Nicholls Family Wanted Down Under

Moving halfway around the world to start a new life may seem drastic,

but if you genuinely believed it was the best option for your young

family, you might be sorely tempted,

even if convincing your partner to cut strong ties to home could prove

the biggest challenge you'll ever face.

Eight years ago, a near fatal road accident left Paul Nicholls fighting

for survival.

We didn't really know

whether I was going to get better or not, did we?

Given a second chance at life, he's determined to make the most of it.

In New Zealand, we'll be able to start again, say,

a new chapter in our life.

While a trial week down under sees wife Tracey almost on board...

Something like this would make me

seriously consider being able to make the move.

..granting her husband his dream could see her heartbroken.

Voted one of the best places in the world to bring up a family,

it's not hard to understand why almost 9,000 UK residents

make the move to New Zealand every year.

Add to that its outstanding natural beauty and temperate climate,

and it's no wonder it's such a desirable destination for those

seeking a better life.

Despite never having been,

Paul Nicholls is convinced New Zealand could offer his family

the time together they desperately need.

But while wife Tracey can see the appeal,

the prospect of leaving loved ones in the UK is too difficult to

comprehend. The coming week will give the family a chance to sample

everything New Zealand has to offer, before making a decision that will

change their lives forever.

It's taken almost 23 hours in the air to get from Birmingham to

New Zealand, but as they touch down in Auckland,

the Nicholls are in relatively fine form.

Yeah, it was pretty good, really.

Long, but these three were golden, taking it in their stride, really.

I didn't think it was boring at all.

We haven't had that much sleep, but feel pretty well...

-Still feel OK.

-..don't we?

And still looks OK as well.

Flattery won't necessarily get you what you want, Paul.

It's a long flight for people to, like, kind of...

They can't just pop over and visit,

it is a long way to go.

Overall, first impressions seem good.

Everything seems nice and chilled, laid-back.

And really friendly. Everybody just seems really friendly so far.

Let's hope their enthusiasm continues, as the family set out on a journey

which could change their lives forever.

Meet the Nicholls - their mum Tracey, dad Paul,

Roman, aged ten, Zeraphina, who's seven, and three-year-old Cassian.

They live in Halesowen in the West Midlands.

Life in the UK's a daily juggling act for Mum and Dad.

We're like ships passing in the night constantly.

Running three fitness businesses with a young family in tow

is no easy task.

If one of us is at home, the other one tends to be out at work.

It's nonstop.

And we've got to the point almost where we think it's normal,

and people are constantly saying, "I don't know how you do it.

"I don't know how to do it."

We do sit down sometimes, don't we? And just kind of say,

"What are we doing?"

The relentless routine is wearing them down.

Instead of living in the British rat race,

I want to get out of that and spend more quality time with the family.

Desperate for a new beginning,

Paul's convinced a move to New Zealand would benefit the children.

I feel the way this country is moving is that

the kids are growing up too quick.

I want to give them manners, respect,

treat other people as you want to be treated yourself.

My understanding is that the New Zealand way of life is very much like that.

But getting Tracey to buy into the dream move is proving tricky.

I would say I'm probably 50-50.

The idea of it appeals,

but then when I sit and think practically and logistically,

that's when I kind of, you know,

get emotional or a little bit scared of it all.

I'm a lot more passionate about it than Tracey.

Paul's a very optimistic person and always sees the best of every situation.

It was the same positive spirit that saw Paul recover from

a near fatal motorbike accident eight years ago.

His brother rang me,

and he just said to me, "He's had an accident

"and you need to be there.

"He's speaking, but he's in a bad way."

Having suffered multiple injuries,

Paul spent the following months in recovery.

We didn't really know whether I was going to get better or not, did we?

(Sorry.)

Come on, chin up.

It was a hard time.

It's been years, and I still...

It upsets me really.

His personality was affected by his injuries.

Like, Paul's always been a joker and suddenly all that was gone,

there was no emotion, you couldn't have a laugh with him -

you can't remember stuff with the children, can you?

