Restarick Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

Leaving everyone and everything you know to move halfway across

the world isn't for the faint-hearted,

so, how would you convince the love of your life to do it

for the second time?

In 2015, Richard and Nieva Restarick made the trip to Australia

to find out.

Today, we'll catch up with them to see if they're now living at home

or away.

Richard Restarick had been yearning for a life in Australia ever since

a visit in his youth...

It would mean a massive amount to me.

It's just something which has constantly been a thorn in my side.

..but his wife and daughter weren't keen on a move.

I'm going to put my foot down and I'm not going to go.

While a week in Australia almost won them round...

Oh, my God!

See? Now you're talking.

This is a perfect house to live in.

..the thought of leaving loved ones left them torn.

I feel very sad.

One year on, which side of the world do the family now call home?

I believe we have made the right decision for our family so far.

So far.

Every week, the equivalent of a jumbo jet full of Brits leave the UK

to start a new life in Australia -

a country with nearly 40,000 miles of stunning coastline and an average

temperature of 22 degrees,

but not all that glitters is gold -

around half of those making the move end up returning home.

In 2015, Richard Restarick was a man on a mission.

Having wanted to live in Australia since his late teens,

the pressure of running his own business had made his desire to move

stronger than ever, but there was one major stumbling block

in Richard's way - wife Nieva.

Having already crossed continents once to be with him,

she didn't fancy doing it all over again.

One year later, we'll find out if Richard was on

a Mission: Impossible.

One year ago, the family's trip to Australia involved a gruelling

34-hour journey,

including a nine-hour delay in Kuala Lumpur to get to Adelaide.

When they finally touched down, the flight had clearly affected Richard.

After the journey, we're really tired.

It's been that long since, I've even forgotten where I am.

On the journey to here, my dad just got his head on the...

Looking at him on the seats, it was like...

The long trip had given everyone plenty of time to think about the

distance they were putting between family.

That's not fair for Grandma.

It's not fair for your mum to travel that far.

I don't think they're going to make it. Nobody will come.

It was his first trip to Australia since 2005

and Richard was keen to see if the country

would live up to his expectations.

I need to get outside and start exploring, to be honest.

I can't wait to get out of the airport and have a look round

and just see if it's how I remember it.

As they headed off into Adelaide,

their entire future was riding on what would unfold over

the next seven days.

In 2015, the Restaricks -

dad Richard, mum Nieva, and Izzy, then seven -

were living in Norfolk.

Nieva had come a long way from a hard upbringing in the Philippines.

We live in a squatters' area.

Financially, we cannot buy everything that we want.

It's very tough to live there.

Meanwhile, 7,000 miles away, future husband Richard,

then in his late teens,

was jetting off on the trip of a lifetime to Australia with his mum.

We travelled quite a bit.

We done quite a lot of Australia and we really, really enjoyed it.

When I came back in September, from Australia,

I was then saving up to travel round

and do a bit of backpacking by myself.

But all the plans were put on hold when stars collided

and he met the love of his life online.

Courtesy of Bill Gates, really. It was...

The couple quickly fell for each other.

Ten months later, Nieva was by his side in the UK

and they were married,

but the romance meant Richard's Australia savings were gone.

Everything I had saved up basically went into getting Nieva back here.

Everything for Australia had just vanished.

For Nieva, leaving her home country and family had been tough.

It's very hard to leave them because it's my life.

It was a tough time, that time.

Slowly and surely, over the years,

she'd built a solid social circle in England.

My friends here in the UK, they're quite crazy and fun.

# Why do you build me up, Buttercup?

# Baby, just to let me down... #

When I see them, we go out, we go for a disco...

We're crazy enough to enjoy each other's company.

But the picture wasn't as rosy for Richard.

Working long hours,

the responsibilities that came with running a car mechanic's business

had put him under pressure.

We've been through a really tough time recently.

We had to make a couple of people redundant,

and it's been a lot...a lot of stress.

I work so many hours.

Once again, Richard's thoughts had returned to Australia...

