.

-Australia.

Yes!

-Are you happy?

-Yeah. I'm happy.

Yeah, you can't really...

I don't know, I'm trying to think of ways I could say no

but, yeah, it's not happening.

No.

It looked as though Hannah's dream was well within reach,

but she was all too aware

family ties could still prove the ultimate stumbling block for Zameer.

So, Noah, we're going to watch a video of all the family

back home in the UK, OK?

Ready?

-BOTH:

-Hi, Zameer, Hannah and Noah.

-BOTH:

-Hi, Zameer, Hannah and Noah.

I can't imagine them being so far away,

they're a great team and they've bonded and they've grown

in the last four and a half years

since Noah's born and I'm really proud of them.

Zameer may not know it but he should

know that I actually care about him,

and he's like, he used to be my favourite sibling at one point.

Used to. You see that? Past tense.

'Noah's the only great grandchild.'

It was always a bit of a joke with Hannah, to say,

"When are you going to make me a great-grandma, Hannah?"

And she did and now he's four and a half,

it's just magic, having him around.

Noah is very close to me

and whenever he sees me, he just jumps up and hugs me.

I'm going to miss all that when Noah moves.

It's something that is going to take me a long time to get used to.

I think they're going to have to move out of London.

I think Australia could be a good option for them.

You know, I think she sees Australia as quite an opportunity

and so she should at their age.

If they decide that their quality of life is better there than here,

the three of them, then they should go there.

I would not like them to go to Australia, that's my final answer.

And not...

Because Noah means a lot to me.

The distance is just too far.

Even living in London,

not seeing him for a few weeks,

you think, "He's going to forget me."

Or he's not going to love me as much as everybody else.

'We love him so much!'

Even if I'm not happy about it,

at the end of the day, it's your life.

So, you think about it and make the decision accordingly.

I think you need to do what's best for you.

I will always keep in touch, I will always visit,

I will always love you and you know that and I'm at the end of the phone

no matter where you are in the world.

You do what's best for you and I'll still be there.

How do you feel watching that?

The gist I got was that...

..everyone's going to miss Noah...

and maybe Hannah and Zameer!

Isn't it?

And it's always upsetting and I knew my family are kind of

resistant to us coming out here anyway.

It's a bit like, "We don't want you to go

"but we kind of know you're going to go, so we'll support you."

To be removed and...

Being a gamble whether I see them or not, it's going to be a big deal.

Messages from home had been a reminder

of what the couple stood to lose if they made the move.

As the final vote approached, would Zameer's doubts

be enough to ground Hannah's flight of fancy once and for all?

Her first taste of Australia had reinforced Hannah's vision

of a better future for her family down under.

Everything that I've seen this week

has just kind of solidified everything that I thought

for the past couple of years.

Abracadabra!

Despite his initial opposition,

the week had shown Zameer plenty of potential.

Australia's been fantastic. I can't really knock it.

Australia just comes up trumps on most things,

so it's hard to argue against.

But despite everything it offered,

he was struggling with the thought of leaving loved ones at home.

I'd miss my family a lot.

It'd take its toll on me.

It would be heartbreaking for me.

And Hannah feared his concerns would put paid to her dream.

I just get that underlying feeling that he's just not going to do it.

So, had the family's trial week done enough

to secure Hannah the future she'd wanted for so long?

-BOTH:

-Australia.

-For sure, for sure?

-For sure, for sure.

That was two for sures, so that must be definite.

Yeah, I just completely lost that battle. Isn't it, Noah?

I've accomplished what I set out to achieve.

So, I'm happy of that.

Despite his resistance and practical concerns,

Zameer's vote for Australia meant Hannah had triumphed yet again

and she was delighted at the prospect of more family time

together in the sunshine.

We caught up with them one year on to find out what happened next.

It's September 2016 and the Gaj family have moved to...

Buckinghamshire in the UK, but hopefully not for too much longer.

Since we last saw them, they've gone from being a family of three

to a family of four.

Oh, well, it was nice while it lasted.

The baby is called Faris, which is a Muslim name.

Zameer chose it.

He wanted that name for Noah so I agreed that I named Noah,

he named this baby.

Hannah and Zameer are delighted with the new addition to the family.

