Jones Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

Imagine if, after years struggling as a single mum,

you finally scrape together the cash

to achieve the new life

you have been dreaming of for decades,

only to discover your children aren't convinced

about moving to the other side of the world.

That's the situation Paula Jones was in, in 2015.

Today, one year on, we'll find out where the family are now.

For more than 20 years,

Paula Jones has been craving a new life in Australia.

It means the world to me.

I want the best for my children.

But daughter Kacey was far from sold.

I feel like I'm going to have to leave everything behind

to make everybody else happy.

A trial week down under, however, proved a massive hit.

This is our dream house. This is the dream house.

I just want to come here as soon as possible.

-It's just great.

-It's just brilliant, I don't want to go home.

So one year on, just where do the Joneses now call home?

I was the one holding this back,

but for the last six months I've thought about it,

I've thought about it over and over again.

For the last two decades,

Australia has been the number one destination

for British citizens moving abroad.

Every day, around 23 families leave the UK

to start a new life in the country.

Boasting an average temperature 13 degrees higher than Britain's,

it's easy to understand why so many

are lured to a land with more than 10,000 beaches.

Ever since she was a teenager,

mum Paula Jones had dreamt of a life in the Australian sunshine.

In 2015, it looked like the dream could finally be within reach.

In just one week,

Paula and her two children would discover

everything the country could offer them

before deciding whether to take the plunge

and move to the other side of the world

or stay put in the UK.

The family's trial week began with over 24 hours in the air,

flying from the UK, via Singapore, to Australia.

Touchdown was an emotional experience for Paula.

The minute I landed, I was crying.

So pleased to be here.

She was just like, "Oh, my goodness,

"we're finally in Australia," and we just looked at her like...

"What?"

But she worried the country wouldn't live up to the image

she had created in two decades of dreaming.

I'm nervous in case I don't like it.

I'm nervous in case my dream gets shattered,

and it's not what I think it's going to be.

Paula was in no doubt as to what was at stake

over the next week.

This is it, I've waited years for this week to come.

It's make or break.

Ahead of the Joneses lay seven days

to discover if they could achieve the life Paula desired.

In 2015, the Jones family, mum Paula,

Luke, who was 18, Kacey, then 13,

were living in Prestatyn in North Wales.

Life had been far from plain sailing for Paula.

Having left home at the age of 15,

she met her future husband one year later, and had Luke when she was 18.

The last decade had proved particularly difficult.

I ran my own dry-cleaning business,

and then the recession hit,

and, well, I lost the business.

And my marriage broke down, and we divorced

when Luke was eight and Kacey was nearly three.

I think life for Mum has been pretty tough, to be honest.

Ooh! I'll buy that.

As a single parent, making ends meet had been a struggle.

When I was a kid, there was never really any money.

I didn't have all the things I wanted to have.

I've had no choice but to claim benefits,

even though I have always worked.

Depending on government assistance was something

Paula had always been determined to escape.

It made me feel very worthless

and not a full person within society, really.

Four years earlier,

she'd taken decisive action

to turn her family's life around

and had juggled looking after Kacey and Luke

with studying to become a radiographer.

I did an access course.

I went to university, I've worked hard, I've got my degree,

I've got a good job.

Yeah, she's found it tough, but I'm quite proud of her, really.

Paula had driven herself hard, but with limited success.

Even now, I still have to rely on tax credits.

Desperate to steer out of the benefits trap

and provide a better future for her family,

Paula believed Australia could be the answer,

and had started saving every penny she could scrape together

to fund a move.

She'd managed to build up a small nest egg,

but now faced a difficult dilemma.

On the one hand, her new-found career

could be the road to a new life down under

for her, Luke and Kacey.

I think that my potential for work in Australia

and career prospects for the children are better in Australia.

-I won!

-I reckon that was a fix.

But on the other hand,

the money could have provided them

with a home to call their own in the UK.

I'm in a complete dilemma

as to whether I spend what savings I've got on a deposit

and settle here, and stay in the UK,

or whether I use that money to apply for visas and flights

to go over to Australia and start a new life out there.

