Maguire Quinn Family Wanted Down Under

Imagine you've finally found the person you want to spend the rest of

your life with, and both of you believe your future lies abroad.

Could you go ahead and make the move,

even if it means leaving someone precious behind?

Pam Quinn and Claire Maguire are ready for their happy ever after...

Had the ring sat in front of her, with one of the feedback cards,

and wrote on it, "Will you marry me?"

..and believe it lies in New Zealand.

Go!

That lifestyle would just be amazing, you can't have that in the UK.

But faced with the unbearable choice of leaving loved ones in the UK...

Think we are perfectly aware of how difficult a decision it's going to

-be to leave Charlie.

-..will they be brave enough to follow their dreams?

I have absolutely no idea what way I'm going to vote.

I can come here and say, "You'll absolutely love it," but it's not that simple.

Believed to be one of the last places on earth to be discovered

and settled by mankind,

New Zealand's far-flung islands now make a great playground for nature

lovers and adventure seekers.

With a third of the country designated as national parks or reserves,

it's given over 300,000 Brits now living there plenty to explore.

Newly engaged,

Pam Quinn and Claire Maguire passionately believe New Zealand is

the perfect place to start the next chapter in their lives.

For Pam, however,

the decision to move to the other side of the world is complicated.

With two children from previous relationships,

she knows only one of them would be able to go with her.

So will a trial week down under be enough to help her make the biggest

decision of her life?

The family's journey begins with over 20 hours in the sky,

travelling from Manchester to Auckland via Dubai.

And nervous flyer Pam is relieved when they finally touch down.

Every time I get on a plane, I kind of accept death.

Even going to Belfast from Manchester.

Yeah, we went to Belfast last week and even on that one I was scared.

Lucy agrees the flight was tough.

It was very uncomfortable.

But Claire's feeling more optimistic.

It's not impossible, like, it's a doable flight.

And her positivity is rubbing off.

It wouldn't put me off doing it again.

Good, because you have to go the other way!

Yeah, we've got to go home!

THEY LAUGH

The long journey's given Pam plenty of time to think about her son back

in the UK.

Charlie has been on my mind.

It does make me think that I won't be able to see him often.

With so much at stake, the family head out into Auckland,

and towards one of the biggest decisions they'll face together.

Meet Pam Quinn, 11-year-old daughter Lucy,

and partner Claire Maguire from Manchester.

The family love nothing more than spending quality time together.

Lucy likes to sit here, we've got a little corner sofa, and generally,

she likes to have a sit in the middle with us two snuggled up to her.

The couple met when Pam was a customer in a cafe where Claire worked as a waitress.

I ordered some porridge, and my porridge got delivered

with a phone number on top of it.

Then it was ignored for a couple of months.

It was, it was ignored for a couple of months.

But I wasn't in a position to respond.

And then when I was, I gave you my number.

Over two years later, they're preparing to tie the knot.

We went for a meal, and while we were in the restaurant,

Claire went to the loo, and when she came back,

I had the ring sat in front of her, on her place, with one of the feedback

cards next to it, and I wrote on it, "Will you marry me?"

Aw!

The pair now share a dream of swapping life in Manchester for New Zealand

in the belief moving could afford them more quality time as a family.

I would like daily life to be a lot more structure,

-a lot more time spent together...

-Yeah.

Being more active.

Definitely more active, definitely get out and about.

For Claire, who grew up in rural Northern Ireland,

it's a chance to escape city living.

I think I really enjoy being in the countryside,

and the scenery has really drawn me.

And due to qualify as a mechanical engineer, she believes

New Zealand could be the perfect place to launch her career.

I would like to get into renewable energies.

There is a lot of renewable energy sort of opportunities in New Zealand.

You'd be really happy with that, wouldn't you?

-I would love that.

-Pam also believes the country will give her daughter,

Lucy, the best possible life.

She can have an actual childhood, where she's out playing with friends.

That does not happen here.

And I know that she'd love it.

And I'm certain, when we're leaving New Zealand,

she'll be saying she wants to live in New Zealand.

I like flat-roofed houses.

And have one near the beach.

But getting the lifestyle they dream of will come at a cost.

