0:00:02 > 0:00:06Travelling in your teens often leaves you with a sense
0:00:06 > 0:00:09of wanderlust, longing for a life in the sun.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14But is it really possible to make the dream your reality years later,
0:00:14 > 0:00:19when you've three children in tow and a husband who's far from convinced?
0:00:19 > 0:00:24That was the question Julie Rutland needed answered in 2015.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28One year on, we'll find out where the family are now.
0:00:29 > 0:00:34In 2015, Julie Rutland longed to move her family to Australia.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37I just want to try, I want to follow my dream.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40With a visa already in place, she had just one obstacle to clear.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45The only thing that is stopping us is me.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50A trial week opened Dan's eyes to the possibilities.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54If we could afford this house, you've got me in Australia.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58So one year on, have the family made it to the other side of the world?
0:00:58 > 0:01:03Making plans and then sticking to them religiously is, I think,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06heading for disaster, because life isn't like that.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Covering a landmass of almost three million square miles,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Australia's been hailed a land of opportunity ever since the first
0:01:37 > 0:01:41European settlers arrived back in the 1700s.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Promising sunshine, beaches and a strong economy,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46the attraction shows little sign of easing up,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50with latest figures showing over 28% of the country's population
0:01:50 > 0:01:52is born overseas.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Julie Rutland was on a mission to convince husband Dan
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Australia was where their family belonged.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03However, never having stepped foot in the country,
0:02:03 > 0:02:08he worried his wife's vision of life down under was based entirely
0:02:08 > 0:02:10on rose-tinted memories.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Julie had just one week to persuade him once and for all
0:02:14 > 0:02:16her dream was one worth chasing.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23A year ago, the Rutlands' journey began with over 17 hours in the sky,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26flying from London to Australia via Dubai.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30As they landed in Perth, Julie was thrilled to be back down under.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34I just can't wait to show them all the beach, the weather,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36the lifestyle and the houses.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39But there was only one word to sum up how Dan was feeling.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42Tired. I'm feeling very, very tired.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44It was a long journey.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45It wasn't that bad.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Julie had a hard road ahead to convince Dan to start a new life
0:02:49 > 0:02:51on the other side of the world.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58In 2015, dad Dan, mum Julie, Zac,
0:02:58 > 0:03:03who was then nine, Willow, who was six, and Faye, then aged five,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05were living in Bicester in Oxfordshire.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Julie had been dreaming of Australia ever since visiting
0:03:08 > 0:03:1015 years earlier.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12It's got so many wonderful memories.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I was travelling with two of my best friends, we were young.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19We bought a camper van in Darwin and we travelled all round Australia.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23After reluctantly returning to the UK, Julie met Dan soon after.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I swerved into a nightclub,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29swooped Julie off of her feet and that was the end of the story.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32The couple settled down together.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37Julie secured a job in Formula One, and Dan worked as a carpenter.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38But when the children came along,
0:03:38 > 0:03:43Julie parked her career and thoughts turned once again to Australia.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45It's just about the lifestyle, really.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Be careful there, Willow.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50I would just love to live by a beach,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52and I love the sporty lifestyle.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54We're such an outdoors family.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57But moving to the other side of the world wasn't something Dan
0:03:57 > 0:03:59had ever considered.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03The only thing that is stopping us is me.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05I am the brick wall.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Determined to make the move,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Julie secured a visa for the family and began applying for jobs
0:04:11 > 0:04:14for Dan online. Knowing how much he loved fishing,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18she even tried to reel him in with the promise of a boat.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19It was just a splash.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Yeah, I might have hinted that he could have a little boat,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26just a little boat, if he moved near the sea.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28But Dan didn't rise to the bait.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Can we afford to move to Australia?
0:04:31 > 0:04:33The jobs... There's a lot of questions that need answering.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Dan also worried about the emotional cost of moving.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43Close to his dad, he was torn at the thought of leaving him.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45If something happened to my dad while I was the other side, I'd...
0:04:47 > 0:04:48I'd never forgive myself.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Yeah.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Julie was aware of the impact saying goodbye
0:04:55 > 0:04:58would have on her family too.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00I know it will break my mum's heart, I know it will.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05And I know it will break both my sisters' hearts as well.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16But, determined to show Dan and the children the lifestyle she believed
0:05:16 > 0:05:20would benefit them, Julie was desperate for the chance to make her
0:05:20 > 0:05:24vision their reality and she had just seven days to do it.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28I can almost feel it, and I really want it for the children,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31and I really want it for us.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I just want to try, I want to follow my dream.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45The family spent their week in Western Australia's capital city, Perth.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Their temporary base was in Halls Head,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51a coastal suburb just over an hour's drive from the city centre.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- Wow, look at that.- That looks very grand, doesn't it?