And while Luke didn't feel much love for life in North Wales...

I don't like living round here a lot.

It's very dull and boring, nothing ever to do.

..persuading Kacey to uproot to Australia

would be a much tougher battle.

I don't share it. I don't share the dream at all.

I feel like I'm going to have to leave everything behind

to make everybody else happy.

Kacey's very close to her dad.

She sees her dad on a regular basis.

Paula felt she needed to act now

if she was ever to stand a chance of achieving her dream

of a fresh start down under.

If I don't do it now, I'll probably never go.

But deep down, she knew it was a risk.

If I spend all the money that I've got for a deposit

on going to Australia,

I haven't got anything to come back to.

We'd be back at square one.

We'd be back to ten years ago.

And she really was concerned the reality of life down under

might not square up to her dreams.

Looking at Australia in pictures and magazines and the internet

isn't the same as being there.

And I'm a little bit worried

that it might not actually be what I'm expecting.

The next week would decide once and for all

where Paula and her family would call home.

This is it for us as a family.

It means the world to me.

I just want... I want the best for my children.

The Joneses spent their trial week in Adelaide.

The driest Australian state capital,

almost one in 12 of its inhabitants hail from the UK.

Their temporary base was this three-bedroom house

just a ten-minute walk from the white sands of Henley Beach,

and about 20 minutes west of the city.

First impressions were good.

Wow, I really like it.

Paula was bowled over by the open-plan kitchen,

diner and living room.

I can see myself cooking on here.

I can see you cooking on it, too.

Bit cheeky! The garden went down well, too.

It's nice, isn't it?

Compared to the garden we've got at home, this is lovely, isn't it?

It's big. It's actually got grass as opposed to mud.

Paula settled in quickly.

So far, I really like it.

Feel at home. Feel like I should have always been here.

Yeah, it's nice.

And Luke's first impressions of Australia

were pretty positive, too.

It reminds me of, like,

a bigger, less serious Britain.

But the gamble she could be taking with her life savings

was already playing on Paula's mind.

I haven't got enough money to move out here and buy a house in the UK.

It's one or the other.

And Kacey was thinking of who she was leaving in the UK.

I'd worry to move to Australia because of my friends and my dad.

My dad loves seeing me all the time.

He really would miss me so, so much.

Paula was under no illusion as to how critical the week ahead was.

By the end of this week, the dream will come to a conclusion.

We will either be moving to Australia or we won't.

It's make or break.

In 2015, the Jones family

were living in a three-bedroom rented house

in the North Wales seaside town of Prestatyn.

Whilst Paula enjoyed living there for half the year...

I like living very close to the beach.

In the summer, it's fantastic.

..the other six months left her cold.

In the winter, it's my worst nightmare.

The family had struggled to find a permanent base.

I think we've lived in eight different houses.

For a home down under, there was one thing on Luke and Kacey's wish list.

I'd want a house that's, like, definitely got a swimming pool.

I'd love that.

I think it's great, but I think they're unrealistic.

I'd be quite happy with just a modern three-bedroom house.

The family had a monthly rental budget of £1,000.

To find out what kind of house

that could get them in Australia,

we showed them three properties,

two on-budget,

and a third which could be their dream home.

First stop was Brompton,

a suburb ten minutes north of Adelaide city centre.

Would this three-bedroom townhouse be to the family's taste?

Outside, first impressions were good.

-Very...

-Like it.

-..posh.

And inside, the house continued to work its charms.

-Oh, this is nice. Oh, look at the shiny floors.

-This is very nice.

Oh, my goodness.

Paula took the opportunity to test the water with Kacey.

Would you move from the UK for this house?

-Maybe.

-Yeah.

Not bad, considering they were only just in the door.

Upstairs, Luke had his eye on the master bedroom.

See, this could be my room.

-It's big.

-It's massive.

But it looked like Kacey was laying claim, too.

Oh...my...God.

There's a wardrobe and an en-suite.

Oh! This is mine. I'm having this.

I'd come to Australia for this, for this big room.

If I thought for a minute

that this would actually make you come to Australia,

I'd let you have this room.