For Pam, it could mean moving 12,000 miles away from her six-year-old

son, Charlie. Although he spends most of his time with his other mum,

she loves having him to stay.

We do only have him two nights a week,

but he's just the life and soul of our house, isn't it?

Yeah, it's really nice to have him.

The thought of leaving him behind is tearing Pam apart.

It's like I'm being pulled in every direction.

I've got to think of Charlie's welfare, I've got to think of Lucy's,

and mine and Claire's as a couple as well.

And it is...

..impossible to keep everyone happy.

It makes me really sad to see her having to make that sort of decision.

If I knew I could definitely come and see him once a year,

and if I could possibly pay for him and his mum to come out to

New Zealand to see us once a year,

I'd do that, and that would make it, make the decision a lot easier.

Claire's got her own concerns about leaving loved ones.

Having moved to England nine years ago,

the thought of putting two continents between her and the family she still

sees regularly could be a step too far.

If anything was to happen to my grandparents whilst I was at the

other side of the world, I would probably find it quite difficult.

If anything was to happen to anybody in my family whilst I was at the

other side of the world, I would find it quite difficult.

Ultimately, the couple agree they've reached a crossroads.

And after much soul-searching,

they're desperate to figure out the best direction for their future.

-You're due to start your career.

-Yeah.

But then also we've got to kind of cram in this starting our family

-thing as well.

-Yeah.

-So...

-It is, like, important as to decide where we're going to do that.

-Where we're going to do that, yeah.

To find out if New Zealand can offer the family a better way of life,

they'll spend their trial week in Auckland, on the country's

North Island.

They make their way to Muriwai,

a coastal suburb around 27 miles from the city centre.

Famed for its black sand beach,

it's a great place to sample the outdoors lifestyle they're all after.

But what will they make of their rental home,

which overlooks the Tasman Sea?

Oh, wow.

That's so nice.

There are a few steps to climb, but it's worth it.

-Wow.

-Look at that view from up here.

-It's absolutely beautiful.

-Shall we go and have a look inside, see what it's like?

-Go!

Once inside, Lucy gets straight into assigning bedrooms.

-This one's your room.

-I'm happy with that.

-Look at the view.

-But soon changes her mind.

-That's a decent size, isn't it?

-No, I want this one.

No chance. I'll fight you for it.

OK.

Making a cuppa is a reminder of how far they are from home.

There's, like, five different settings on the kettle.

-It's nice to sit down.

-And the distance is already playing on Pam's mind.

Say if we moved here, we wouldn't be able to go home until, say, three

or four years. There's no way I could go that long without seeing Charlie.

-So I wouldn't consider it...

-I don't think I could really do that either.

I think what will make the decision easier is once we find out what our

earning potential is and how much spare cash we're going to have, really,

isn't it, to see whether we can get home.

Let's hope the week ahead gives them all the answers they need.

Back in the UK, the family rent a two-bedroom terraced house in Manchester,

which is homely - if not a little cramped.

The house that we live in here in the UK is...

-Tiny.

-THEY LAUGH

-Cosy!

-It's cosy, yeah.

A bit more elbow room would be ideal.

That's our general work area, that's Claire's office.

-That's my office.

-Slash dining room.

In New Zealand, I would like something to have been well-kept, like this.

Yeah, it would be nice to just have something a little bit bigger.

Yeah. A bit more room, a bit more space.

They're also hoping a home down under would afford them something they're

sorely missing.

-We've not got a garden.

-No.

-It's just paved.

And location is all-important.

Lucy wants to be quite close to the beach, doesn't she?

But I reckon if we were within about an hour's drive from a nice beach,

-that would be...

-Ideal.

-Great, yeah.

-That would be really good.

But also commutable for work.

Ideally, Claire and Pam would like to buy a property in New Zealand,

and have a budget of around £297,000.

To find out what kind of house they could have,

we'll show the family three properties,

one of which could be their dream home.

Only after they've seen each house will they find out its value.

Their search begins in Papakura,

an up-and-coming area around 20 miles south of Auckland.

With lots of amenities and affordable housing,

it's a popular suburb for families.

-It's got a nice, decent sized garden.

-Good sized windows. I like the windows.

I like that front bedroom!