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Look at the sea, wow!
0:05:57 > 0:05:59That's a proper sea view.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Despite the dull day, Julie was delighted
0:06:01 > 0:06:03with the beachfront location.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Wow.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Now this is the type of place I would love to live.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Then you should have married a millionaire!
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Fuelled by excitement, the family headed straight to the beach.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19That looks all right, doesn't it? Do you think they like it?
0:06:19 > 0:06:22They'd only arrived, but the children were already sold.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Australia's epic.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25It's fun.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I think Australia's good.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Dan, though, had his feet firmly on the ground.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32This house is fantastic,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35but it's whether we could afford something like this.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38There's just lots of things to find out.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42The week ahead would determine whether or not Dan could buy into
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Julie's dream, but she was feeling confident things would go her way.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50This is us finding out if this is what we actually want to do
0:06:50 > 0:06:54for the rest of our lives, so it's got to be, it's got to be amazing,
0:06:54 > 0:06:55and I think it will be.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02In 2015,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05the Rutlands were living in a three-bedroom semidetached house
0:07:05 > 0:07:07in Bicester in Oxfordshire.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09I would quite like to transport our house
0:07:09 > 0:07:11and Danny's worked really hard.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- Yeah.- I tell him what we're going to do, and he works really hard to do it.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Knowing she couldn't take it with her,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Julie had a clear idea of what she'd like for a home in Australia.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Four bedrooms, plus a granny annexe, so people could come and stay.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28An open-plan kitchen-dining area, plus a swimming pool,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31and literally practically on the beach.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Dan had slightly different ideas.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36For me it would be more a harbour.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41So that I could have somewhere to put my boat.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45But there again, you know, I could have a boat here.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47But I can't afford that either.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56With around £250,000 to spend on a house in Australia,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00we showed the family three properties - two based on budget
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and one which could have been their dream home.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05The search began in Secret Harbour,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09an established suburb 45 minutes' drive from central Perth.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Just a stone's throw from the beach,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15did this four-bedroom home get things off to a flying start?
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Come in, kids.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- That's quite nice.- Ooh, wow. - Yeah, I like it.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25It is a bit dark, isn't it?
0:08:27 > 0:08:29I don't know if it's kind of what I had in mind.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It is, it is open-plan living...
0:08:32 > 0:08:35- Yes.- But perhaps not as open-plan as I was hoping.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37She was the one pushing for the move,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41but first impressions weren't quite what Julie expected.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- The main bedroom off of a lounge area...- It's en-suite.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49It is a nice en-suite, isn't it? It's a really big one.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It didn't take long for her to come round, though.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55It's a good double bedroom for one of the kids.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Yeah, it is good, it's a good size.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Yes, it's actually growing on me, this house.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02The inside may have won Julie over,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04but was the outside what they wanted?
0:09:05 > 0:09:09It is nice, I do like the outdoor area, I do like it.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Dan, on the other hand, wasn't happy with the fake grass.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16It sounds like it's plastic bags underneath it, doesn't it?
0:09:16 > 0:09:18The house had evoked mixed reactions,
0:09:18 > 0:09:23but the question was, would Julie and Dan's £250,000 budget
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- be enough to buy it?- I think it's going to be over budget.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28I think maybe about 275.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31If this is over budget, I mean, I'm going to feel, I think,
0:09:31 > 0:09:32quite disappointed by it.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Let's see what it is.
0:09:37 > 0:09:43£254,600, so it's pretty much bang on our budget, and that's OK.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Yeah, yeah.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46Are you a bit disappointed?
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Yeah, yeah, I was hoping it was going to be less than that.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Their first taste of Perth's property prices was bittersweet.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56For Dan, the next house would need to be more on the money if Julie
0:09:56 > 0:09:58was to persuade him to make the move.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01To find out, the family headed to Baldivis,
0:10:01 > 0:10:06a rapidly expanding suburb just under 30 miles south of the city.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Would this place be up to spec for the Rutlands?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I like the look of this house.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13Things were off to a good start.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- Straight into a bedroom. - See, I just like this more.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- This furnishing is a lot more like we would have in the house, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25The open-plan kitchen-living area was more in line
0:10:25 > 0:10:27with Julie's expectations.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Oh, I love it!
0:10:30 > 0:10:32- So do I.- Yeah, it's much nicer.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- Yeah.- The house also had a separate playroom for the children.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Wow, this is amazing!
0:10:40 > 0:10:43And when they spotted a pool in the garden,
0:10:43 > 0:10:44Julie couldn't believe her luck.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47This house just got even better.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Yeah, this house just got more expensive.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51Oh, my God, I love it.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57Despite concerns about cost, even Dan was bowled over.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01If we could afford this house, you've got me in Australia.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- How exciting!- This is awesome.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07But, with £250,000 to spend,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09was it somewhere the family could afford to live?