Outside was the one thing Kacey and Luke wanted.

-This is very nice.

-Look at the pool.

Oh, my goodness.

-It's got a pool.

-We could have some fantastic times out here.

The house had been a hit with the whole family,

but was it somewhere they could afford

with their monthly rental budget of £1,000?

I think this has got to be over budget.

You couldn't get anything like this in the UK, anyway.

Want to have a look?

-Yeah, are you ready?

-Yeah, ready.

Oh, my goodness.

-Seriously?

-It was just £40 over budget.

This means that we can actually afford to come to Australia

-and live here...

-In a nice house.

-..in a really nice house.

With things off to a positive start,

it was time to move on to property number two.

Situated in Largs Bay, ten miles north of Adelaide,

did this four-bedroom home impress as much as the first?

I like it. Look at the trees.

Very nice.

The property's spacious interiors were an instant hit.

This is quite nice.

-It's big.

-It's giant.

But unlike the last house, this wasn't a shiny new build.

The property's more dated.

I don't think it is.

It is. This is a much older property.

Yeah, it looks older.

It has an older feel to it.

While the open-plan kitchen-diner got the thumbs-up...

Very big.

Kitchen-diner. Yeah, I like it, it's nice.

..Paula and Luke couldn't help but compare it to the first property.

Not as good as the one, the last house, I don't think.

And I agree with Luke. I actually prefer the one in the last house.

Despite boasting a large garden...

This is massive.

..this house just wasn't cutting the mustard.

It's nice, but I still don't think it's for us.

It wasn't somewhere the family wanted to call home,

but could they afford it, anyway, with their £1,000 a month budget?

I think it's over budget.

I think it's over budget, too.

Shall we have a look, see how much it is?

Yeah.

Whoa...

It was £40 under budget.

So, do you think this price would sway it?

I just don't like the house that much.

I think, for the price, it's quite good,

but I still wouldn't want to live there.

For their final viewing in the newly created suburb of St Clair,

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

This is absolutely beautiful.

Brand-new house, brand-new area, brand-new start.

-This is massive.

-Oh, my God.

Oh, my goodness.

This is huge.

Luke was instantly worried about

how much this shiny new home would cost.

We're never going to be able to afford something like this.

But Kacey was already sold.

This is our dream house.

Yeah, this is the dream house.

The first of three living spaces had everyone enchanted.

-This is mad.

-Oh, my goodness.

Crazy.

And the open-plan kitchen, dining and living room

didn't disappoint, either.

This is well good.

This is perfect for me. I'd have this.

I could definitely live in this house.

Upstairs, the master suite with French doors leading onto a balcony

was a real winner, too.

Oh, my God. This is gorgeous.

This is my dream room.

And Paula couldn't help but try out the spa bath for size.

Oh, yeah, can I have some candles, please?

A spacious garden with pool was the icing on the cake.

I feel like I'm in a different life if I lived here.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

-This is the Hollywood dream.

-Yeah.

So, was this a house only suited to Hollywood stars,

or was it somewhere the Jones could afford

with their £1,000 a month rental budget?

I reckon it's going to be £1,500 a month.

About 1,400.

What?!

That's not that bad at all, is it?

You're kidding me.

It was £290 over budget, but...

It's better, it's much cheaper than I thought it was going to be.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-It's great.

-Let's see how I get on for jobs.

Checking out homes in the Adelaide suburbs

had proved a positive day for the Jones.

Property one hit the spot with its fought-over master bedroom

and inviting pool area.

Despite its size, property two disappointed,

with a floor plan that failed to win praise.

Property three was the clear favourite, though,

with generously-sized rooms,

numerous living areas and its perfect pool.

So, when it came to properties,

had everything they'd seen been enough

for everyone to choose Australia over the UK?

-ALL:

-Australia.

For me, it was an easy decision.

All the houses are big. They're all spacious.

Australian houses are definitely better.

British houses are just tiny.

And they're more modern,

instead of having old Victorian houses.

A clean sweep of votes for Australia was just what Paula had hoped for,

but in order to afford her dream home,

a good job and salary would be essential.