It's definitely become more of a burning issue recently.

With everything that's been happening at work,

it would mean a massive amount to me to move to Australia.

..but he knew he'd have a fight on his hands persuading Nieva.

Having already moved across the world once,

she wasn't keen on doing it again.

Leaving everything behind again - starting all over again -

is that meaning me not having friends for a year?

Somebody to...Izzy...somebody to play with?

Not having that again, not at this age...

Izzy was with her mum on opposing the move.

My dad told me that ever since he was young, he...

he wanted to go to Australia.

I never wanted to because I'll really miss my friends and family

who live here.

Richard hoped Australia could give his family a brighter future

but Nieva would be tough to persuade.

If this proves wrong, and I really have a strong feeling this is wrong,

I'm going to put my foot down and I'm not going to go.

The Restaricks spent their trial week in Adelaide,

voted Australia's most liveable city three years in a row.

Their base for the week was in Seacliff,

just a 20-minute drive from the city centre.

It was wet and dark when the family arrived,

but that didn't dampen Richard's spirits.

Wow. This is nice.

-Oh, this looks so cute, eh?

-Wow.

As they settled in, Richard knew he'd got his work cut out,

especially having arrived in less than ideal conditions.

I think I've got to really pull out the stops during this week

to convince them, after the rain and everything,

but I think the weather's going to improve, you know,

and they'll enjoy that.

Izzy's castle bed can fit in quite nicely there, won't it?

No...

But it looked like there was another storm on the horizon,

in the shape of Nieva's concerns about uprooting her life

for a second time.

It's pretty scary, to be honest.

I mean, when I moved to the UK, I'm still...I'm young and...

You know, with yourself, when you're young, you easily get friends.

Look at these.

Richard was well aware he'd also have to sell the dream

to his daughter.

You know, she's got as much right in this family to make a decision as

what me and Nieva both have,

and if she's not convinced, and Nieva's not convinced,

then it's a no-go.

You know, it's going to be an end of the line for us.

If I move here, I'll really miss my very close friends at school

and some...and a lot at school.

With love having got in the way of his last return to Australia,

Richard knew the week ahead could be his final shot at

calling the country home.

I've got the chance to prove to my family that

it's the right thing to do.

Yeah, there's a lot riding on this week.

In 2015, the Restaricks were living in a detached house

in a quiet part of Thetford in Norfolk.

We love this house, don't we? It's everything I wanted.

We've got a room big enough to watch TV in, and with the speakers

and everything I want in it.

The family's budget for a home in Australia was £300,000,

and one thing was right at the top of Richard's wish list.

-Swimming pool.

-Yeah.

Don't care. That's it.

If there's a swimming pool,

-it's going to be a proper dream house.

-Yeah.

The Australian house has to be better.

To find out what kind of house their money could buy them in Adelaide,

we showed Richard and Nieva three properties -

two on budget and a third which could have been their dream home.

For their first viewing,

the family travelled northwards along the coast to Henley Beach.

Just 15 minutes from the city,

would this three-bedroom home be enough to wow Nieva?

Outside, first impressions were good.

It's very pretty.

Inside, reactions were positive, too...

-Wow!

-Oh. Oh, wow.

-Oh, wow!

-Whoa.

Wow.

That's beautiful.

..until the master suite.

Ah! Mummy and Daddy's room.

Wow!

One Aussie feature seemed to be missing.

The only one this house hasn't got is the built-in wardrobe,

-which I thought all Australian houses got.

-Yeah.

But, on closer inspection...

-Wow!

-Whoa!

Where is my wardrobe going?

-It's mine! It's mine!

-Whoa!

-It's both.

-My shoe rack!

The positive vibes continued in the kitchen.

-Goodness!

-I told you.

-NIEVA LAUGHS

-Wow!

-Oh, my gosh!

That's it.

-That's it.

-Oh, wow.

My room. My room...

-Whoa...

-Whoa.

Outside, Nieva spotted an appealing feature.

What's that?

Hot tub.

Hot tub. Oh, yeah!