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Let's have a look.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- JULIE GASPS - Oh! See, I was right.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19£262,800.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- I was right.- That's amazing.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- That's doable.- Yeah, it is doable.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25- That's just made my day. - Yeah.- It's really made my day.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Yeah, it certainly hasn't ruined mine.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32£12,000 over budget hadn't dented Julie's enthusiasm,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35and even Dan seemed content with the cost,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and there was still one property to go.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43The final stop of the day was the coastal suburb of Waikiki.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Just one street back from the sea,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48we'd found what could be the family's dream home,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50but would Julie and Dan agree?
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Oh, let's have a look.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- Wow, it looks huge.- It's massive.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59- Wow.- First impressions looked good, but...
0:11:59 > 0:12:01This is a bit different.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Yeah...
0:12:06 > 0:12:10I don't like the kitchen. It's not really a really big area,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12and I don't like all the bricks.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13No.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15With four bedrooms, on paper,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19the house met many of Julie's requirements but the reality
0:12:19 > 0:12:21didn't match up.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23So it looks disappointing again.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And the dated en-suite did little to lift spirits.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32There's just so much work that you'd need to do, that I would want to do.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36It'd be quicker, honestly, it'd be quicker to knock it down.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39The interiors of the property had failed to wow,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42but outdoors was a different matter.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- Nice, under cover. - I do really like this.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- Yeah.- There's a Jacuzzi. - I'm liking it a little bit more.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52It had the pool Julie wanted too, but was it enough?
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Whoa, that's a big swimming pool.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56That's a really lovely size swimming pool,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00but I still don't know whether I'd want to spend thousands doing it up.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02The jury was still out,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06but was it somewhere they could afford on their £250,000 budget?
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- Turn it over.- Turn it over.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- Whoa.- £318,900.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- 625.- That's less than what I thought it would be, actually.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Yeah, it is, it's less than I thought it would be, but this house
0:13:20 > 0:13:22just, for me, it just doesn't flow.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28At almost £70,000 over budget, this house was out of reach,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32unless Julie and Dan's earnings increased substantially down under.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Overall, it had been an eye-opening property search for the Rutlands.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Property one failed to deliver the large and bright living space Julie
0:13:41 > 0:13:46dreamed of, and almost £5,000 over budget, left Dan disappointed.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50With the open-plan living Julie loved, and a pool in the garden,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53property two was a real hit with the whole family.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57But even close to the beach and with a pool,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01the final property of the day didn't meet Julie's expectations
0:14:01 > 0:14:06and at nearly £70,000 over budget, proved unaffordable.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09So how did the day influence their decision when it came to picking
0:14:09 > 0:14:13between property in the UK and Australia?
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Based on the houses that we've seen today, we're now going to vote.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29ALL: Australia!
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Yay! We love Australia.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36You voted for Australia? I'm really pleased.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Yeah, yeah, yeah, I liked some of the houses we saw.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40The weather's not brilliant, but I can see, yeah,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43what it offers out here, it's on par with what I've got at home.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Oh, I'm so excited. This is a really good start.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48This is a really good start to the week, yeah.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50- It's a good start for me as well.- Yeah.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Five votes for Australia had got the week off to a great start,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05but Julie knew if Dan couldn't be convinced he could find a job
0:15:05 > 0:15:09to pay for the house he wanted, they wouldn't be moving anywhere.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16Back in the UK, Dan had been working as a carpenter for 16 years.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Happy in his work and with the lifestyle it afforded,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22he'd huge reservations about packing it in.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Everything I've heard over there is saying that things are more expensive,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29so it is whether the salary is achievable with the job that I want as well.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32As a former Formula One engineer,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Julie had plans to retrain as a teacher in Australia,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39but she knew it was Dan's work prospects that could make or break
0:15:39 > 0:15:40her dream to emigrate.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44It's really important that Dan gets the right job and salary in Australia,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47because I think that will be absolutely key to him making a decision.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51To find out about their work options in Perth,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54we had arranged for Dan to meet Robert Shaw,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58a director at one of the city's well-established building companies.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59I had a look at your resume,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01obviously you've been in the industry a while, so yes,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I would say all your skills are definitely transferable.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06If you've got the skill set that you've got,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09which is an ideal base for a supervisor, you'd certainly get a crack here.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Julie was visiting the Edith Cowan University,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15to meet student recruitment coordinator Sarah Bowley,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19to find out about becoming a maths or science teacher.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22We offer a graduate diploma of education,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25which is a one-year conversion course, pretty much.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29- Yeah.- For people that have a completed bachelor degree already.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32If, for example, you're going to become a maths teacher and a science teacher,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35we need to see that you've specialised that in your bachelor degree.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38With an engineering degree under her belt,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40that wasn't a problem for Julie,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44but she still needed to find out how much the course would cost.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Approximately 6,200 Australian dollars.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49- OK.- For the year, for the full course.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Around £3,000 was comparable with what she would pay back home.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- That's really great, thank you very much.- No worries.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57Back at the building firm,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Dan was finding out about his potential earnings.