Back in the UK, Paula was working as a radiographer for the NHS.

OK, Dawn, so is it your right wrist?

I love working with the general public,

and I feel that every day I'm at work, I help people.

It was something she was keen to develop down under.

Ideally, I want to go on to do a master's degree.

As the sole earner in the family,

she knew a move relied on her work prospects.

It's very important that I get the right job

and the right salary in Australia.

If I don't get the right salary,

it will kill my dream, and I won't be able to go.

We arranged for Paula to visit the Royal Adelaide Hospital,

the largest in the city.

First up, she met Dominic, a team leader at the Radiology Department,

and wasted no time in asking him about the working week.

So, what kind of shift pattern do you work here,

-and how many hours a week?

-We have a 37.5 hour week.

Same as us.

We have four shift groups who rotate across shifts in a pattern.

Seven days and then four days off, and then seven days again,

-five days off.

-So, really, it's very good for you...

It's very flexible.

..for your lifestyle and your general wellbeing.

It is, yeah.

Nearing the end of his A-levels in the UK,

Luke was keen to research options for further education in Adelaide.

To find out more, he went to Flinders University,

where he met student adviser Kim Sara.

-Hi, I'm Luke.

-Hi, I'm Kim.

Welcome to Flinders. Let's have a look around.

OK.

After a quick campus tour,

Luke asked if he could qualify for a degree course

in his favourite subject of psychology.

We would look at your overseas qualifications.

They're assessed

by the South Australian Terciary Admissions Centre,

SATAC, and they'd look at what you've done overseas.

Is it better for me to be an international student,

or would I be better coming over as a permanent resident with my mother?

If you're going to be applying as a permanent resident,

there's a lot more benefits for you.

So, that's access to be able to get in,

so entry options that you've got,

as well as other things like the fees

and how much you're going to be paying for the course.

Luke was delighted with what he'd discovered.

I'd probably want to come here as soon as possible.

It's just great. Hopefully, Mum's got the news she needed.

Back at the hospital, Paula met with operations manager Michael

to find out if her skills would be transferable to Australia.

My UK qualification is a Bachelor of Science,

so would that be recognised here?

I would assume that it would be.

However, AHPRA being the regulatory body for registration,

would need to recognise that as well.

OK, good.

So, what about the all-important question of money?

Around 60,000, 62,000 per year.

OK.

If you put shift penalties on top of that, there's a high chance

that, doing general radiography, you'd be on a shift roster.

You could probably add an additional 5,000 on top of that,

-with penalties.

-OK, so about 65.

A starting salary of 65,000 was about £33,000.

Paula was impressed.

That's £11,000 over what I'm getting paid currently in the UK

for the same job, the same hours,

and the shift pattern seems better for lifestyle, so yeah,

I'm quite happy.

It was time to vote.

Australia.

As soon as I heard the salary that I could earn,

and the potential salary that I could earn in the future,

that was definitely the decision-maker for me.

It looked like Luke had already bought into the idea

of a new start in Adelaide,

but Paula always knew Kacey would be the biggest barrier

to achieving her lifelong dream.

So, would a day experiencing the kind of lifestyle

they could enjoy in Australia

be enough to put the whole family on the same page?

Adventure lovers, the Jones spent the day

at Woodhouse Activity Centre in the Adelaide Hills.

First up was a ride on a larger-than-life swing.

Oh, this is quite cool.

THEY SCREAM

Back on terra firma, it was time to tackle the centre's assault course.

Ready, steady, go!

SHE SCREAMS

Taking a breather, the family caught up on how the week was going.

So, what are you thinking so far about Australia?

-Pretty good.

-I want to move here.

Luke seems sold,

but the thought of leaving loved ones behind in the UK

had Kacey torn.

Holding me back the most is probably my dad and my best friends,

because I don't think I could live properly without them,

because it would just be on my mind constantly.

So, how did the family vote when it came to lifestyle down under?

-Australia.

-Australia.

Undecided.

Really?! How can you be undecided on today?

-Are you mad?

-I think we could do most of this in the UK, so...