It looked like Nieva was coming round to Aussie living,

and Izzy, too.

I actually want to move here.

Do you? Yes!

-Do you actually want to move here?

-Not that much.

Tomorrow?

No! I'm just thinking about it.

OK, OK...

It seemed Richard's work wasn't done quite yet,

but was this somewhere they could afford anyway

with their £300,000 budget?

Turn it over, Izzy.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Oh, my gosh!

It was only £4,000 over budget.

-Look at that!

-That's all right, yeah.

-A good start.

-A good start.

-Yeah.

I can't wait to see the rest.

Things were off to a good start.

Next stop was Golden Grove, half an hour inland from the city.

Did this property appeal as much as the last?

Outside impressed straight away...

-Wow!

-Wow.

-Wow, is it, like, on top of the world in here? Is it?

It's very imposing, isn't it?

..and inside didn't disappoint either.

Oh, wow!

-It's beautiful.

-Whoa.

-It's far bigger than the other one.

-The master bedroom hit the spot.

-Oh, yes. Our room.

-They've all got front bedrooms, haven't they?

-Look at the view!

Babe, can you imagine that, sitting down there,

when you wake up with that view?

It looked like Richard was on to a winner.

And then you've got another entertainment area here as well.

And outside lay the feature he'd been hoping for.

This is perfect.

Perfect. When you come to Australia, this is what you expect, isn't it?

-You know?

-A swimming pool.

-The big house with the swimming pool.

-Yes.

You know, it's just the stuff dreams are made of.

This house had blown everyone away,

-but was it beyond their budget of £300,000?

-Here we go.

Hmm...

Can I do it now?

Yeah. Go for it.

-NIEVA GASPS

-Oh!

-What?

-No way.

It was £4,000 below budget.

No way!

That is really...

Impossible. No...

No way!

£296,000?

Izzy was so smitten, it seemed her opposition to a move was melting.

-Let's buy it.

-Let's buy it, yeah.

Richard's dream had received a shot in the arm, and there was still

one more house to view.

Staying in Golden Grove,

we'd found what we thought could be the family's dream home.

Situated in one of the area's most desirable pockets,

this property was love at first sight for Nieva.

-No way!

-RICHARD LAUGHS

No way!

You're joking me!

NIEVA LAUGHS

-That one?

-Yeah, that one. Yeah.

Inside, things just got better and better.

-Wow.

-Oh, my...

-This feels like you're walking into

a stately home, doesn't it?

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

-Bloody hell...

-RICHARD CHUCKLES

-No way we can afford this.

-NIEVA LAUGHS

Even the kitchen is worth the house of...our house...

Look outside.

Izzy was quick to spot something through the window.

-Outside.

-Outside.

Oh, that is a clean pool.

NIEVA SIGHS

-Izzy...

-I feel it. This is my house for today.

The sun's here as well.

I love this. I absolutely love this.

I absolutely love this.

Everyone loved this house,

but was it reserved for the rich and famous, as Richard feared?

-The family's budget was £300,000.

-Izzy...

NIEVA TAKES A DEEP BREATH

So, what do you think of this house, Izzy?

I don't know why the people want to sell it.

-No, I don't.

-It's a nice house to live in.

-Please, take me out of my misery.

-OK.

-Come on, Izzy.

-Let's do it.

-Let's do it.

In three, two, one.

-Whoa.

-Whoa!

-Oh, my goodness.

It was £98,000 over budget but...

That's a lot more for £100,000.

In the future.

It was an eye-opening day property-hunting for the Restaricks,

with each house eclipsing the last.

Property one had wowed Nieva with its impressive master bedroom

and a place for a dip in the back yard.

The second had upped the stakes, with Izzy wanting to move right in

and the pool Richard desired.

But property three had been the real winner,

with kerb appeal in spades, a dream kitchen,

and all the space the family could need.

So, with all of that in mind,

how did the Restaricks vote when it came to choosing between property

at home or away?

-Australia.

-Australia!

-Wow!

-Oh, wow.

What do you like, Izzy, the most?