That first year of Zeraphina's life, I can't really recall any of it.

I wasn't Dad for my children,

I wasn't husband for my wife because it was a long time to overcome it.

But I'm overcome now, and I'm here to tell the story.

Time to do something about it.

Having fought his way back to health,

the experience is a huge part of his drive for a fresh start down under.

In New Zealand we'll be able to start again, say, a new chapter in our life, to move on,

maybe slow things down a little bit, step back and enjoy life.

After everything they've been through,

Tracey's willing to give New Zealand serious consideration,

but the prospect of leaving her parents in the UK

is a real stumbling block.

They play a massive role

in the children's lives.

I just see how the kids are with them.

Oh, sorry!

And they are just always there, you know, for me.

And I do, like, think that we'll break their hearts by going.

The week ahead will be crucial

in deciding where the family spend the rest of their lives.

It needs to be...

massively for the better of the family for me to make the move,

in all honesty. The whole idea of it all just sounds amazing and it all

sounds fantastic, but it is the other side of the world.

The Nicholls are spending their trial week on the Hibiscus Coast,

north of Auckland.

Home for their stay is a three-bedroom beach-front property,

but will their first taste of Kiwi living be to everyone's liking?

Wowee! Look at that.

-What a view.

-That's made me really fill up, that has.

Oh, my gosh.

Paul couldn't have wished for a better start to the week.

It's what we've come for. Look at that.

The whole family's in awe.

How beautiful's that?

-Very.

-Looks like Roman's got the right idea.

As the family take a stroll by the sea...

Oh, how lovely's this?

..Paul's already feeling settled.

Imagine coming home to that every day. Coming home from school,

straight out onto the beach.

Everything's been fantastic.

It's living up to what I wanted it to be already, and more.

The distance from home's beginning to sink in with Tracey, though.

It's so beautiful, but then I've also got the thought that,

you know, thousands of miles away are the family.

But she can't fail to be impressed with what she's seen so far.

When I think about the life of the children, I mean, that's priceless,

really. We'll see what the rest of the week brings, really.

Back in the UK, the Nicholls live in a three-bedroom semi

in Halesowen in the West Midlands.

It's a nice house, nice area, nice and quiet and tranquil.

It just really needs to be a little bit bigger.

There's just no storage.

Obviously it's only three bedrooms, we've got three children -

we need a four-bedroomed home, really, now, don't we?

Ideally, yeah.

They've a budget of £300,000 for a house down under,

and know just what they want.

Nice, large living space, open-plan. Nice big kitchen.

-We revolve our family in the kitchen, don't we?

-Yeah. That's really important.

Few acres of land would be nice, so we can have a little motocross track.

In your dreams, Paul.

Tracey's very clear she wants a property ready to move into.

It'd be a massive thing for me to go,

and I'd like the process to be as easy as possible.

Finding the perfect home is a must

if Paul's ever to get Tracey on side for a move.

Today, we'll show the family three properties -

two close on budget, and one which could be their ideal family home.

First stop is Millwater.

This new development is close to the motorway,

meaning easy access for the 11-mile commute to Auckland.

But will the Nicholls approve of this modern three-bedroom

family town house?

-Looks all right, don't it?

-Yeah. Looks gorgeous.

Oh, wow!

Oh, that's lovely, isn't it?

-It's open-plan.

-That kitchen's beautiful.

Things are off to a positive start.

-That's a nice living space, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Or are they?

It's not quite as big as I'd like.

And is that the only space, just a little courtyard?

-Yeah, looks like it.

-Because we'd need a garden, wouldn't we,

-for you guys, really.

-Ideally.

-That's not enough.

Upstairs falls short on space as well.

It's a little nursery room, isn't it?

Hm. Little small room.

Yeah.

Things pick up next door.

Oh, this is more like it, isn't it?

-That's a lot more spacious.

-And look at these.