0:17:01 > 0:17:07As a supervisor, you might look at somewhere around 70,000-80,000 Oz dollars,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10up to 125,000.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15Between £39,000 and £60,000 was very promising,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18and Dan was taken aback when Robert made him an offer.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21If you're lucky enough to come over here, and I said,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and we had a position available and we wanted to sort of train you up
0:17:24 > 0:17:26as a supervisor straight off the bat...
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- Yeah.- ..would you be prepared to look at something like that?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Yeah, obviously, coming over here with the proposition of getting
0:17:32 > 0:17:35a job would obviously make it even easier.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37It was great news for Dan.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Meanwhile, Julie was meeting Alison Ramm,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43director of school staffing services at Western Australia's
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- Department of Education.- Hello.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50You'd be a perfect candidate to move into maths or science teaching,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52because not only would you have that qualification,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56you'd also have that great industry experience.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59That was encouraging, and there was more good news to come.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02We actually currently have a shortage of secondary teachers,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05and in fact I looked this morning and there's two science
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and two maths jobs currently advertised.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10With jobs looking plentiful, all Julie needed to know
0:18:10 > 0:18:13was whether the salary would justify her retraining.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16What sort of wages could I expect once I qualify?
0:18:16 > 0:18:20You'd start, at the moment, on about £35,000 a year.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- Wow.- It was a positive day for the couple,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27but had it been enough to make them both choose work in Australia
0:18:27 > 0:18:29over the UK?
0:18:29 > 0:18:33After a great day looking at job prospects, it's time to vote.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43BOTH: Australia!
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Wow!
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Ah, I'm so pleased.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55It looked like Julie was on a winning streak,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00so did a day sampling Australia's lifestyle see her vision
0:19:00 > 0:19:03for a new life down under brought one step closer?
0:19:03 > 0:19:06The family's day began with a walk around the historic city
0:19:06 > 0:19:09of Fremantle, just 30 minutes from central Perth.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12First stop, the famous markets,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15where Dan wasted no time getting to grips with traditional
0:19:15 > 0:19:16Australian culture.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24You're practically a native.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27- I don't think so.- Nice try, Julie!
0:19:27 > 0:19:32A fishing trip on the Swan River rounded off the day.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Well, this is the boat, guys. Come onboard.
0:19:37 > 0:19:38Can we get something like that, Dad?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Probably not, mate. Unless I nick it!
0:19:42 > 0:19:45He might not have been able to afford the biggest boat on the river,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49but was the lifestyle one Dan could imagine living?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Yeah, I could definitely see myself taking one of these out.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Zac was hooked, too.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56I caught a fish!
0:19:56 > 0:19:58The day had panned out well for everyone.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01The sun's come out for us, yeah, it's just brilliant,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03I'm loving seeing them all really happy.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07It might be a bit too small for your head!
0:20:07 > 0:20:11But the realisation that days like this would mean sacrificing
0:20:11 > 0:20:14relationships with everyone they love back home
0:20:14 > 0:20:16was also beginning to surface.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Yeah, it's all good, it's just that one thing about family.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I know I'm going to miss them.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24It is such a long way.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33The family faced a tough decision come the end of the week,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37but for now it was time to see if the day had done enough to make them
0:20:37 > 0:20:41choose Australia's lifestyle ahead of the UK's.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42It's time to vote.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57ALL: Australia!
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Yay!
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Yeah, we've all voted the same! Dan?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Yeah, no, it was really good, it's been a really good day.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08When the sun's out, brilliant, you said I can have a boat.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13It's our third vote and the whole family so far has voted
0:21:13 > 0:21:15for Australia, which is just amazing.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26With another clean sweep of votes for Australia,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Julie's dream was gathering pace.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31But could they afford the lifestyle they wanted?
0:21:31 > 0:21:35The couple sat down to compare costs in Australia and the UK,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38starting with the weekly shopping bill.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39- Bananas.- Yeah.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44£1.20 in the UK for ten bananas,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46£4.49 in Australia!
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Biscuits - for three packs it's £1.20 in the UK,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55the equivalent is nearly £4 in Australia.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00An increase of almost £12 more every week for food didn't faze them.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- That's pretty good, that's a really positive start.- Yes, that's OK.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05The couple moved on to look at the bigger monthly
0:22:05 > 0:22:09outgoings, basing their figures on the second property they'd viewed.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15So in Australia, the cost of the mortgage would be £840.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- In Australia, yeah. - In the UK, the cost is £570.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21A quick check of the figures revealed they would also spend more
0:22:21 > 0:22:25on gas, electricity and water, but fortunately fuel costs
0:22:25 > 0:22:27were a bit more palatable.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30- We pay £400 in the UK.- £400.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32238.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- That's just amazing, isn't it? - That's massive.