I really like the houses with the swimming pools.

I thought you was going to be the hardest one

to persuade about Australia.

-It's open-plan, and that is what I like the most.

-Yeah.

-Australia.

-It's got to be Australia.

-Yeah.

-This is a great turnout.

A full house of votes for Australia meant Richard's week was off to

a solid start,

but there was still some way to go if he was to get Nieva and Izzy

fully on board.

Back in the UK, Richard was running a garage with his mum,

but the responsibility meant little room for time off.

I probably do 60, 70 hours a week,

erm, working for 12 days on the trot,

and then I have the two days off on the weekend to spend with my family,

which isn't enough really.

Nieva was a book-keeper, working at the family garage.

I love my job because of the flexibility

that I can work any time I want.

I can still spend time with Izzy.

In Australia, Richard was hoping to free himself of the pressures of

running a business and work for someone else.

It's not been the easiest of times.

I've been bringing home a lot of stress.

You know, I haven't been myself because of it

and I just need a change.

Nieva, however, was reluctant to move if it meant putting

her career aspirations on ice.

If I can't find work in Australia,

I would rather stay here in the UK

because there's a future perspective for me.

I'm thinking of being a qualified accountant here in the UK,

because I'm so settled now, I can actually start studying.

As the couple set out to explore their work opportunities

in Adelaide, Richard was feeling the pressure.

Today is a really, really stressful day, to be honest.

I've been dreading today.

We sent Richard to a large car dealership,

-where he met service manager Craig.

-Hi there, mate. I'm Richard.

-Let's have a look around.

-Thanks, mate.

Desperate to discover if he could reduce his working hours,

Richard wasted no time asking Craig about typical Aussie shifts.

What is your normal working day for a mechanic?

We work Monday to Friday from eight o'clock until four or six,

and our technicians work three Saturdays on and one off each month.

It was an encouraging start for Richard.

Across town, Nieva had an appointment in central Adelaide

with Andrew, who ran an accounting firm.

-Hello.

-Hi, Nieva. I'm Andrew.

Welcome to Evans + Ayers.

She was keen to hear if she could fit in a working day

around caring for Izzy.

We're quite flexible.

I like to make sure that I go to all my children's events,

and I try and ensure that staff have the same opportunities,

cos you need happy staff at the end of the day.

With her qualifications and experience,

what kind of role did Andrew think she could secure?

I would have no issues with your qualifications for you working as

a book-keeper, accountant, and then working your way through,

and then it's based on experience, and you have training on the job

and you can obtain qualifications on the job.

I can hopefully find a job!

It wasn't the kind of reaction Andrew was used to,

but being able to pursue a career as a fully-qualified accountant was

a massive plus for Nieva.

OK, Andrew, now the big question - how much would I earn?

Full-time, you'd probably earn about 60,000 Australian

to 70,000 Australian dollars.

Oh, wow!

Working full-time could have seen Nieva earn around £35,000 -

more than triple what she was getting part-time at home.

I have to ask my mother-in-law to give me a pay rise

if I'm staying in the UK.

Well, we're not paying you as much now, cos it's a lot.

No...

That's good.

It was a great result for Nieva.

Were Richard's prospects as good?

So, what would I be expected to earn if a position was available?

Anywhere from around 50,000 to about 57,000 as a general wage.

At about £25,000,

that was way below the £40,000 Richard was bringing in at home.

I feel quite deflated, to be honest. It's quite a big dent.

I wasn't expecting the wages to be quite so low, in all fairness.

I think it's just a little bit too low to make a good go of things,

to be honest.

The couple had had very different results on earnings,

so did that affect their vote?

-Australia!

-UK!

Oh!

Well, you knew that was going to come, didn't you?

-No.

-Yeah.

Am I turning, then?

-Ah...

-I've been voting Australia twice now.

That's all right. That's good.

-Oh!

-I'll just send you out to work.

I'll just live the life of luxury - I'll become a house dad.

Oh! That's not a bad idea.