Built-in wardrobes, so you've got plenty of storage.

But with just three bedrooms, it could be a tight squeeze.

The thing is, the two of you would still be sharing a room.

-I don't really fancy that.

-No.

Mum and Dad seem happy enough with their room.

This is nice and bright, isn't it?

-That's very nice.

-Oh, that's lovely, isn't it?

-It's beautiful.

-And the en-suite impresses.

Oh, wow! This is lovely.

-That's cool.

-Gosh, that's a really good size as well, isn't it?

Look at the size of that shower.

Tracey seems to be warming to this house.

We could move in here

-and not have to do anything.

-Oh, gosh, no. Definitely.

The bedroom opens onto a small balcony.

Oh, my gosh! Isn't that lovely?

And the natural bush reserve opposite could make up for the lack

of outdoor space.

Within walking distance, we've got beyond there,

-the fields...

-Got the lake up there.

-..rugby pitches...

-Rugby.

-So there's plenty enough for them to do.

-Gosh, yeah.

Things are definitely looking up here -

and downstairs, the large garage

could offer a solution to the lack of a fourth bedroom.

Oh, my gosh, look at the size of this.

-That's a cool garage, ain't it?

-Massive!

-You could have, like, a little, almost, like, a studio.

-Bedroom, play area.

Not if Zeraphina has her way.

I think it should be, like, for us, like, to play in,

like, instead of a garden.

Good plan, Zeraphina -

but is this somewhere the family could afford to make their own

on their £300,000 budget?

So how much are we thinking for this house, then?

I'm thinking about...

30,030 million.

Let's hope you're not right, Zeraphina.

I'm thinking probably about £320,000.

-I'll go with 340.

-OK...

-Ooh!

-330.

-Bang on.

-Right in between us.

That's £30,000 over budget, but they're not put off.

It's achievable.

-This is somewhere that we could live.

-Come straight to.

With things off to a good start,

it's time to move onto the next property.

It's in Stillwater, a tranquil coastal suburb 25 miles north of Auckland.

A haven for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits,

it should be right up the Nicholls' street.

But could this modern four-bedroom family house be home?

Oh, wow.

-That looks beautiful.

-That's nice and modern.

-Yeah.

-This has got to be a dream house.

Fingers crossed.

We'll see when we get in.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh!

Oh, my gosh.

Looks like Zeraphina could be right.

That is beautiful.

You know, I think we should take shoes off in here, guys.

-Oh, my word.

-That's lovely.

-TRACEY GASPS

The open-plan kitchen/diner's a big hit.

-This is, like, perfect. Beyond perfect, isn't it, this?

-Beautiful.

The property's designed to capture the best of the magnificent landscape.

-That's what you call a view.

-Air con.

Look at that, guys. We've got a view of the sea from here as well, look.

To the harbour.

Oh, look at that. The estuary.

That is fantastic.

And Paul can already see himself living in it.

Having your breakfast out here in the morning.

You would just feel like you were on holiday every day, wouldn't you?

Back indoors, the positivity continues.

-Nice-sized bedroom.

-Oh, wow, this is a lovely room.

The walk-in wardrobe's got Tracey all aquiver.

-Oh! Just what Mummy wants!

-And there's an en-suite.

Oh, look at that.

And the en-suite's a delight as well.

-Modern and contemporary again.

-En-suite. That's lovely.

The children's bedrooms go down a treat.

-Another double room.

-Another one.

-This is my room.

-Another view as well.

-This is big. And look how bright it is again.

Goodness me! What's in there, Zeraphina?

-A place to hide, and something to put your...

-Oh, great.

-Ooh!

-Oh, my goodness.

-Oh, gosh.

-Didn't expect this.

-Oh! Goodness me!

The bedroom leads out to a small terrace.

Look at this space we've got out here.

-Look at this.

-Another room with a view. What more could you ask for?

It's perfect, isn't it?

As the children head down to explore the garden,

Mum and Dad go back indoors for another look.