Will this three-bedroom home get things off to a good start?

Really nice. What do you think?

-Garden.

-Palm trees.

-Yes.

-Looks like it.

I'm a little bit excited. This is nice.

Inside, Lucy quickly spots something she likes.

LAUGHTER

It's a nice rug.

Will the kitchen please them, too?

-It's very white.

-That's where we'll put you when you're naughty.

-In the naughty corner.

-Surely not, Pam!

Moving on. Is the outdoor space big enough?

I like the back garden.

-It's not huge.

-Pam's not sure,

but Lucy and Claire dish out a few home truths.

Better than we have at the minute in the UK.

This is about the size of our garden.

This concrete bit.

Back inside, they check out the bedrooms,

and Lucy doesn't waste any time marking territory.

It's not huge, but it's...

about the same size as our room at home, isn't it?

It's good for me.

Let's see what the rest of the rooms are like first, eh?

Hey, I claimed it from outside.

Not sure that's quite how it works, Lucy.

This one's big enough for you.

THEY LAUGH Cheeky!

-I think not.

-Oh...

It's a decent size, though, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Hey, you can get into the attic if you want.

Oh, yay! That'll be my bedroom.

Pam's got the sleeping arrangements sorted.

It's got three rooms, so...

-One for us, one for you...

-Yeah, that one for you.

And then one for Charlie boy when he comes.

But Claire's got other concerns.

It is a nice house. I'm not sure about the road.

So far, I think a couple of cars have gone past, and it's quite noisy.

It may not be ticking every box, but making comparisons to where they

live in the UK sheds new light.

-A lot nicer than our house at home, isn't it?

-I like the big windows.

-Yeah.

It's really quite dark at our house at home, isn't it?

Because it's really small windows. We always have to have the lights on as well.

-Certainly good for bills.

-The bills?

THEY LAUGH

Yeah, electricity bills, yeah, I suppose.

With £297,000 to spend,

can they also make a saving on the price of this house?

I think going to go with 305.

280, maybe?

-280?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Do you want to turn it over?

OK, go on.

297.

That's bang on budget.

That's... That's really hopeful.

I'm really intrigued to see what's coming up next.

Expectations raised, and staying in Papakura,

the family make their way to the next property.

Will this three-bedroom home be the kind of place they'd want to call

-their own?

-The house looks quite nice, doesn't it?

But I'm not keen on this road at all.

-Check the house out, though, see what it's like.

-Yeah.

The area lacks kerb appeal for Pam.

Hopefully things will look better inside.

It's quite nice.

The living room gets a warm response.

-It's got a fireplace. It's a real fire.

-Oh, yes!

But will their spark of enthusiasm continue elsewhere?

Very small kitchen. Isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

-It's tiny.

-Tiny.

That's not quite what we had in mind, is it?

-Smaller than our one.

-It is smaller than our one at home, yeah.

And even ours at home, we can't fit, like, three people in.

The kitchen might have fallen short,

but, luckily, the back garden proves more desirable.

-Wow, that's massive.

-It's a decent sized garden, isn't it?

-It's massive.

-Yeah, I really like this garden.

-Tyre swing.

-Really, really nice.

-Tyre swing.

-Tyre swing!

-It would be wrong not to have a go.

Lucy's stuck in the swing.

Don't "tyre" yourself out, Lucy, there's still plenty here to check out.

It's a really good garden, I really like this garden.

But Pam's still mulling over the location.

Street just looked really run down, the house has just not been maintained.

One of the gardens had the mesh fence and a really rickety gate with

holes in it, and a sign, like, "Beware of the dog."

Back inside...

-Oh!

-I like this room.

This is the master room, isn't it?

-Yeah, definitely.

-I really like this room.

-Good storage, but I've got tiny clothes, so I do not like

-this room any more.

-Handy, we get the biggest room in this house.

Well, that was easily settled.

But opinions are soon divided again in the second bedroom.

I'm really impressed by the inside of this house.

If the first house had this garden, then it would be the dream.

No, I like this house inside more,

-I think.

-Yeah.

-I don't.

The bathroom's something they do agree on.

It's very small, isn't it?

Yeah, it's tiny.

-Cramped.

-An additional point to why I do not like this house.