While Nieva's eyes had been opened to the upside of life in Australia,

Richard had reluctantly lodged his first vote for the UK,

but would a day experiencing Australia's great outdoors

persuade him a smaller salary could be a sacrifice worth making?

The family headed to West Beach,

where they met world-class speed-skater Carly

for an in-line skating lesson.

-Morning.

-Morning.

-How are you doing?

-Morning.

-How are you, guys?

-Who feels like doing some skating this morning?

-Yeah.

-Can I get hurt?

-Please, teach us, please.

While Richard and Izzy were quick to get their skates on,

someone else was struggling.

NIEVA SQUEALS

It was exactly the kind of family time Richard had been craving.

Doing all the activities out in the glorious sunshine,

it's pretty cool, to be honest.

And, over an ice cream,

Nieva was quick to confess the country's climate could also

be winning her round.

I think it's been brilliant, you know.

I mean, it started really gloomy and...and everything.

-Like...

-It was bank-holiday weather when we got here, yeah.

Bank-holiday weather, yeah.

But now it's... Now, today, it's brilliant.

How about you? How do you feel after finding out about the job,

that it's not what you...?

Yeah, it put a bit of a downer on things, didn't it, really?

But it's not deterred me in any way, I don't think.

Richard was beginning to think a lower salary could be a worthwhile

compromise for the dream he was chasing.

You can work to your heart's content,

but if you can't go out and enjoy yourself, then you're not living,

you're just existing.

But having already experienced poverty first-hand,

Nieva wasn't sure it was a risk she wanted to take.

I don't want to struggle, cos I struggled when I was young

and I don't want to come back to the same position.

Based on lifestyle, though,

had today done enough to persuade the family to choose Australia

over the UK?

-ALL:

-Australia!

All of us - Australia.

That's another vote for Australia.

-Thank you.

-Well, look at the... Look at the weather.

-We can do far more...many things in this sort of weather.

-Yeah.

With Nieva and Izzy sold on Australia's lifestyle,

it looked like Richard was getting closer to persuading them to

make the move.

First, though, he needed to address Nieva's concerns

on finances down under.

We provided the couple with a cost of living comparison -

to work out if they could afford to live in Australia,

they started with the weekly grocery shop.

You're better with numbers than me.

Washing powder's cheaper.

205.53.

-Worse off at £6.85.

-Mm-hmm.

£35 a month more on groceries didn't raise any alarms.

-That's doable.

-That's doable.

Basing their figures on the second property they saw,

the couple then tackled the bigger outgoings.

-Look at the mortgage.

-It's cheaper.

-Mm-hmm.

Electricity's more.

The transport is good.

1,600.

In total, the couple worked out they'd spend

£139 a month less in Australia.

That's cool.

But based on Richard's lower potential earnings down under,

and Nieva working part-time, the overall outcome wasn't as rosy.

So we'd be £1,361 a month worse off.

The couple would have been more than £16,000 a year worse off...

-Wow.

-That's a lot of money.

-It is a lot of money.

-That's a lot of money to lose.

-Mm-hmm.

..but Richard was determined to remain positive.

But...money doesn't buy happiness, babe.

-It doesn't.

-And if we can afford to live a comfortable life,

rather than an extremely comfortable life,

then it's still an option, isn't it?

-It's your call.

-Hmm...

It's your call.

Despite putting on a brave face, the figures were disappointing -

would that prove a pill too bitter to swallow as they cast their votes?

-UK!

-Australia!

Sorry?

When you've got to lose 16 grand a year, it's a lot of money to lose.

-But it's another one for Australia for you, isn't it?

-Uh-huh.

I hadn't got that much money when I was in the Philippines

and I'm happy.

-Yeah, that's true.

-And, you know, we can work things out here.

-Mm-hmm.

-We can work things out here.

While the finances down under hadn't worked in Richard's favour,

Nieva was convinced life could still have been comfortable in Australia,

but the biggest challenge of the week was yet to come.

With Nieva and Izzy having voted for Australia all week,

would hearing from friends at home see them

change their minds on a move?