..I'm quite happy with my decision.

I'm quite surprised that you've voted undecided.

Kacey's fear of leaving friends and family

was threatening to derail Paula's dream.

Back in the UK, she was passionate about performing arts,

so would a visit to a local drama group

help reassure her about settling down under?

One, two, three, four...

I'm just hoping that Kacey enjoys herself,

and that she make some new friends and that she realises

that it's not as scary as she thinks it is,

coming to a new country.

Kick, two, three...

There is a lot riding on tonight,

because if I get along with people, and I like it,

then I'm probably going to come.

And if you concentrate on the other person, your nerves will disappear.

As Mum watched from the back of the room,

Kacey took to her new class like an old-timer.

Oh, my God. Hey, hey, can I get your picture?

Sorry, do I know you?

Afterwards, she got to know some of her classmates.

How long have you been coming here, and what's it like?

A couple of years.

It's just really good. I love it.

Paula was happy to hear Kacey had had a fun evening.

So, do you feel a little bit better now?

Yeah, I feel a lot better.

Reassured there was nice people.

There are nice people.

With Kacey seemingly coming round to a move,

it was more important than ever the Joneses' finances

stacked up down under.

Sitting down to compare the cost of living in Australia

with the UK, the family started with the weekly food shop.

Look how much pizza is.

It's really expensive here compared to the UK.

And potatoes are £5 more here.

£5 more expensive for a bag of spuds.

That's quite a lot, isn't it, really?

So it is £19.14 a week more expensive.

That's not that much.

At around £80 a month more in Australia,

the food shop hadn't caused too much concern.

Moving on to the bigger bills,

they based their calculations on the first property they'd seen.

Obviously, the rent's going to be more expensive, but we knew that.

Well, I knew that, because I wanted to get a much better house here

in Australia than the one in the UK.

Despite Paula's potential higher salary down under,

losing out on the benefits she was getting in the UK

meant the overall figure didn't look good.

So, that's £321 a month worse off.

In total, the family would have been losing out

on nearly £4,000 a year down under.

But Paula was determined not to be beaten.

We don't have to live in that really nice house that we've chosen.

We could live in something a little bit cheaper.

So, we'd be better off in Britain?

A little bit, but it'll rain all year.

Paula was staying positive, but was it enough when it came to the vote?

-Australia.

-Australia.

Undecided.

If we moved here, I'd want to move for a really good reason,

and I wouldn't want to come all the way out here,

and leave my friends and family

if we didn't have a pool, because a pool is, like,

one of the main things I wanted.

In spite of Paula's confidence that, with some compromises,

the finances could have worked,

it looked like Kacey still wasn't ready to commit to making the move.

And there was still the biggest hurdle to come

as the family sat down to watch messages

from friends and family back in the UK.

-ALL:

-Hi.

-Hello.

-Hi.

All right, Luke? Hi, Paula. Hi, Kacey.

What on earth do you want to go and live in Australia for,

when you could be here in...

Beautiful, sunny North Wales(?)

Family, very close.

We all are, really.

Paula is a brilliant girl.

Paula is one of the most chilled, easy-going

people that I know,

which is probably why we get on so well!

She's a good laugh at school, and she's very nice

and kind.

A good friend.

Luke is lovely, confident, silly, daft.

Has grown up to be a lovely young man.

She seems to want to go for her mum's side,

because her mum's really excited to go.

And she doesn't want to leave, because she'd miss us all.

I'd miss the phone calls, I'd miss my Sunday meals...

..and I'd miss my daughter.

Luke, if you like what you've seen so far and you're enjoying it,

I think you should go for it.

Don't forget, if you do decide to go, you can always come home.

My God, I'm actually going to cry.

Don't consider anybody else,

think about you and the children,

and how you feel in Australia at the moment,

and make your decision based on that.

Bye for now. Bye.

-PAULA:

-What are you thinking?

I reckon we should come over...

-..maybe.

-What do you think?

-That's what they all think.

-I'm not really sure.

-You're still unsure?

-Yeah.

I'm still unsure, cos I know I'd miss them.