PAM LAUGHS

The house has received mixed reactions from the family,

but could they afford it with their budget of £297,000?

-OK, shall we have a look, then?

-Yeah.

279?

That's £18,000 under budget.

Don't know whether...

I would pay that, just because the kitchen's tiny.

-Yeah.

-I think the kitchen is the major downside of it.

-OK. Well...

-Hopefully, the third house has my dream bedroom in it.

And a big garden. And it's near the beach.

OK.

That's quite a wish list, Lucy.

Next, the family make their way to the final viewing of the day,

-in the suburb of Mangere. It's just down here.

-Yeah.

Quite a nice area.

Just ten miles from Auckland city centre,

the area could mean an easy commute to work for Pam and Claire.

And with a regional park on the doorstep,

it also offers the rural feel they're after.

They look quite small, but I bet they're decent size inside.

Hopefully, their first impressions of this three-bedroom brick home

will be better than the last one.

It looks quite nice from the outside.

Nice little bit of garden again.

Sounds promising.

Inside, will the kitchen living area be more to their liking, too?

Yeah, this... This is more...

-It's got an island.

-This is a better kitchen.

-Yeah.

It's a really nice kitchen.

And the bedrooms?

There's a good room for you, Luce.

-It is a decent sized room.

-It's really airy as well.

-I like all the windows in this one.

-This one would be good for Charlie.

-Let's go on...

-Go and check...

Lucy has set her sights on where she could sleep.

This is a nice room. The one you spotted from outside.

Thank you for the compliment of my room.

-What's in here?

-Storage, is it?

Yes, this is my room.

Next, the bathroom.

That's quite a nice size, isn't it?

-Good-sized shower.

-It's bigger than the last house,

but Pam spots something amiss.

-I don't know where the toilet is.

-That's... Yeah, that's really strange.

-Normally they're beside each other, like, if you have them separate, like.

-Yeah.

Ah, there's the toilet.

Now that's resolved, will the back garden keep the mood upbeat?

It's very...concretey.

-Maybe not.

-So it must just be the garden, just at the front.

That's a shame, because it was really nice inside that house. And the front garden was really nice.

After a positive start,

this isn't the grassy outdoors area they hoped for.

It's a no-no, I think, because of the back garden, really.

-That's a bit of a disappointment, that.

-Yeah.

-Oh, dear.

Maybe the asking price can change their mind,

providing it's within their £297,000 budget.

-So, what should we put this house on?

-A lot over our budget.

-I don't think so.

-Do you think?

-A little bit under, but not much.

-Yeah. I think it's going to be more.

-I think so.

-Yeah?

-High five.

Do you want to check it out, then?

283.

That's £14,000 under budget.

I'm surprised, because it is a nice house.

-I am very surprised.

-It's a nice area, but the back...

-The outside area isn't great, is it?

-No.

While the house search hasn't uncovered the perfect home,

it has given the family plenty to think about.

Right on budget, property one had Lucy enchanted,

but the busy road it was located on gave Claire an earful.

Property two was under budget and had the garden they wanted,

but the kitchen was too small,

and the street wasn't easy on the eyes for Pam.

They all prefer the location of property three,

and it was winning on all fronts until the garden let it down.

So, when it comes to the vote,

what will they decide between houses in New Zealand and the UK?

Based on the properties we've seen today in New Zealand,

our vote goes to...

-Undecided.

-UK.

New Zealand.

-Why UK?

-I can get my dream bedroom in the UK.

We can design ours in the UK.

Yeah, that could happen here as well.

I voted for New Zealand because I'm actually quite impressed with what

we seen today. Why undecided?

Although the houses we've seen today have been nice,

they've all had the nice bits, but we've not seen one that's like...

exactly what I'd like.

With the family divided on homes in New Zealand,

will work prospects down under help to unite them

and get their dream move back on track?

In the UK, Pam's a police community support officer.

But whilst she loves the job, shift work isn't great for family life.

I find it difficult to get structure in my life with regards to Lucy,

because she's 11-year-old, she doesn't want to tidy her room,

she doesn't want to do her homework.

When I'm not there at night to kind of carry that structure through, that's quite difficult.