Beautiful.

This is just... It's perfect, isn't it?

Something like this would make me think...seriously, seriously consider,

-you know, being able to make the move.

-That's good.

That's what I want to hear.

It's music to Paul's ears,

but will it be within reach of their £300,000 budget?

OK, then, guys. How much are we thinking this one is?

Oh...way over.

I think it's going to be about 500,000.

-I think about 250.

-OK.

Erm...I think about 550,000.

Right. I think it's going to be about 450.

OK...

-Are you ready?

-Let's have a look.

-380!

-No?!

Oh, my gosh!

It's £80,000 over budget, but it's a lot less than they expected.

That is unbelievable.

I thought, no chance.

Paul's got just one question.

-Could you live here?

-No.

-Yes.

-Yes?

-No and yes.

OK.

-Mum?

-No-brainer for the house.

The house is amazing.

It's a dream home.

The ideal home already, and still one property to go.

The final stop of the day is Orewa.

One of Auckland's largest suburbs,

this area's a magnet for those looking to make the most of the outdoor lifestyle on offer.

So, will this quirky '60s-style house be what the Nicholls are looking for?

Oh, my gosh, it is huge!

OK...

Here we go.

OK. It's big...

-It's quite spacious.

-Open.

-Not as modern, obviously.

-Yeah.

Kitchen's a good size.

Paul's still upbeat, but Tracey's not convinced.

-Very woody.

-Yeah.

-Smell the wood.

-You can smell the wood.

-Smell it.

-Hm.

Outdoors though, the wooden patio doesn't seem to bother her at all.

This is a nice big area, isn't it?

Yeah. Catches the sun.

There's plenty of room for the children to let off steam.

There's a lot of land actually with this.

-I mean, it's very private, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's nice.

Back indoors, Tracey's nostrils are twitching yet again.

Is that damp I can smell?

-That's damp.

-It's just the old wood smell.

-Do you think?

-Yeah, it's all old wood.

Nice try, Paul.

-It's damp.

-Old wood.

No, it isn't, it's damp.

-OK, it's damp.

-It is.

Did you get that? It's damp.

Before Tracey completely turns her nose up at the property,

the couple check out the bedrooms.

-Hm.

-OK. Decent size room.

-Just got a bed in.

-Bit dinky.

OK.

-Hm.

-OK, another room.

Oh.

-That's a bit unusual.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Quite small and cramped in here, ain't it?

-Yeah...

Double bed, but there's no storage, is there? Again.

While Paul's dazzled by the master...

This is a bit nicer, ain't it?

..Tracey's not impressed.

For a big house though, there's not a lot of storage, is there?

The family bathroom does little to lift their spirits.

Oh. Bathroom...

-OK.

-No shower.

Storage? No shower.

It's far from the perfect property after all.

A fair size house, but a lot to do.

We'd have to modernise it.

But if the price falls on the right side of their £300,000 budget,

could it bring them round?

I'm thinking about...260.

I'll go with...

290.

OK. Shall we find out, then, how much it is?

Turn it over, Zeraphina.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my gosh!

It's almost 50% over budget.

£440,000, and then the amount of money that we'd have to spend on it

-would just be phenomenal.

-Be about 500,000.

Well, phew, then! That's a relief that we're all not really bothered

about it, because we certainly couldn't afford it anyway.

The Nicholls' house-hunting day has delivered mixed results.

Despite being a bedroom short of ideal,

the first property's modern interior appealed, and it was somewhere

the family felt they could call home.

The second house WAS the dream home, and although over budget,

Tracey felt she could be tempted.

The final property's outdoor space impressed,

but indoors was a letdown,

and left Tracey with a bad smell.

So when it comes to homes down under,

will the family vote for the UK or New Zealand?

Based on the properties that we've seen today, our vote goes to...

..New Zealand!

New Zealand!

Hold it up, hold it up.

-New Zealand.

-You all like the New Zealand houses.

I think they're more posher.