Messages from home had been a poignant reminder

of what the Jones stood to lose.

As the end of the week approached,

the family had plenty to think about before making their final decision.

Paula had been dreaming of a life down under for decades.

It's better than I expected.

It's just brilliant. I don't want to go home.

For Luke, Australia hadn't put a foot wrong.

The week's been really good.

It makes me want to move here now.

I could definitely call it home straightaway.

But leaving loved ones was still a huge stumbling block for Kacey.

I think I'm the one keeping us back from doing it,

and I feel quite upset for doing it,

but I'd just miss everybody too much.

And she knew her vote could have a massive impact

on the future direction of the family's lives.

If I say yes,

then I know we're definitely coming in, like, the next year.

But if I say Britain, then obviously, they'd get very upset.

If Kacey votes for the UK today, I will be upset.

I'll be gutted.

It was time for the family to decide where they would spend their future.

-Australia.

-Undecided.

-Australia.

Are you undecided still?

-Yeah.

-OK.

You've voted that every time, apart from once.

Yeah, but I'm not really sure where I want to be right now,

whether it's in Australia or the UK.

I'd definitely like to come here when I'm older.

So, it's definitely an option to still move out here

-when you're a little bit older?

-Yeah, definitely.

And what about you? Are you happy with that?

Yeah, I definitely want to move here.

Definitely.

-Come on.

-Are you kidding me?

This is actually happening.

I don't want a hug.

Group hug.

It wasn't the definitive result that she'd hoped for,

but Paula was optimistic that with time,

the family would make it down under.

Now, one year on,

we've caught up with the Jones family

to discover how and where they are now.

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

Prestatyn in North Wales.

Life's changed a lot for the family since we last saw them.

Paula has finally bought a home of her own

and partner Kim has moved in.

Kim kind of popped into my life, really,

about three and a half years ago.

There you go.

We were just friends at first,

and we got on really well, and the relationship developed.

While Kacey's still living with Mum,

Luke's left home for university.

On the surface, it looks as though the family are settled in the UK,

but only for the short-term.

The Aussie dream's still very much alive.

We haven't forgotten about Australia.

It's still in the pipeline.

It's as strong now as it was then.

Nothing's changed.

Time spent in Australia had been the culmination of years of dreaming

for Paula, and it hadn't disappointed.

It was fantastic, it was everything I expected it to be.

I felt like I belonged there, and that I could live there.

And the overwhelming feeling was to stay.

I need to go shopping, too.

Unfortunately, not everyone felt the same way.

School uniform, a new bag, a new pencil case, new stationery.

At the end of the trip, I wasn't really sure whether to go or not

because I was worried about leaving my friends and my dad.

I was disappointed that Kacey voted undecided,

but I expected it, really.

She wasn't really choosing between the UK and Australia,

what she was choosing was between her dad and her mum.

And between her friends and no friends.

So in her head, it wasn't as simple as it was in mine.

For Paula, leaving Australia was every bit as emotional as arriving.

-I was gutted!

-Cried.

-I didn't want to go home.

-You cried.

If I could have stayed in Australia, I would have stayed.

Once back in the UK,

the family settled into their normal routine,

but thoughts of Australia were never far from Paula's mind.

All I kept thinking about

was how long would it be

before I managed to get back to Adelaide again.

Desperate to secure the fresh start she craved for down under,

Paula set about devising a strategy for the future.

I needed a plan for my own sanity.

I wanted to go back to Australia.

At that point, Kacey wasn't sure and I knew that Luke did.

Paula called a family meeting and a deal was struck.

We decided that what we were going to do

was wait for Kacey to finish her GCSEs at least,

see what she thought about it at that point in time,

and just see where we were then.

The two to three year plan would give a Luke time

to finish his studies as well.

Luke's gone off to Cardiff University

and he's gone to do mental health nursing.

He's really happy, with a focus to go to Australia.

With Kacey and Luke on board,

Paula had just one more person to convince.

I did say to Kim from the very beginning,

within the first couple of weeks of meeting Kim,

that I wanted to go to Australia and that that was my plan.