If they ever become permanent residents down under,

Pam hopes to become a fully fledged officer.

In New Zealand, I would ideally like to join the police.

It's something that I'm quite passionate about and, fingers crossed,

-I'll get in.

-Claire's also looking forward to new things.

About to qualify as a mechanical engineer,

she can't wait to work in the field.

Growing up in the countryside, on a farm,

I've loved taking apart different things,

like tractors and stuff and putting them back together and seeing how

-things work.

-And has her heart set on the renewable energy sector.

I really enjoy trying to help the environment,

so I would like to get into working with wind power or hydro power.

While Lucy's looked after by a childminder,

Claire and Pam set out to explore their work options in Auckland.

We've arranged for Claire to visit one of New Zealand's leading

renewable electricity firms in the city centre,

where she meets up with general manager Nick Clark.

Kia ora, Claire, welcome. Welcome. My name's Nick. Are you very well?

Nick explains how the country's become a trailblazer in green energy.

So we've got this phrase, "We're changing the world from the edge."

80% of New Zealand's electricity comes from renewables.

Claire wants to know if the company can offer her that all-important first

step onto the career ladder.

We have a graduate scheme.

It's a two-year programme with six-monthly rotations.

The idea, of course, is to get a look right across the business,

experience some of the office-based work,

some of the field-based work, of which we have plenty.

Sounds really good to get a little bit of experience in different areas.

-Yeah.

-But what about the long-term prospects?

And the reason that you do the six-month rotation is you can see what

part of the business you like best.

-Yeah.

-Set yourself up for the job after the two-year programme.

Yeah.

Sounds good for Claire.

Meanwhile, we've arranged for Pam to visit Auckland's Central Police Station.

And she's anxious about the day ahead.

One of the main things that I worry about getting in the police is

the fitness. I'm not as young as I'd like to be,

and I'd just like to see whether I'm not too old.

First up, Inspector Gary Davey gives her a tour of the command centre.

Hello, Pam, welcome to Auckland Central Police Station.

With 700 surveillance cameras,

this is the main hub of the city's policing.

We have here a range of CCTV cameras.

They're monitoring the response picture.

We have intelligence over here.

It's really good you've got it all in one room.

Next, Pam sits down with recruitment officer Nicola Giles to discuss

the finer detail of the role.

My role in the UK, I'm like a police officer, but I don't have the power

of arrest. Do you think that experience will stand me in good stead?

Fundamentally, from what I've read about your background,

you have some really, really good skills.

It's encouraging,

but how tough would it be to get accepted into police college?

I've had a look at the application process, it seems quite long winded.

We allow 12 months as a maximum,

but some people actually get through the process well within the 12-month period.

The part that worries me is the fitness bit.

We give you the opportunity to do a rehearsal, and in that time,

a physical education officer will work with you and help you.

Pam's also worried that time's not on her side.

I'm nearly 36.

-Oh, young!

-So is that...

I recruited two women last year who were 53.

It's a good age.

Bolstered by this, Pam asks about work hours.

What's the shift patterns like?

They change between early, mids, lates and night shift.

How many weekends would you work?

You would have at least a weekend off a month.

Just the one a month? OK.

Well, you might have more, because there's five different patterns.

Not what Pam wanted to hear.

While evening and weekend work was expected,

a wide-ranging shift plan is far from the routine she hoped for.

Over at the energy firm, Claire's discussing

her potential hours of work.

Largely a normal working week.

A bit different to Britain

in that people would tend to start earlier in the day.

We'd have plenty of people at work at seven in the morning.

-Oh, right, yeah.

-Looking to finish at maybe four-ish.

-Suits me right down to the ground.

-Perfect.

And, in fact, even some of the people at lunchtime

will go for a kayak or a run.

-In lunchtime, wow.

-There's a really nice environment

for people who want to get out and about.

Sounds like the perfect job for Claire.

But would the earnings match up to everything else the role offers?

The graduate programme starts

sort of 50-55,000 New Zealand dollars a year.

And then after that,

an annual review and you go on to a more professional salary.

She could start on almost £30,000,

but how easy would it be to get work?

If you want a renewable career,

you've come to exactly the right place.

The morning can't have gone any better for Claire.