-You feel like you're on holiday all the time, which is awesome.

-It's cool.

Everything that we wanted, that we said we wanted in a property, we've seen.

First two properties had it in.

-Yep.

-So, yeah.

-New Zealand.

-OK. New Zealand.

A unanimous vote for New Zealand is a step in the right direction

for Paul's dream of a better life.

But if it's to become a reality,

the couple will need to secure employment.

Back in the UK, they both work in the fitness industry.

Currently run off their feet with three businesses between them,

the dream would be to pool their resources down under.

Tracey's got really good skills that I haven't got, and

I've got good skills that she hasn't got.

If we had one business that we could run between ourselves,

life would be so much... so much easier.

Leaving behind what they've built up in the UK would be a wrench,

but Paul's convinced it's a sacrifice worth making.

If I want to go there, I'll do whatever it takes to get there.

To find out how they would go about starting their own business down under,

we've arranged for them to meet an expat couple who've done just that.

Mike, also known as Gladiator Wolf,

and wife Paula, moved to New Zealand 11 years ago.

They've been in the fitness industry a long time.

I was doing gyms before even Gladiators, you know, and

it's what I've always known best.

Tracey's keen to know how business has been for them down under.

There's three or four big chains here, all across New Zealand.

They're so cheap, and they're undercutting everybody.

It is a hard, competitive market, but if you have got a good product,

you will do well.

Once you have somebody come through your door,

it's great, but you have to get them through the door first.

So, what advice would you have to us moving out here?

The thing to do is to find the right place.

That's quite important, to look at your demographics and make sure that

you've got the right area.

Sound advice -

but the couple would need to earn an income while doing their research.

Both being qualified personal trainers, you could come and go that

route for now until you find your niche or find your place where you want to open.

Do you find there's much of a body-building community at all?

A lot of the rugby players have got fantastic physiques

so they look good, and they train, and you get the spin-off from that.

So what kind of money could they expect to make?

Personal trainers earn anywhere between 60 to 100 bucks an hour.

That's about £45 an hour.

Based on a 30-hour week,

the couple could almost double their monthly income working as personal

trainers in New Zealand. But would their work-life balance improve?

We've got three businesses back home, and it's just so busy.

The quality of life that we have, we're like headless chickens,

just kind of passing ships.

How do you guys kind of get along,

-do you have the same, or...?

-Exactly the same.

I think that's the nature of the business though, isn't it?

If you've got a business and you've got three children, it's busy.

On the upside though, Paula's quick to point out

there's strong community support in New Zealand.

When you meet a good crowd of people, they are amazing, the Kiwis.

You know, they're helpful, and people will take your children

so even though I don't have the family support, or we're busy,

there's always somebody I can call on and say, "Hey, look,

"I'm really stuck, could you...?" "Not a problem."

Looks like they've no regrets about moving.

The best thing, I would say, we have probably done.

-Ever done?

-Yeah. It's an amazing country.

It's just so beautiful and laid-back here.

It's been an encouraging visit.

As the couple reflect on the day,

it seems starting out as personal trainers could be a plan.

Realistically, the business opportunities are there,

however, I think, to start off with, we'd have to go with the job route,

-personal training.

-Yeah.

The big question is now,

with the experiences that we've had today,

would it push you that little bit further

to leave England and come here?

I know it wouldn't be easy.

Erm...

But I think what's coming out is that everybody that's gone

wouldn't go back, they wouldn't go back to the UK,

the kids have got an amazing life, so I know that I really,

really have to focus completely on what's best in them.

So when it comes to the vote, has today done enough to convince

Tracey to put Paul a step closer to the life he wants in New Zealand?

OK. After our experiences today, we choose...

-..New Zealand.

-Undecided.

I knew you would vote New Zealand.

I've just got a few little concerns that I'd need to just find out more

information, before I could definitely say I could make a move based on the job.

It may be hard, it won't be easy,

but we could do it if we wanted to.