He's kind of docile, which we really need

because Noah's so energetic.

-I can make him smile.

-Go on, then.

-OK!

It took a while for Noah to get used to the idea, though.

He's smiling! He's smiling!

In the beginning, he was very upset

that he was no longer the only child.

He wasn't too impressed that someone else was taking all the attention,

but now he's very good with him.

I love him and I'm the older brother.

Having baby Faris hasn't changed Hannah's focus on a move down under.

Yeah, do you think you'd be able to adapt to the heat?

It'd take you long, man, trust me.

We had one hot day in August and we were losing our minds.

They have air-conditioning in their houses.

Yeah, I mean, they're built for it.

The trial week had been everything she'd hoped for.

It was nice to know that everything I had researched and been looking at

for years was actually true.

It had opened Zameer's eyes to the kind of future

Australia could offer.

I'll be fine, I'll get a nice tan.

-Hmm. What, a red one?

-Not with factor 50, I tan quite well.

'All my arguments seemed to be nullified within a couple of days.'

I could see myself living there, I'm convinced that could be a reality.

And Noah could also see the attractions of Aussie living.

I liked Australia because I liked

the beach and the swimming pools.

All he could talk about was Australia, he still does,

that's all he talks about.

So, where's Australia on the map?

Yeah, and where were we?

We were there. Somewhere in Queensland.

I think he loved how much we hung out as a family, so...

Zameer's vote for Oz at the end of the week

was a huge relief for Hannah.

I was never too sure how he was really feeling about it

till the end, but when he did vote for Australia,

it made it easier because we were going to go anyway.

-So, at least he's happy about it.

-HE LAUGHS

But arriving back in the UK,

she was concerned Zameer might still change his mind.

I did feel that maybe he got caught up in all the emotion of it

while we were out there and maybe when we got back home,

the reality would dawn on him and he'd decide actually

it's not what he wanted.

I was sold but still a bit apprehensive.

Leaving nothing to chance, Hannah got the ball rolling straightaway.

-The crocodile show?

-Yeah.

The one we saw at the zoo.

'Pretty much the next day, I was booking for my skills assessments,'

looking at more stuff about Australia,

looking at the property apps I have on my phone,

just to kind of keep that going.

You were relentless, weren't you?

-Faris! Mummy!

-You're going to show Mum...?

The family moved in with Hannah's grandparents to save money

and when word came through

their initial visa application had been approved,

Hannah took matters into her own hands.

I applied and paid for the visas.

Having spent over £3,000 without consulting Zameer,

she was nervous about breaking the news.

Next thing you know, I get a text with a picture of her receipt

for paying for the visas.

Yeah, which didn't go down that well.

I was pretty mad at that point and I've been mad for a long time

because I thought she made that decision without my input.

He wasn't very happy, he was quite angry

and he definitely didn't talk to me for a good while.

I made it quite clear how upset I was at this decision

and I pretty much carried that through

till the end of the pregnancy.

But Hannah was convinced she had made the right move.

I know that their rules and regulations change all the time

and I just didn't want to miss that opportunity.

Score!

Shortly after the couple arrived back from the trial week,

Zameer's parents made the shock announcement

they were moving to America.

It happened very quickly.

They announced it and then, I think a week later, they actually went.

So, that was kind of a big shock for everybody.

Didn't give anybody time to actually process what was going on,

so I'm a bit disappointed that they went, to be honest,

and a bit upset that they left in such a manner.

Noah's found the separation hard to come to terms with.

Because Grandad and Grandma are in America...

..I miss them very much.

And he can't quite comprehend why we can't go and see them.

I think he finds that quite upsetting.

So, I suppose that's kind of, in a way, preparing him

for what it's like when we move.

When we do go to Australia,

I think I will give people the appropriate amount of time

to actually process the information

and come to terms with it because that's very important.

Their departure gave Hannah food for thought.

It has made me reflect and feel bad that I'm taking Noah away

from kind of my side of the family as well,

especially when he's lost Zameer's side of the family.

Yeah.

Still the couple ploughed ahead with plans to move

but things ground to a halt

when Hannah fell ill during her pregnancy.

It literally put everything on hold.