Do you want to watch video from our family and friends from the UK?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

Then, OK, let's watch them.

Hello, you lot, out there in the sunshine.

-Miss you.

-Good luck, girls.

I think he's a fantastic son,

You know, he's very caring.

He's really, really hard-working.

She's always funny, and whenever I'm upset, she makes me laugh.

-She's a very integral part of the circle of the friends.

-Yeah.

When she said that Nieva and the family will be going to Australia,

it was a bit of a shock.

Oh! There's crying already!

I would hate it,

I would really hate it -

not being able to see Izzy,

not being able to talk to Richard when I wanted to, or ask his advice.

I don't want her to leave.

SOBBING

It's OK.

Nieva, Richard, Izzy, go with whatever is in your heart.

Please be careful and look at all the pros and cons

before you make this big decision.

You can choose whatever you want, but, hopefully, you'll stay here.

-That was tough.

-It was a bit hard, wasn't it?

Now I don't want to move.

-Now you don't want to move?

-Back to zero.

Back to zero again, huh?

-What about you, babe?

-It's a bit hard.

Yeah, it is, isn't it?

You know, I get...a bit emotional.

-OK.

-NIEVA SNIFFLES

Hearing heartfelt messages had hit home hard for Nieva and Izzy.

As their trial week in Adelaide drew to a close,

where the family would spend their future was still far from certain.

The trial week had been everything Richard was hoping for.

It's exceeded my expectations.

I've just loved every second of it.

It had opened Nieva and Izzy's eyes to the possibility of a move.

I said to myself, "I should not like it, I should not like it,

"I should not like it..."

But how can you not like it?

As the week went on, well...

it just became hotter and I really enjoyed it.

But messages from home had given them pause for thought.

Everything is brilliant here,

but, sometimes, having your family around you,

and the friends -

the sort of friends that you have through thick and thin -

sometimes that's more important than having the sun.

I feel very sad...

cos I'll leave behind so many people that I've known for years.

Am I doing the right thing?

Is she going to hate me for it if I move her out here?

Richard's dream rested on the final turn of the cards.

Our final decision where we would like to live goes to...

-Australia!

-Australia!

Uh-oh.

-We sort of know that, anyway, don't we?

-Yeah, we knew that.

-Yeah.

Are you all right going here on holiday?

-Yeah?

-Yeah, I'm OK on holidays, but not moving.

I actually surprised myself, as well.

I know we're not going to earn much,

but money cannot buy happiness, babe.

-OK. Group hug.

-Come on, then.

Well done, well done...

Eee, oh...

Ow.

Ow, I'm getting squished.

-So there's no way of changing your mind, Izzy?

-Uh-uh.

No? You want to go back to England?

-Yes.

-Yeah? OK.

But it's been a good week, though.

It's been an awesome week.

Australia's irrepressible charm had worked its magic on Nieva,

but the pull of family and friends for Izzy had seen Richard's dream

fall at the final hurdle.

Now, one year on from their trial week,

it's time to find out what happened next.

It's August, 2016, and the Restaricks are living in...

Norfolk in the UK.

Despite her initial worries about emigrating,

the trial week had opened Nieva's eyes to the possibility of a move.

I love Australia, especially the houses.

Oh, my gosh!

I see loads of positive things in Adelaide and, you know,

loads of opportunities, as well -

not just for me but also for my family.

Her vote for Australia at the end was like

a dream come true for Richard.

When Nieva showed the flag, it was...it was really cool.

It was like, "Yes!"

The only stumbling block was Izzy.

When Izzy voted for the UK,

erm, obviously I felt a little bit, "Ugh, why?"

But I do understand why she felt it.

I'm sure, and I'm convinced, it was the family and friends video

which broke her, to be honest.

You know, we had a lot of tears during the show and after the show.

We did have a good time.

It's just I couldn't leave my friends...my friends at school.

My family lives here, and I've known them for nine years now,

and I just couldn't leave them behind.

Realising Izzy wasn't going to be won over easily,

Richard admits returning to the UK was hard,

as he came to terms with the knowledge his Australian dream

could be over.