Back at the station,

Pam's hoping for more positive news with the salary.

There's a salary when you're at police college

and that is approximately £19,000.

When you graduate, that increases,

so your total remuneration is around £29,000.

OK, that's better than the UK.

In such a competitive field,

what are Pam's chances of success during the selection stage?

We get quite excited when we see a female application

because they're trying to increase the number of females,

and we would be very keen to progress you through.

-Just need to get fit now, then.

-Yes, yes.

Things have ended on a high note for Pam.

And when the family reunite at Auckland Harbour,

the couple are keen to share their findings.

-Find anything out?

-The guy I spoke to was really, really informative.

So we spoke about their graduate programme

which is a really good opportunity.

They do hydroelectric power and they do geothermal power.

It would be really cool to...

..get into that sort of field.

What about your day?

They're really keen for women.

With my skills and everything, they'd be very interested.

That's really good.

So has the day done enough

to convince the pair they could have their dream careers down under?

Based on our work experiences today our vote is going to go for...

New Zealand.

New Zealand.

To be able to say I've got, like,

a career prospect in renewable energy is what I've always wanted.

Why did you vote New Zealand?

I know it would be an amazing opportunity for you,

and also it would be a really good job opportunity for me.

-Excited?

-Yeah.

-And nerve-racking.

-Yeah.

Positive news about job prospects in New Zealand

has put Claire and Pam back on the same page.

Hoping the move would afford them

a healthier outdoor lifestyle with Lucy,

will a day sampling some of the country's activities

put them another step closer to achieving the dream?

Spending quality time outdoors

is part of the aspirational lifestyle

the Maguire Quinns hope for in a move to New Zealand.

To sample what the country can offer,

they start their day with a hike along

Goldie Bush Walkway in kauri forest,

around 23 miles from central Auckland.

-It's really nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I like this.

The scenic walk takes them down 300 steps to a suspension bridge.

And Lucy's feeling brave.

Lucy, you nutter.

I want to go down there.

Don't say that. You might be down there in a minute.

Thankfully, they arrive safely at Mokoroa Stream.

But Lucy's not so plucky when she encounters the local wildlife.

Don't worry. It's only a duck.

It's scary.

What's scary about it?

It could kill me.

-LAUGHS:

-It could kill you!

-LUCY SCREAMS

It's Pam to the rescue.

Come across this, come on. Jump.

Let's go that way round, yeah?

DUCK QUACKS

Next, the family head for a surf lesson at the beach at Muriwai

where they've been staying.

Perhaps Lucy will take to this activity

more like a duck to water.

Grab you some wet suits and then we'll go out surfing.

-Sound good?

-Cool, yeah.

Let's go.

-BOTH:

-Yeah.

Once kitted out,

instructor Dylan Wallis gives them some top tips

before they hit the beach where it's surf's up.

After a shaky start...

..Claire soon gets the hang of things.

Well, almost.

And Lucy finds her feet with a little help.

Hey, how are you? Nice to see you. Hey.

After getting dried off,

the family finish their day at a nearby beach cafe

where we've arranged for them to meet up

with expat police officer Steve Nicol.

He gives Pam a bit of insight into the local force.

Your policing experience will stand you in good stead.

And, really, I've found the men and women of the New Zealand police

to be a really good bunch of people, as well.

Hopefully, Steve can give them peace of mind

about life on the other side of the world, too.

When you came over, did you know anyone?

No, I didn't know anyone at all.

Just my wife and I.

The main reason we came over was just for a better life.

We were planning on having a family.

And we have.

We've had four kids since we've been here.

-Wow.

-They're growing up in a manner that we wanted them to, really.

I think it's got to be a miles better place for kids to grow up,

like, being more outdoors and active.

They've got loads of opportunities

to be young and explore and be outside.

Everything that we hoped for has basically materialised.

It's the reassurance they need, but little Lucy is still anxious.

One of our problems moving would be leaving my brother.

And you said you've got family over there.

-What's it like?

-Are you really close?

-Yeah.

-Yeah. It'll be hard.

That is probably the most difficult thing about it,

leaving friends and family at home.

I think sometimes you have to do things that are a bit difficult

to end up having the life that you want to have.