Kim had turned down the invitation

to join the family on the trial week.

At that point, Australia wasn't on her radar.

She said, you know, "Do you want to come on it with us?"

And I just didn't even hesitate and I went, "No."

It's not what I want to do.

But while Paula, Luke and Kacey were on the other side of the world,

Kim had second thoughts.

Kim had really missed us.

I'd thought about it more and more while they were away.

It made Kim realise

that she either needed to get on board with the Australia idea,

or we needed to seriously think about

where our relationship was going.

I talked to my family and they sort of said,

"Go with it."

It's either that, or me and Paula would split up.

And I'd be devastated if that ever happened.

What plants will we have when we're in Australia?

Not these type. Too hot.

I don't think we'll do gardening like we did it here.

That's my escape, is the garden!

We'll sort you out with something to do.

It wasn't a decision taken lightly.

I did feel happy that I'd be part of going to Australia,

but also, in the back of my mind,

it's like I'm leaving my family to make a huge commitment.

She's very, very close to her family.

I would never want Kim to come to Australia with me and the kids

because that's what I wanted.

It's got to be her decision.

See, there's that kite.

It's bobbing around there.

The whole family were thrilled with Kim's change of heart.

My mum loves her like crazy and so do we,

and we couldn't really live without her.

We can dig our way through to Australia.

If we start now, we might get there by next year.

'It's a very daunting thing, to move to the other side of the world,

'especially daunting when you're going on your own

'with two teenagers.'

But now I know that Kim's coming,

I feel instantly better about the whole thing.

With Kim on board,

Paula wasted no time putting her grand plan into action.

The first step was buying a house.

If we're going to be here for the next 2-3 years, anyway,

while Luke's in university and Kacey's finishing her education,

we may as well just buy one and feel more settled.

Nesting wasn't her only driving instinct.

I deliberately went out to try and find a house

that needed a little bit of work doing to it

in the hope that when it's completely finished,

that it will be worth more than I paid for it,

and that there will be enough equity in it

to get us to Australia,

which will then mean that we've got the best of both worlds.

The family had decided they wanted to stay in Prestatyn.

Finding the right house, though, wasn't easy.

I searched for the best part of eight months

because it had been so difficult

to get the deposit together in the first place.

I just wasn't going to settle for something that wasn't good enough.

Kept looking for houses,

I kept being disappointed in what I was finding,

and then this one came up,

and I didn't even get halfway round the house

before I decided that this was going to be the one.

When the family moved in, in October 2015,

Paula got stuck in straightaway with the home improvements.

The kitchen that was in already wasn't in a very good state,

so we ripped it out, and this was the very first thing that I did.

We love our kitchen. It's lovely.

Upstairs has had a makeover too.

So, this is mine and Kim's room.

This is my dream room, really.

It's nice and light, it's nice and airy.

And Kim and I both decorated it together.

I've decided I'm quite good at DIY.

Maybe I'm on the wrong programme!

SHE LAUGHS

Everyone's delighted to have a place to call their own.

It's really lovely. It feels really homely.

I think I chose a good house.

Yeah, you did.

Do they have gravy in Australia?

-Because if not, I can't go.

-Yeah, they do.

You're safe there, Kim.

Or I could take, like, a supply.

With phase one complete, it was time for yet another life-changing step.

Kim and I spoke about her moving in,

and we spoke about it with the children.

If we want to go and live in Australia together as a family,

we need to be able to live in the UK first.

It's a huge commitment, but we just knew that it was the right time.

Stop it!

Kim moved in, in June this year and so far,

everyone seems to be getting along famously.

I'm really happy that she moved in,

because, like, we get on really well.

My relationship with Kacey is sort of a buddy.

She sees me as a friend.

Can you make us those wrappy things, Kim?

-Enchiladas?

-Yeah.

I made them. It wasn't even her, I made them.

It was me that made the enchiladas.

Can she make them?

I really like Kim. She's really funny.

Like, me and her get on great.

Thank you.

Although Luke's not around as much as they'd like...

We do miss him.

..they are enjoying their time together as birds of a feather.