0:22:34 > 0:22:40Overall, the couple's monthly bills would rise to £2,677.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Every month, we would be £241...
0:22:44 > 0:22:45Worse off, yeah.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49It's a lot of money.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52But with the promise of a substantial hike in salary
0:22:52 > 0:22:54for Julie once qualified down under,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58when they added everything up, the result wasn't too bad.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02So we're left with £733 every month.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04£94 better off.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It wasn't a fortune, but Julie was relieved
0:23:07 > 0:23:09they were still in the black.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I'm just, I'm just delighted.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14I'm slightly losing this battle!
0:23:14 > 0:23:15That's brilliant, it's made my day.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18The figures had shown the move to be affordable,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21but were they good enough to keep Dan and Julie on the same page
0:23:21 > 0:23:25when it came to choosing between finances in Australia and the UK?
0:23:25 > 0:23:27It's time to vote.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38BOTH: Australia!
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Yay!
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- Well done!- Four out of four, yeah?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44That was a bit of a no-brainer, wasn't it?
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Yeah, yeah, we would've been better off in this country, so...
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Yeah. Which is amazing.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Yeah. I think I'm surprising myself!
0:23:58 > 0:24:03Realising the move was financially feasible had put Dan even further on
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Julie's side, but the greatest hurdle of all was still to come.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09While the children played outside,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12the couple sat down to watch heartfelt messages from home.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Hello, Danny, Julie.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21I love you all. Hope you're having a good time.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23ALL: Hi, guys!
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Really hope you're having a terrible time in Australia.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Hope the weather's awful.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Yeah, and there's loads of spiders.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Julie and Dan are very well suited, aren't they?
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Oh, very well. Make a good pair, and a very good family for the children.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38She's very domineering, I feel sorry for him at times.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40He's like a little dog isn't he, pants?
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I thought she was really brave when she left her job that she loved,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46because she knew that staying at home looking after the children
0:24:46 > 0:24:47was really important to her.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Yeah, I just think there'll be a hole in family get-togethers.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52There'll be...
0:24:52 > 0:24:53people missing.
0:24:53 > 0:24:59I do wonder what will happen if and when something goes wrong
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and she has nobody there to support her.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06And, yes, she is, she is my best friend,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and I shall miss her terribly when she's gone.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10I'm dreading it.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21We're a really close family, and...
0:25:22 > 0:25:25I didn't think she'd
0:25:25 > 0:25:26want to move away from us.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32I love him dearly.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35If they do...
0:25:35 > 0:25:39decide to go to Australia,
0:25:39 > 0:25:40erm...
0:25:40 > 0:25:42I may get upset.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47If you really think Australia will give you a better quality of life,
0:25:47 > 0:25:48then you need to do it.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54But I don't want you to go, I'd be really gutted if you did.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07That was just as hard as I thought it was going to be.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09It's like, I don't want to leave them.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12If I could bring them all with me, I would.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Yeah, that was really tough.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16It was always going to be.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20With not a dry eye between them,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24the couple were left contemplating the enormity of putting thousands of
0:26:24 > 0:26:27miles between them and their loved ones.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30After such a positive week for the family,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34would the emotional pull back to the UK prove too strong to overcome?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Julie's circumstances had changed since her last visit,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42but Australia had more than met her expectations.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44In a way, I feel's it's even better,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47because when you become a mum you get so much enjoyment
0:26:47 > 0:26:50from watching your children and seeing them in an environment
0:26:50 > 0:26:53where you know that they're going to thrive.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57But messages from loved ones in the UK had been a stark
0:26:57 > 0:27:01reminder for both Julie and Dan of how much they'd be giving up.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06That was really hard on Jules, it was hard on me as well, but, yeah,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09it was really hard on Jules and it upset me watching her cry.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11With emotions running high,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14the family prepared to decide once and for all
0:27:14 > 0:27:16where they wanted to call home.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Now it's time to make our final vote on where we would like to live.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- ALL:- Australia!
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Zac, you have it the wrong way.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42- You chose England?- Yeah.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44- Did you choose England?- Yeah.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Why would you prefer to live in England?
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Because I miss my friends.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Do you? That's OK, it's OK to miss your friends.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53That's OK.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Girls, why did you choose to live in Australia?
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Because it's nice and sunny.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00And you can come in the water with us.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Dan... Australia?