Wise words.

But while Pam can see New Zealand could be a great place to raise Lucy

and start married life,

she's still torn at the thought of leaving son Charlie.

I can come here and say, I absolutely love this lifestyle.

I think Lucy would love it.

But it's not that simple.

She knows the situation is far from ideal,

but is hopeful there could be some benefits for her son, too.

Although we wouldn't be able to see him anywhere near as often,

every time I did see him, it would be a lot better quality.

Lucy's also concerned about her brother.

Bit worried about leaving Charlie cos we're quite close.

But speaking with Steve has helped.

Knowing that he's dealt with leaving people

and he's been all right with it, I think it'll be good.

I think that's made me feel better about it.

The afternoon has also given Claire

a chance to reflect on the reality

of leaving her loved ones behind, too.

It would always have been...

..friends and family that would

..be the difficult part. And that's still what is on my mind,

the difficult decision still has to be made.

For now, though, the family have to decide on lifestyle.

Will they opt for New Zealand or the UK?

-PAM AND CLAIRE:

-New Zealand.

New Zealand.

It was really good to be out in the open air.

-Being outdoors.

-Yeah.

That lifestyle would just be amazing.

You can't have that in the UK.

With everyone convinced on the lifestyle New Zealand can offer,

the family now need to work out

if they can afford to make their dream move a reality.

While Lucy plays, Claire and Pam sit down to crunch numbers.

To help, we've provided them

with a cost of living comparison between the UK and New Zealand.

-I'm intrigued about this.

-Yeah.

Excited, I think.

I don't know.

They start with a look at their weekly shopping,

and it's food for thought for Claire.

-Potatoes.

-Potatoes.

-No, no.

You like your spuds, don't you?

Sorry, but I can't move here.

Potatoes are more expensive.

A tot-up of the figures reveals

they'd be paying out just over £16 more each week for food.

A lot better than I was expecting.

-Yeah.

-I'm surprised.

Not bad at all. I'm a bit upset by the potatoes.

I'll have to earn more money.

Do a bit of overtime. Potato overtime.

Moving on, the couple look at bigger bills.

Comparing the monthly rent they pay in the UK

with mortgage repayments for the first property they viewed,

they discovered they'd be paying almost three times more down under.

Currently 525 rent.

£1,500.

That's a mortgage and it's a lot more money,

but the money is going somewhere. Gas?

£37 in the UK, £79 here.

That's quite a lot more.

One cost isn't up for debate.

-Right, flights.

-Yeah.

£251 a month.

We can't make this move without them.

-No.

-The flights. Can we?

-No, not at all.

No chance. If not us going back there,

-trying to get people like Charlie here.

-Over here, yeah.

The overall total for outgoings isn't encouraging.

£943.34 worse off.

-It is a lot but...

-It's going to a house.

That is like an investment.

Not put off, they go on to look at salary.

And with Claire about to embark on her career,

they're positive about the prospect of having a second income.

At the minute, we're all living on my salary.

-Yeah.

-Pretty much.

We'll see what the difference is with you earning

so I'm quite hopeful, really, at the minute.

Yeah. Not going to be a poor student any more.

As expected, together they'd bring home a sizeable amount,

over £1,000 per month more.

It definitely outweighs the outgoings, doesn't it?

Happily, the final sums show they'd be better off each month

by around £130, which, over 12 months, amounts to...

That's £1,567.92.

Better off per year.

-That's good, isn't it?

-That's well good.

And that's paying for flights.

Pam's very relieved.

-Promising.

-Yeah.

-Knowing that we can see Charlie every year.

Definitely.

It's now time to cast their vote on finances.

-BOTH:

-New Zealand.

-New Zealand?

-You can't really argue with the figures, can you?

-We can go home every year.

-Yeah. Awesome.

Assured they can afford to keep close ties with home

and see Charlie regularly,

the positive financial picture has taken the family

a step closer to the new life they crave.

But while a move might make sense on paper,

the emotional side of emigrating is a lot more complex.

The family settle down together

to watch messages from loved ones in the UK.

Hey, Claire, Pam, Lucy.

Hi, Pam. Hi, Claire.

Hi, Lucy.

-ALL:

-Hello!