With Tracey undecided about work,

it looks like Paul's dream of a new life in New Zealand

could be on sticky ground.

But a move's all about improving the family's lifestyle,

so will a day out in the Kiwi climate

be enough to bring Tracey back round

to Paul's point of view?

The Nicholls are an active family,

and yearn to spend more time together outdoors.

Today's a rare chance to do just that, as they head off

to explore one of New Zealand's famous cycleways.

The route takes them along a five-mile track

via the Orewa tidal estuary.

-Come on, Mum, bunch up a bit.

-Yeah, I'm right here.

Go, Phina! Go, Phina!

OK, That's a nice spot.

The day's a reminder of what they're missing out on back home.

They're loving it.

I could see us doing this.

Yeah, it has been a lovely day.

Just doing this kind of every weekend,

-I have to admit, it's pretty awesome, really.

-Yeah.

It's put Tracey in a reflective mood.

With your accident and everything we've been through,

and we always said, life is there to be lived.

And I know back home, actually, it's just...

-A rat race.

-A rat race, yeah.

We take so much for granted.

We really do.

Today, it's making me really appreciate everything.

Live life to the full.

Appreciate you being here, and they could have been without a dad.

It's just great, the five of us together enjoying it.

Roman's also busy working out how everyone feels about moving.

I think Dad is definite.

This is what we really want and what I really want,

what I'd like for the family.

Phina's definite.

Yes. Because, like, it's nice and sunny here,

and I think it's better than England.

Cassian has no clue what's going on.

Erm...

I'm...

..near definite.

Er... Well, pretty much, yeah.

And then, I think Mum's in the middle.

It's an amazing place, it seems.

But then it's also important

that they've got their grandparents in their life as well.

So I have to weigh up which is the most important.

The family have plenty to think about,

but when it comes to lifestyle, will it be home or away?

Based on the New Zealand lifestyle, we vote...

-ALL:

-..New Zealand!

Whoa...!

That's a bit of a full house there.

What's made you choose New Zealand?

First of all, it's been nice and sunny, and second of all,

the parks are like, really good.

-Going on the beach.

-Wow.

It's just been lovely to spend some lovely time all together.

We had a fantastic day.

I could see us doing this for the rest of our lives.

It's hitting me that... yeah, it's got that to offer us

so...yeah.

With the Kiwi lifestyle winning Tracey over,

Paul's dream could be within reach.

But if his aspirations are to become a reality,

the family finances will have to stack up.

The couple believe their home in the UK is worth around £180,000.

While Cassian takes a nap,

the rest of the family sit down

to find out if two local estate agents agree.

-Ooh!

-There's our house.

Very nice spacious lounge.

Nice decoration. Lovely flooring.

Very nice breakfast kitchen.

Nice to have the open-plan living.

High-gloss units.

Very nice.

It looks quite big, actually, doesn't it?

Good size conservatory.

Would recommend changing some of the panes due to condensation.

Yeah.

Nice size master bedroom,

I like the fitted wardrobes and great view to the rear.

-We've got a lovely view back home, haven't we?

-Yeah.

Nicely refitted bathroom, with a corner shower cubicle.

Very nicely tiled.

-That's what I did.

-I know.

This is my bedroom. Well, and Roman's.

Good size children's bedroom.

Can clearly see the issue with the storage.

In today's market, I would value the property at 210,000.

For a quick sale, I'd recommend putting the property on the market

for 200,000.

In today's market, I would recommend an asking price of 199,950.

And for a quick sale, offers in the region of 195,000.

Oh, gosh.

The valuations are a pleasant surprise.

That's a bit of extra money that we'd not really thought about, had we?

Next, the couple move on to examine the everyday cost of living.

This is when it all becomes a little bit more real,

see if we can afford it.

We've provided a comparison of costs between the UK and New Zealand.

First up, they tackle the weekly food bill.

Interestingly, chicken is our staple, yeah. That's cheaper.

-That's working out cheaper.