The first two weeks after we came back,

it was a real downer, to be honest.

It was such an anti-climax.

It's not quite really what I expected, you know?

I thought I was going to get out there and process everything and get

straight on it when we got back.

It was difficult to come home to

and get back into the swing of work, etc.

So, yeah, it was the downside for me.

But Richard hadn't completely closed the door on

the possibility of moving.

My plans and thoughts for the future at the time was

to start processing the visa.

We were slowly starting to build up connections with

immigration agencies, and speaking to agents about going, wasn't we?

And, you know, who would be best on the skilled visa.

Realising age was against him,

Richard started to save up for an Australian visa

in the hope Izzy would eventually change her mind.

When we got back in the UK, he'd keep looking at his bike,

keep going to the garage, keep looking at his bike,

and then, one day, he just told me,

"I want to sell my bike and use that for the visa."

But things didn't go quite to plan when, months after returning home,

Richard was devastated to discover that their family-run garage

had been broken into.

The garage got turned over,

and we had a lot of my personal stuff taken away from me.

And he comes in, and he said, "The bike is gone."

That's the first thing he said, actually. "My bike is gone."

And it's like, "My visa is gone."

We were going to start applying for the visa,

and the main source of that income would be from my motorcycle,

which got stolen, and it wasn't insured, unfortunately.

He is not the same.

I haven't seen him smiling for weeks and weeks and weeks.

It was a devastating blow.

But, yeah, that's the most heartbreaking moment of our family,

to be honest.

He'd already planned everything what's going to happen next

and, all of a sudden, somebody took that away from him.

It's completely changed the timescale of things.

You know, the visa application's a lot of money -

it's a lot of money to save up for -

and it was the only way we were going to be able to do it quickly.

The thieves had also robbed Richard of things that

couldn't ever be replaced.

My dad's tools and the power tools and everything, all got stolen,

as well. They were all his.

You just can't replace that.

You can... Yeah, you can buy another bike,

you can buy another set of tools, but they were his.

It was a traumatic time for the family,

and there was more bad news to come,

when Richard's beloved grandma suffered a fall

which left her in hospital.

When my gran fell over and broke her arm, she got really ill with it.

We honestly thought we were going to lose her at one point.

You know, at this point...

This time last year, she was very ill in hospital.

Richard felt that it's his responsibility

and he's the only grandchild around.

The situation left Richard contemplating the importance of

being close by for his loved ones in the UK.

At the time, my mum was away and it was just down to me,

because we were the only relatives close in the area who could pop in

and see her, so every night we're travelling backwards and forwards to

Norwich Hospital after work, and it...

Again, that kind of made me realise that,

you know, this...this...

If this happened to Mum, who's going to look after Mum?

When that happened to Grandma, we realised that, hey,

that could happen to your mum, as well.

What are you going to do next?

If we're thousands of miles away, what are you going to do?

He loves his family.

Since recovering, his grandma has relocated to a house closer to

the couple, and the whole family are grateful for the time

they can enjoy together.

So, now my grandmother's moved into the nursing home down the road,

we probably see her two or three times a week.

If we were in Australia,

we just wouldn't be able to have that opportunity right now.

There are times like on her birthday I can surprise her,

cos it's so much closer.

I can just bring the cake and give her what she wants.

To be there for her when she needs us,

and to be able to see her when we want, as well, it's nice.

Despite plans not working out as hoped,

their week down under has inspired Richard and Nieva to make some

positive changes to their life in the UK.

When I was doing every other weekend, it was too much.

It was very stressful.

Very stressful for the family, stressful for my wife and Izzy...

You know, I'm not spending no time with them

because it was just work and work and work -

working 60, 70, 80 hours a week plus.

So the lads at work, we all sat down,

we all decided what was best and the guys have been fantastic,

and they've stepped in - with no questions, no arguments -

and they've covered my shifts for me.

Your employees, they are friends, as well.

They are willing to do the weekends for him,

you know, so they can swap so that he doesn't have to work

as much as he used to do.