It's quite fun because us three girls

can go on shopping trips and things like that

and there is no, like, men, to, like...

like, stop us.

Even when she was little,

she's always been smaller than the average person,

so even when I was pregnant with her,

she was always slightly under average then.

So am I(!)

There have been changes on the job front for Paula, as well.

Although still working for the health board,

she's taken a step up the ladder in her career

and is now a clinical practitioner.

What I do is, I look after the workforce,

and I do back-to-work assessments.

It's still quite new for me because I've only been doing it

for three months, but so far, so good.

I really enjoy it.

But she hasn't given up entirely on radiography.

Knowing it will ultimately be her ticket into Australia,

she's keeping her hand in, doing shift work at the weekends.

I'm still a radiographer and I still practice as a radiographer,

but what I'm gaining now is new skills

which should actually increase my chances

of being able to get into Australia and stay.

And that's not the only plus.

Financially, we're much better off now as a family.

I still don't need to claim any tax credits whatsoever now.

So I'm completely free of any kind of benefit.

With plans motoring ahead

for Paula's hopes of a fresh start down under,

as time goes by, it looks like even Kacey's doubts have been dispelled.

In the last sort of six months, I've thought about it.

I thought about it over and over again.

As she became that little bit older,

she's realised that life moves on very quickly,

and the friends, perhaps, that you have when you're 13

are not necessarily going to be the friends

that you've got when you're 21.

Her dad's got married since we've come back

and he's happy and settled.

And I think that makes Kacey feel better.

I'll miss my dad as well,

but I feel like he will come over and visit me

because I know his wife will want to.

Sarah likes Australia, doesn't she?

Yeah, she loves it. I do feel, like, happier now

because we've spoken about it all, and we do know what's going on.

Like, we've got a plan set out.

I don't give up easily, do I, Kacey?

No. She talks about it every day.

You were seven there, weren't you?

Who are these two boys down there?

-Callum and...

-Jake?

-Jake.

Friends and family are supportive of the planned move.

-Sweet and innocent.

-She WAS sweet and innocent once!

It's been so expected for so many years now.

It's not like it's become a surprise.

So do you intend going over or what?

-Yeah.

-When?

When Kacey's a bit older.

-How old?

-About 17, 18.

That way you can send her to work.

-Yeah.

-KIM:

-Yeah, earn all the money.

But Paula knows, when it comes to the crunch,

saying goodbye to her elderly dad won't be easy.

The biggest emotional tie to the UK, certainly for me and the family,

is my dad. And I think that will be the hardest thing to leave.

What's more selfish?

Me going to the other side of the world and leaving you here,

or me taking you with me?

I don't know, do I?

You might not be bothered. You might be glad to get rid of me.

Aw!

I don't know if I can go and leave him, you know,

because we wouldn't have such a laugh, would we?

No.

Go to see him quite a lot now.

In fact, actually, I'm probably closer to him now

-than I was before the trial week.

-There, now.

I'm the favourite, anyway.

But I just keep thinking to myself,

"He wants us to go, and I know he'll be well looked after."

All things considered,

Paula's looking forward to the future with confidence.

I'm just happy now that everybody in the family

is focused on going to Australia. It's what everybody wants.

Do they have parks like this in Australia?

-Yeah, huge ones.

-Oh, they're better.

They're all warm and the trees are really nice trees.

Like, palm trees.

The future definitely lies in Australia for us as a family.

It's what she wants.

You know, what the family want, and what I definitely want to do now.

No!

I was the one holding us back, but I'm not any more.

We're just eager to go, aren't we?

We're just waiting for the right time, aren't we?

Yeah, waiting for the right time.

Look at that one having a proper bath.

-Swans are lovely.

-They're gorgeous. It's having a lovely bath.

If things continue as they are,

it looks like a move down under

could be on the cards within the next two years.

The future is Australia

and I hope that our plan goes to plan,

and that everything works out how we want it to.

They may not have made it to the other side of the world just yet,

but Paula's Australian dream is still alive and kicking.

Wherever their final destination may be,

we wish the whole family a very happy future.