0:28:02 > 0:28:06It's been a brilliant week, everything I had doubts about
0:28:06 > 0:28:08has been allayed.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Yeah, I think it could work, I think it's worth giving it a go.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13The Rutland family down under, hey?
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Yeah, yeah, I think so.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Zac still needed some gentle persuasion,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26but with the majority vote for Australia,
0:28:26 > 0:28:31Julie's hard work and determination had finally paid off.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33So, 12 months later,
0:28:33 > 0:28:38it's time to find out if the family are now living at home, or away.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44It's April 2016 and the Rutlands are living in...
0:28:45 > 0:28:46..Perth, Australia.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50When the trial week won Dan round,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Julie couldn't believe the dream she'd had for so long was on the verge of coming true.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59The fact that he said yes and he wanted to move out here was obviously amazing.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02It answered all the questions that I had, all the fears that I had.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07The Rutlands flew home on a high, but then came the difficult bit.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10I think literally as the wheels touched down back in England,
0:29:10 > 0:29:14her sisters were on the phone to her, "How did it go, how did it go?
0:29:14 > 0:29:15"Are you still going?"
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Especially my sister, Kirsten, out of everybody,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22had probably hoped the most that we would change our minds.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Even though my dad had given the blessing,
0:29:25 > 0:29:26my sisters and stuff like that,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29it all...
0:29:29 > 0:29:33It all then became a lot realer that we really were going to do it.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Decision made, they then began the process of packing up their lives in the UK.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42It just felt huge.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44I was just really scared, actually, and very daunted,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47because as much as I really love Dan,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50you can tell by talking to him he doesn't, he's not a sorter,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54so I knew I'd got a really big task ahead of me.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Julie found the experience particularly difficult.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01Sorry.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04It's all right! It was, it was hard.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06It was hard, it was really hard on you.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Selling their house in Oxfordshire was the first step.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13That was the big thing. Up until that point none of it's real,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15but actually putting your house on the market,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18and that "for sale" sign made it real.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21It made it a lot realer for the people back home, didn't it?
0:30:21 > 0:30:23They realised that we were actually going.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Less than six months after their trial week down under,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31the Rutlands prepared to say farewell to family and friends.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34You're just dreading the final goodbye,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37and that just seemed to come round so quickly.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40We had a fantastic goodbye party,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43it was one of the best parties I've ever had, all our friends came.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47It was a memory to take with us to Australia of happy times,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50not of tears and sadness that we were leaving,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52of happiness that we were going.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56The family touched down in Perth in September 2015,
0:30:56 > 0:31:01but starting again on the other side of the world wasn't without its challenges.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05We were very tired, it was dark, it was really cold.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Their first home was a short-term rental property.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13It wasn't the nicest of houses, it wasn't very well equipped.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Yeah, everything was a little bit of a let down.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Their first few weeks down under fell short of the dream lifestyle
0:31:19 > 0:31:21they'd moved half a world for.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24You come here, you have nothing.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Simple things like bank accounts, you haven't got a doctor's,
0:31:27 > 0:31:29you don't know where you're going to live.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Car shopping, house shopping, buying insurances, everything.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35It was manic, wasn't it?
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Yeah, when you're tired everything is so much harder.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41When you've got three tired children, that's even harder.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44And every time we got into the car to look at another house
0:31:44 > 0:31:50or go to another bank, they were, "Mummy, Daddy, no, not again!"
0:31:50 > 0:31:52You feel bad for them,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55and it's literally the easiest way to describe it is
0:31:55 > 0:31:58what takes you most your adult life to accumulate,
0:31:58 > 0:32:00you have to fit into three weeks.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04Desperate to establish some kind of normality,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08having a place to call their own was high on the list of priorities.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12My criteria was a house with a pool right next to a beach
0:32:12 > 0:32:14that allowed a dog.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17It soon became plain that that was not available,
0:32:17 > 0:32:21so we knew we were going to have to compromise on something,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23and our compromise was a pool.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26The Rutlands are currently renting in Mullaloo,
0:32:26 > 0:32:2935 minutes' drive north of Perth centre.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32One evening Jules was looking through the internet and found this place,
0:32:32 > 0:32:34and we rang them and they said, "Yeah, come and have a look."
0:32:34 > 0:32:38Before we'd walked through the door we were, "Yeah, we'll try and get this one." And we did.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41So this is our kitchen,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45which was one of the reasons why we fell in love with this house.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47It's just beautiful, light and airy,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50and one of the things I always said I wanted from a house
0:32:50 > 0:32:53was a great, big open-plan living area.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55This just fits the bill perfectly.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57This is our outside space.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00This is what we wanted, one of the things we wanted.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04We come and do homework here if we're not in the kitchen, don't we, if the weather's nice?