She suffered from, like, an almost debilitating condition.

You were in bed for almost three months because of the pregnancy,

so that was very difficult to deal with.

Everything was up in the air at that point in time.

Suffering from a rare disorder,

Hannah was forced to spend months in hospital.

The family really came through and helped us out.

Realising how dependent they were on family,

Zameer began to have doubts about a move.

It was a scary thought that because of how sick she was,

how hopeless we were at that point...

I was very negative about Australia in that time period.

A very scary time.

Fortunately, Hannah's health gradually improved, though,

and deciding they needed a place of their own,

the couple decided to make one final move in the UK.

'Moving into our own house a couple of weeks'

before the baby was born was a bit stressful.

Things didn't turn out as we planned and the baby came

a week early, so we still had loads of unpacking to do.

Home for now is this rented three-bedroom terraced house

in Buckinghamshire.

We're in a village,

which is quite different to where we were living in Kingston.

It's very quiet.

The area of here is really nice and picturesque, but it is quite...

-It's too quiet.

-Mm-hm.

It does have some advantages, though.

It's a big change from London.

It's been a good trade-off for the kids.

Definitely having a lot bigger living room,

not only for Noah's toys,

but now we've got another one and they're both boys,

for them to run around.

Never be tidy again.

-Mm!

-He agrees.

-Little brother.

-Little brother.

Baby Faris's arrival has left the Gajs' loved ones less enthusiastic

about their plans to move down under.

Everyone was very positive in their messages

whilst we were in Australia.

When I broke that news to them, it's kind of gone

-completely the opposite now, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

We now get told, "No, you're not moving."

The thought of being on opposite sides of the globe

from her grandchildren

is something Hannah's mum can barely contemplate.

-He's always happy when you pick him up.

-He loves me, don't you?

At the time, I was, "If that's what they want to do,

"fully support them," and I've changed my mind.

I don't think it crossed their mind

that it would actually become a reality, so I don't...

I think they thought this would be it, they're having another baby,

they'll definitely stay here.

She's taking my grandchildren away from me.

I think the benefits of being around their grandparents

and other family members outweigh the benefits of going to Australia.

You can't replace us, Hannah, and we can't replace you.

Ready, and...

Oh, shame!

However, for Hannah, the sadness of leaving her mother behind

is outweighed by the brighter future

she believes Australia offers her children.

No! He snatched it off me and I got it first!

'We're kind of more of a family unit now,

'we've kind of expanded and just to want that lifestyle for them'

and the opportunities in Australia for them.

'So, now that the baby's born, we can start focusing on that again.'

But when they will actually make the move has still to be decided.

Yay! I'm winning. Ah!

I have no specific timeline on when to go to Australia,

even if it takes a couple of years.

I wouldn't say a couple of years, I think that's too long!

Hannah is itching to go as soon as possible.

I've had all my midwifery skills assessed and approved

by the board in Australia.

We've paid for our visas and we just need to do the medicals,

basically, to finalise it and then we can start looking for jobs,

which may take a couple of months, six months.

I'm hoping this time next year, that we will be out in Australia.

Hannah has these ideas that we'll move out as soon as possible,

but I don't think it's fair to everyone else.

If we're going to do this move, we do it correctly

and we plan things properly and we make sure

that it's as stress-free as possible.

Hannah's clear on how she sees life shaping up

on the other side of the world.

To have a nice house,

to have a good work-life balance, full of lots of family activities.

But Zameer's still erring on the cautious side.

The move to Australia I find exciting but scary.

And getting over that two-year period where you're homesick,

that's what is going to be quite tricky.

But I am very excited.

Whatever the timeframe,

there's no doubt that the family are destined for down under.

Yeah, I think my family's future does lie in Australia.

I think there's a lot more options for the kids

and there's a lot more life to experience there

than there is over here, I think.

So, in ten years' time, if I'm in the pool

and I've got meat on the barbecue, I'll be happy.

I've spent too many years thinking about this

to not go through with it.

Yeah. It kind of has to happen.

It's been a very big year for the Gaj family

and although not quite there yet,

their sights are still firmly set on Australia.

We wish Zameer, Hannah, Noah and baby Faris

the happiest of times together when they finally make it down under.