-Same with the fish.

Milk...

-Milk's a bit more expensive.

-Yeah, milk's more expensive, isn't it?

It's a difference of £48.56

-more expensive here.

-Mm.

Almost £50 more for food every week is a significant increase.

I wouldn't have expected it to be that much different.

The couple move on to tackle the bigger outgoings.

Basing sums on the first property they saw,

their mortgage would almost double down under.

We're looking at 506...

-Extra.

-Yeah, that's massive, isn't it?

-Mm.

There is SOME good news.

The council tax is cheaper.

But when they add everything up...

£506 more expensive per month in New Zealand.

That is the mortgage exactly, actually.

-Yeah, it is.

-Everything else balances out.

It's a huge increase in monthly outgoings,

but factoring in the extra money

from the valuation of their UK property,

the couple could reduce their mortgage in New Zealand.

If we went on the top price of the 210, what the estate agent come out,

-that's £30,000 more.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. So that would reduce that down, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

And that's not the only saving.

Basing their income on being personal trainers down under,

and taking away the overheads they incur in the UK,

the couple discover they could actually be

almost £2,000 better off every month in New Zealand.

It's a no-brainer.

I know. And that was based on the house we liked, the house we really,

-really, really liked.

-Yeah.

That makes that look actually, well, that's probably slightly achievable.

The extra money could also mean

extra time at home with the children.

My biggie is that I said if I made the move, I wanted to be able

to be at home with the children.

We could afford for me not even to do that many hours if need be.

Suddenly, the idea of running a joint personal training business

is looking much more attractive than setting up a gym.

-Everything we earn would be coming back to us, wouldn't it?

-Mm.

-So I think that's...

-A lot more simple.

Yeah. Just simplifying everything.

No prizes for weighing up how this vote goes.

OK, looking at the numbers and figures

based on the New Zealand earnings, we shall be voting for...

-BOTH:

-..New Zealand!

-Great.

-I knew you would do it.

Well... It's a no-brainer, isn't it, really?

It means a slightly easier lifestyle without the businesses.

More family time for the children.

Yeah. And we can just help and support each other, can't we really?

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Good.

With the finances solidly in the black,

Paul's dream of a fresh start in New Zealand survives another day.

But there's still one more obstacle to overcome.

Struggling with the idea of taking

the children away from their grandparents,

will the emotional cost of leaving loved ones be too much

for Tracey to bear?

With Cassian still sleeping,

Roman and Zeraphina have assured Mum and Dad

they'd like to watch some messages from home.

I am dreading this bit.

-Hello, everyone.

-Hi, Paul, hi, kids.

Hi, Paul, Tracey and the kids.

Hi, guys.

Hope you're really enjoying yourself.

Paul's very caring, very strong-minded as well.

If you ever need anything, he's always there.

He always wants you to help HIM out quite a lot, as well!

Can't say anything bad about him

because he's always been such a good lad.

-Yeah, he's a really good lad.

-He phones us up regular to make sure

we're all right. Checking to see if we're still alive!

-Tracey's a lovely daughter.

-We love her to bits, both of us.

If ever I need her, I just give her a call and she's there for me -

well, for both of us, isn't she?

We've supported each other through hard times, good times.

Just proper friendship, really.

Honestly, I love her to bits.

The kids are fantastic and they're a testament to their parents as well.

Well, we call the little one Bruiser, because he's always

running around bruising, bumping into everything.

Zeraphina's my little princess.

And I call Roman me little man.

I mean, we're all proud of them all, actually.

I don't know where he even got the idea for moving to New Zealand.

I didn't want to think about it, that they would go over there.

He's done extremely well to get back to where he is now, and I think that

was also a turning point in Paul as well,

where you understand that life is so delicate that it can be taken away

from you, that... to go to New Zealand,

it's only pushed him on to want it even more.

We will miss them, terrible.

You know, you can't imagine not seeing them.