0:33:04 > 0:33:06There's the barbecue, which gets used every day,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08we hardly turn the oven on at all.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- It's great, isn't it? - It is, it's lovely,
0:33:10 > 0:33:14and especially in the evenings we just tend to sit out here
0:33:14 > 0:33:16with our books once the kids have gone to bed
0:33:16 > 0:33:18and just relax.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Indoors, the children have their own special space.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23I've always wanted a play room,
0:33:23 > 0:33:28so basically this is where the kids can just come
0:33:28 > 0:33:30and it's a little bit of a mess!
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Mum and Dad are very happy with their room, too.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35We have the most amazing wardrobe.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38It is definitely another one of your favourite bits of the house.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Let me just demonstrate my side, just a quick little peek.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Look at all that storage!
0:33:42 > 0:33:48Amazing. And then we've got a really gorgeous en-suite.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52I've never had an en-suite in my life before, so that's a real bonus.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55To be fair, I don't think I could go back to not having an en-suite.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59There's plenty of space for the whole family to spread themselves out.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Really, the kids, in this part of the house, they've almost got their own wing, haven't they?
0:34:03 > 0:34:05It makes life a lot easier,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08with the room that you get with Australian houses.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Since we've moved in,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12these doors have been open every single day from morning till night,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14and I love it.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16If a house had a soul, this one's got a good one.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20So how have the children adapted to their new life down under?
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Zac's been the hardest to settle.
0:34:23 > 0:34:29Being the oldest, he's definitely been more aware of what we were doing, of the distance.
0:34:29 > 0:34:34He understands about making friends and there's an awkwardness to it.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37To start a new school, it was really tough.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39The work's a lot harder.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43It was tough making friends, but at the end I made a lot of friends.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Joining the local surf club has been a real lifeline for Zac.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50I have watched him in six months come a long way.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54I like Australia, because it's fun,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57it's not chucking it down with rain,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00and there's lots of things to do.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Seriously, you take him to the beach, you can't get him out of the sea.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05The rougher, the better.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08He's confident, he's happy and...
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Yeah, he'll still tell you he prefers England,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13but I don't believe it.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15And Willow and Faye?
0:35:15 > 0:35:19The girls have been so unfazed by the whole process.
0:35:19 > 0:35:20Faye...
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Faye hated school in England, she hates school in Australia,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25she's just Faye.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29She's going to be my little surfer dude.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32She absolutely is going to be an Aussie.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35I like living in Australia because
0:35:35 > 0:35:39it has sometimes a cool breeze,
0:35:39 > 0:35:43because it's hot and flowers grow.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47And then Willow, I'm so, I'm so proud of Willow.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50After I cried just a little bit, then I stopped,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53then I made some friends with Billy.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Willow found a friend straightaway.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56Um...
0:35:56 > 0:36:00And they are still friends now, so yeah, Willow settled in really well.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03She's not like the others. She's not sporty.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05She's not a big fan of the beach.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08But she does swimming lessons, like the others.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11She's confident, she's got some amazing friends and she's doing great.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17Julie and Dan are convinced they made the right move for their young family.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19As they all get older,
0:36:19 > 0:36:20um...
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Yeah, they will see why we moved.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Every heartache and every tear and I miss someone
0:36:26 > 0:36:28is absolutely worth it,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30because the children are so happy and the lifestyle they've got
0:36:30 > 0:36:32is amazing.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35And it's not just the children who have taken to life down under
0:36:35 > 0:36:37like ducks to water.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41She forced me into it to start off with, and now I've completely, yeah,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43sunk my teeth into it. I love barbecuing.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46I go out as many times as I can a week on my paddle board.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49He's absolutely an Aussie.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51In fact, he talks like an Aussie.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52The other day, he said to me,
0:36:52 > 0:36:56something about throwing a snag on the barbie, was it?
0:36:56 > 0:36:59This lifestyle suits him down to the ground.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Yeah, I love it.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05The Aussie lifestyle has meant more quality time together.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Perth is a really family orientated place to be.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Free events in the park that we take them to,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17there's just so much on offer for families. It's a great place.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Being in Australia has definitely enhanced our family life.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25The couple have developed a solid social circle in Perth too.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30Someone that we met, who is literally a one-person welcome to Perth.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34She literally sets up barbecues and you get to meet all these other
0:37:34 > 0:37:36people, and we're still friends with them now.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Dan's meeting people through work,
0:37:38 > 0:37:40I've met some people through the school,
0:37:40 > 0:37:45so, yeah, certainly meeting friends has just been wonderful.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49Unfortunately the job Dan was offered during his trial week
0:37:49 > 0:37:50didn't pan out.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54When I got here I made the phone calls, e-mails,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56and just got no response to that.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00Which did annoy me a little bit, there was some choice words said,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04but at the end of the day just had to get on and find another job, which I did.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Getting used to the local way of working hasn't been plain sailing.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Carpenters here have a different sort of role.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14They are very much used to do sort of like all sorts of different things.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18Yeah, for the last week I've been digging holes and doing shuttering,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20which isn't something I've done before,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22but it turns out I can dig quite a good hole.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Working on a self-employed basis,
0:38:24 > 0:38:30Dan currently earns around £225 a day.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32It's pretty good, but it is for a ten-hour day.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35I could earn the same money back home in a shorter period of time,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38just because of the way things are done.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39Um...