It's so easy now to go in and enjoy my work.

Yeah, OK, there's days where you think, "Why on earth do I bother?"

But you'd get that in any job.

They've definitely made my life easier and been able to help me with

running the business.

And less time at work means more time for play.

Now I've got more time off,

I've got more energy to do stuff with the family.

It's really nice, you know?

Today we've been playing on the trampoline,

and running around, chasing the dog in the park.

It's great quality time.

Before the trial week, Richard always worked,

worked, worked, worked, but now we have more time together.

Because when we come back after the trial week,

that gets our focus to the one thing -

that's, you know, money and material things are not important.

It's really nice. It gives you such an awesome feeling to be able to be

there for your family and not just provide for your family.

And he managed to get that option to spend more time with Izzy.

I am very happy with that.

I'm spending a lot more precious time with my daughter

and quality time with my wife.

It's made the decision, rather than going searching for something

on the other side of the world,

which might not necessarily be there,

to stay here and appreciate life in the UK.

During the weekends, what we do is sometimes we go to the caravan

and enjoy our time there.

The seaside does relax me and Richard.

We really enjoy being together.

We really enjoy seeing each other, and it's nice.

It's a great atmosphere to be in at the moment, you know -

really happy and contented.

There's even been time for a family holiday, which turned out to be

something very special.

We thought, "Let's go back to the Philippines and we'll go back to

"the place where we first met."

I wanted the renewal of the vow to be a surprise,

because that is our dream wedding.

Next thing you know, I get handed this piece of paper

and it's just like, "Surprise..." I've turned it over.

"..it's your wedding day today."

I'm like, "What?"

What's going on?

This time, I surprised Richard to get married on the exact beach

where we wanted to get married in the first place.

My daughter's in this lovely white dress, hair all done,

looking very smart and pretty.

I'm like, "What's going on here?"

The renewing of the vow ceremony is very special.

I'm so blessed.

APPLAUSE

That's our dream wedding, and I got my mum there.

My mum had never been at our wedding here in the UK,

and at that renewal of the vows, she was there.

She's the love of my life, you know.

I wouldn't... I wouldn't want to change her for anything.

You know, when somebody does that to you after ten years of marriage,

you know they still love you.

It was a very special day.

The past few months have been eventful and busy,

and while Nieva had agreed Australia could be a good move,

she's totally content with how life has panned out in the UK.

I'll be happy staying in the UK,

because I've got my family, and the friends.

We appreciate what we've got here.

Richard hasn't given up on the idea of emigrating just yet.

I still have the Australian dream.

It's still... It's still alive and kicking.

It's not so important to me right now.

It's still there, but I'm happy here in the UK for now.

I believe we have made the right decision for our family so far.

So far.

As long as everything stays the way it is,

yeah, we've made the right decision.

I'm a little bit concerned about Richard thinking about going to

Australia, but that is only a tiny little bit,

because I know as long as me and Richard are together,

you know, with and Izzy, he'll be happy.

He'll be happy.

It's not where you are, it's who you're with

that is the most important one.

At the moment, our home, me and Izzy's home, is the UK,

but if Richard said he wants to move to Australia,

and things happen,

I will support him all the way.

We just have to talk to Izzy.

But Izzy might still take some persuading.

If my mum and dad did say to go,

I would feel very upset,

and it's just that I don't want to leave any of my family here.

Izzy's not thinking about Australia at all at this time.

She probably will go on holiday, but she won't...

She won't live there. She won't.

So, for now at least, the Restaricks are more than happy at home.

I would agree with that,

the old saying of "home is where the heart is",

but it's also what you make of home.

It's the right thing to do at the time for ask to stay here

with our family in the UK.

This time next year, I can see my family to be going away on holiday,

but it's still in the UK.

Well, I don't think we're going to go anywhere else for now.

In the end, Nieva and Richard agreed home is where the heart is,

and with Richard scaling back his working hours,

he can enjoy more time with Nieva, too.

We hope the Restaricks' future in the UK is a very happy one.