Hi, Lucy, I hope you're having a good time in New Zealand.

Missing you loads.

Pam, yeah, she's lovely.

She's a pain at times.

She's quite strong-headed and quite demanding, but, yeah, she's good.

The best way I'd describe Pam

is a really brave, strong person.

Claire is...

a bundle of energy quite a lot of the time.

Lucy, I've seen her grow up,

through the last six, seven, eight, nine years

and she's just grown into this beautiful young woman

and I'm so proud to know her.

She's nice and...

she's kind.

They're such a great couple,

and they're such a great family already,

and whenever you see them all together,

you can see how much they care about each other,

and how well they work together and how well they fit.

I know that, for Lucy, it will be fantastic.

A new start.

And Charlie can go and visit.

I think it's always going to be a challenge for them.

Charlie is, obviously, a huge part of Pam's life

and a huge part of Claire and Lucy's life as well.

It will be sad.

At the moment, they're 20 minutes away from me,

and I can go round whenever I want and take Lucy bowling,

and I won't to be able to do that.

I will miss them.

In a lot of ways, Lucy and Charlie

have become almost like grandchildren for Mum and Dad,

and so not having them coming to visit as much,

that would be difficult.

You know, you've got us four here, we'll always be there for you guys.

So much love.

I'm behind you whatever you decide,

and I know you'll make the right decision.

I'll miss you loads, good luck and have a great time.

Think towards your future,

where is it that you're going to be the happiest?

Where is it that you're going to get the life

that you really, really want to lead?

-Aw, that was nice.

-Aww.

I'm glad...

..nobody's kind of been like, "Don't go, don't go."

-Yeah.

-I mean, Rachel's...

Everybody's very supportive.

It'll be sad to think that we wouldn't see friends again,

that will be really sad.

I think we're all perfectly aware

of how difficult the decision is going to be to leave Charlie.

Even when they've just mentioned him, I start crying.

Yeah.

Messages from home were a reminder of the emotional impact

of starting again on the other side of the world,

not just for Pam but for Claire, too.

So with their final decision approaching,

will the lure of New Zealand be strong enough

to encourage the couple to take the plunge?

Or will they decide home is where the heart is?

As the week draws to a conclusion,

the reality of living on the other side of the world

has hit home for Claire.

My three brothers and my parents are all back in Northern Ireland

and then me being halfway around the world is difficult to think of.

I'm a bit nervous of how Claire is.

She was a bit upset last night about her family.

She's always wanted to live abroad,

and now it's becoming a lot more real.

Making a life for herself,

Claire and Lucy, has presented Pam with an almost impossible dilemma.

I know it's a difficult decision,

I've got my own decisions to cope with as well because of Charlie.

But their time in New Zealand has reinforced for Pam

the kind of opportunity she could offer her son.

I know that I could still be there for Charlie the best I can

but also providing a really good lifestyle.

I'm not going to be leaving him forever,

I'm going to make every effort to see him.

And despite missing her brother, Lucy's feeling better about a move.

I can see myself living here,

and I think I would have a nice life living here.

-I love you.

-I love you.

Emotions are running high as the final decision edges closer.

I'm kind of all over the place, as I have absolutely no idea yet

what way I'm going to vote.

It's time for the family to choose

whether New Zealand is where they see their future.

-New Zealand.

-New Zealand.

-LUCY:

-UK!

Only joking, New Zealand!

THEY LAUGH

New Zealand all round, yeah?

I think it makes sense to just try it,

give it a go and see what it's like.

I really thought you'd be undecided.

Are you surprised with mine?

Not at all surprised with yours, Lucy, no.

What's been your deciding factor?

-Yeah.

-I've obviously got Charlie and your family stuff as well.

I think we would have an amazing lifestyle here.

Got to give it a go.

# We're going to move here! We're going to move here! #

Yeah.

I need to ring Nana and Gran to say I'm going to be a Kiwi.

It's been an emotional week,

but Claire's reconciled to leaving her family in the UK,

and Pam has finally come to terms with the prospect

of long periods of time without her son.

It won't be easy for anyone, but we wish Claire, Pam and Lucy

the very best of luck as they prepare to embark

on the next chapter of their lives down under.