0:38:39 > 0:38:44But it does leave my weekends free, which is the point of coming here.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Judith started her training to become a teacher down under,
0:38:47 > 0:38:52but with just one wage coming in, the couple have had to dip into their savings to survive.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56The money that we had in our bank was everything that we had,
0:38:56 > 0:38:58and to start off with we just saw it,
0:38:58 > 0:39:03it was like someone had drilled a hole in our bank account and it was just leaking out. To see...
0:39:03 > 0:39:08thousands and thousands of dollars just going out of your account,
0:39:08 > 0:39:13just to feed, just to pay your bills.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17We've just had to accept it and think, OK, we're going to have to do that,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19but we're just going to do it as a short-term.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Originally signed up for a two-year course,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Julie's now pushing to qualify in just one year.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31Doing a degree full-time, with three children, in a new place,
0:39:31 > 0:39:32is quite tough.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36She's also worried about the extra pressure it's putting on Dan.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39He works long hours and in the heat that takes it out of him,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42and it does put a strain on us.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45And I feel guilty, because of that, but, you know,
0:39:45 > 0:39:50you just have to keep thinking, it's a short-term goal, it's only a year,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53there is going to be an outcome at the end of it, so while it's tough,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55it's not going to be forever.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58But financial worries haven't been the only negative.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Things that I didn't expect to miss so much, I miss a lot.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Some days, like, although it's beautiful, some days,
0:40:07 > 0:40:12you think all the sunshine in the world doesn't make up for a hug.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19But I wouldn't want to go back to England.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22I just wish they were all here with me.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24I miss my dad, I miss my family.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30Apart from that, I don't actually miss anything.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Julie's mum and stepdad have already been out to visit.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37Picking them up from the airport was a reminder of how far from home they are.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40I think there must have been so many people that came through the
0:40:40 > 0:40:42airport that hadn't seen their children for so long,
0:40:42 > 0:40:47that by the time my mum came through the airport, I'd already gone through a box of tissues.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Some poor woman fell to her knees at the sight of her son.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54Oh, my God, I was clinging hold of the railings, like sobbing,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56and I'd never met the woman before.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Granny's visit was a complete surprise for the children.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03They were playing at the park when my mum arrived, and, oh,
0:41:03 > 0:41:05it was just lovely.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09My mum came over the hill and I was saying to the kids, like, "Who's that, who's that?"
0:41:09 > 0:41:13They were all looking, and then all of a sudden it clicked with Zac, and he was like,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15"It's Granny Annie."
0:41:15 > 0:41:19It was really great to see them again, because I've missed them, missed them a lot.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21It's lovely to have them here and also it is that bit
0:41:21 > 0:41:24that now they can see why we've done it.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27The lifestyle is incredible.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30It's brilliant, brilliant for kids.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35I envy them. I really do envy them.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39And there's plenty of other visits in the pipeline.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Good friends coming out at Christmas.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46My dad at the moment, depending on how his operation goes on his knee,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48he intends on coming out in March.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51They're just a year into their new life down under,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54but Dan and Julie are convinced the move's a permanent one.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that we did the right thing.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01- No, none in mine either. - Money's tough.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02It's definitely tough.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03But it's a short-term tough.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05There is light going to be at the end of the tunnel.
0:42:05 > 0:42:10We're really happy. The kids are really happy and I think the longer we are here,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12the more ingrained our lives become in Australia.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Just looking forward to the future in general.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18And then obviously the main aim is to work towards that boat that you promised me.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Oh, yeah, the boat!
0:42:22 > 0:42:24I know, Daddy wants to own one.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25I certainly want to own one.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29I can't believe I did it.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32I can't believe I was that brave enough.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Because actually it's a really long road.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38It was a very stressful road, but it was very worth it.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41It will be, I think, the hardest thing that you've ever done,
0:42:41 > 0:42:45but as long as you give it everything you can, it will be worthwhile.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50Everything that I wanted a year ago when I planned this move is actually
0:42:50 > 0:42:54here, and sometimes I have to pinch myself to think that we are
0:42:54 > 0:42:56actually living our dream.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08The past year has brought big changes for Dan, Julie, Zac,
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Willow and Faye.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12We wish them all the very best.