They've only got Tracey and her children, really,

and I think she'd really struggle leaving the parents behind.

Massive, massive hole in our life if they left us, wouldn't it?

-It would, really.

-Yeah.

I can feel my heart pounding now just thinking about it.

If they want to go...

I just hope when they get out there, they might change their mind.

I'll miss the free gym membership

that comes with being best friends with Paul.

But yeah, I will miss them a lot.

I'd be gutted to lose her.

Oh, dear.

I shall miss me lovely hugs.

And that's what you miss most, that closeness.

I think it'll be like times for birthdays, Christmases,

when we usually open presents together and...

there'd just be none of that any more.

I'll really, really miss you.

I'd never hold you back.

I think it's amazing what you want to do for your family.

Whatever you decide to do, we wish you all the best in the world.

We'd miss you loads, you know that.

And you know we love you very much.

It's a big decision. Think very,

very hard about it before you make the final decision.

Weigh it all up. Weigh everything up.

Love you. Bye.

Whew!

That was emotional, wasn't it?

Yeah. I'd just miss them if we actually came.

It's a big decision we've got to make.

If I'm not there, who's going to help them?

That's what's hard.

Watching messages from loved ones was difficult for everyone,

but for Tracey in particular,

the impact of moving to the other side of the world

has really hit home.

As the family prepare to make the biggest decision of their lives,

is Paul's vision for their future about to be knocked out of focus?

Their time down under has been a confirmation

of everything Paul hoped New Zealand would be.

100%. Just so much better out here.

The people that we met and the places that we've been, beautiful.

Little bit of rain today, but it's still positive,

it's still nice, still good.

It's opened Tracey's eyes to the kind of life they could have

on the other side of the world.

I think probably I had in my head

that maybe we would come out

and not kind of be as blown away as we have been.

But she's still torn about what they'd be leaving behind.

It's just seeing the friends and family messages now that has just...

as I knew, would just throw

a massive, massive spanner in the works.

We just spend so much time together as a family.

And then we'll lose that,

the children will lose that and they'll lose that.

And that's something massive to consider.

I love my parents equally as much as she does hers.

However, you know, my life's now about my children.

I really want to do what's best for them.

He can switch off more than I can.

He just looks at the final outcome and

it's a new chapter and...

you know, the kids have got the rest of their lives,

he looks at that and the bigger picture.

But having faced death once in his life,

Paul's unwavering in his desire for a fresh start.

Every now and again, I'll have a little blip and flick back and go,

"Gosh, I'm lucky to be here."

But I feel that we should get out and at least give it a try.

If the decision was no, yes, it would be hard for me.

Because having lived the dream for a week or so,

and realising what it has to offer...

yeah, that would be hard.

As they face the biggest decision of their lives, the pressure is on.

I've got rose-tinted glasses on.

Do I need to look and spend more time here to make that decision?

That there is definitely enough here to break up the family?

There's been so many plus points,

but the one negative one is like, a really big negative.

So...it's going to be hard to say.

The family's future hinges on one final turn of the cards.

Based on all our experiences in New Zealand, we choose...

-..New Zealand!

-New Zealand!

Zealand!

Yay!

Well...I'm surprised by your vote.

It was really hard to make the decision.

Erm... I think I'm optimistic that grandparents will visit,

I'm hanging on to that hope.

But I think...

I also have to accept that you're my priority and the children are my priority,

and if the five of us can have a better quality of life here then...

then that's, you know, really important.

Well, for me, it's everything and more that we'd ever hoped for.

Now I think we've just got a lot of work ahead of us, really.

-Yeah.

-So many decisions to be made and so much to look at.

What do you think, then? Back to the UK?

Start thinking about the future, what we can do?

The Nicholls' first trip down under

has been both emotional and eventful.

But with Tracey convinced New Zealand

can ultimately give her family everything they want,

it looks like Paul's dream may soon be their reality.

We wish them all the luck in the world,

and hopefully it won't be too long

before they're packing up for their new life down under.