0:00:02 > 0:00:04In 2012, Julie Godfrey's job working away from home
0:00:04 > 0:00:07had been turning her life into a nightmare.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10He's got the window down, he's screaming, "Mum, Mum, don't go!
0:00:10 > 0:00:14"Come back!" You can see that he's heartbroken and it's just horrible.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17And husband Alan couldn't take any more...
0:00:17 > 0:00:22It was snowing, it was freezing, my wife was in London.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26I was depressed, and I just decided enough is enough.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27..but on the trial week down under,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31it looked like they would struggle to cope with leaving loved ones.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32I'm welling up.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35One year later,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37we found out if the family had made the move...
0:00:37 > 0:00:42We had a lot of really difficult decisions to make
0:00:42 > 0:00:44and a week in which to do it.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46..but the big question is,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49where are the Godfreys now -
0:00:49 > 0:00:52UK or down under?
0:01:15 > 0:01:18With famously laidback way of life and sunny climate,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Australia is the number one destination for people
0:01:21 > 0:01:25leaving the UK in search of a new life.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30In fact, around 40,000 Brits emigrate there every year.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33However, the grass isn't always greener,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35and nearly a third return to the UK.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40In 2012, the Godfrey family
0:01:40 > 0:01:42experienced a week down under
0:01:42 > 0:01:45that changed the course of their lives.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50Today, we'll find out what's happened since we last met.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Having made the 11,000-mile trip
0:01:53 > 0:01:55to Perth in Western Australia,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59the two days of travelling had definitely taken its toll.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03The first leg of the flight was fine,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05the second leg of the flight was torture.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08There's no way we could make that on a regular basis.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- I think you could make that flight maybe once a year, max.- Pfft!
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- Oh, aye. You could do it once a year.- Not on your life.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15The long flight had confirmed
0:02:15 > 0:02:19that this is going to be a life-changing week.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23I need to leave here knowing the worst that it has to offer
0:02:23 > 0:02:24as well as the best.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27They'd face plenty of challenges in the next seven days -
0:02:27 > 0:02:32but, then, the Godfreys were desperate to change their lives.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Alan, Julie and Cole, who was then eight, were living in east Glasgow.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Alan worked as an electrician
0:02:39 > 0:02:42and three years previously, Julie had qualified in nursing
0:02:42 > 0:02:44and had become a midwife.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47It was a job she'd always dreamt of doing.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49I love it.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51From the first moment when I qualified
0:02:51 > 0:02:55and went in and had my first patient, you know,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58my knees were knocking, I thought, "I can't do this on my own,"
0:02:58 > 0:03:02and then one of the coordinators just closed the door and said,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06"You're a midwife, aren't you?" And I thought, "Yeah, I am."
0:03:06 > 0:03:10However, since qualifying, Julie hadn't been able to find a vacancy
0:03:10 > 0:03:16in Scotland and was having to work nearly 400 miles away in London.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19This was going to be the short-term fix.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22This was going to be six months, a year, maximum,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24get me some experience,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26and then I should be able to get a job at home -
0:03:26 > 0:03:30and it just hasn't worked out that way,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33so this, instead of a short-term fix,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35this is a long-term arrangement.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Working away for three weeks at a time
0:03:38 > 0:03:41was taking its toll on everyone.
0:03:41 > 0:03:48In the last year, she has been home for just over a third of the year.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51That's quite a long time to be away from your family
0:03:51 > 0:03:53in the space of a year.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57It's definitely a long time for Cole to be away from his mum for a year.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02Julie's long absences from home were having a big impact on Cole.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06I want my mum to be with us all the time
0:04:06 > 0:04:11because...she's always away
0:04:11 > 0:04:16and I want her to have a job near us.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20When it comes to the airport
0:04:20 > 0:04:24and he's got to say goodbye to his mum,
0:04:24 > 0:04:29that's when he really gets really worked up.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Sometimes he's shouting, you know, and he's got the window down,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35he's screaming, "Mum, Mum, don't go! Come back!"
0:04:35 > 0:04:37You just have to keep walking
0:04:37 > 0:04:39and then you feel heartless for keeping walking.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41You're trying to wave him off
0:04:41 > 0:04:45but you can see that he's heartbroken and it's just horrible.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49It was a painful situation that couldn't go on any longer.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I was on a job, it was snowing,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56it was freezing, my wife was in London.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01I was depressed, and I just decided enough is enough.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I want something better for me, my wife and my son.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06I want something better for my family.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08The desperation for a normal life
0:05:08 > 0:05:11had pushed the Godfreys to look towards Australia.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Knowing there was a demand for their skills,
0:05:13 > 0:05:18Alan and Julie were convinced their family's happiness lay down under.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It can't be worse than what we are doing right now.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23It has to be better -
0:05:23 > 0:05:27and, you know, all the other things, the nice climate, bigger houses,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30maybe they are just a bonus. That's not what we are going for.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33We are going to try and find some kind of way
0:05:33 > 0:05:36where we can all live together.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39A move could have given them that time together,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41but would come at a very heavy price.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Cole's the only grandkid that my mum and dad have got,
0:05:44 > 0:05:49and I feel really guilty that there's a very strong possibility
0:05:49 > 0:05:52that I'm going to be taking him away from them.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I'm basically tearing my family apart
0:05:56 > 0:06:00to make me, Julie and Cole a family again.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05That's really difficult.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Words can't describe how much I'll miss my parents.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10Even with so much to lose,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14the couple felt they just couldn't carry on as they were.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19If Australia doesn't work out, we are running out of options fast.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- We're not living, the now - we're surviving.- Yeah.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Yeah, we're just existing at the moment,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and that's not what we want for us
0:06:26 > 0:06:28and we certainly don't want that for Cole.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30We definitely don't want it for Cole.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37The trial week was in Perth.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39With over 50 miles of coastline,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41it was the ideal place for the family life
0:06:41 > 0:06:43the Godfreys were searching for.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Home for the week was the beach-side suburb of Shoalwater
0:06:46 > 0:06:49in the south of the city.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Right, Cole, where's your room?
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I think he's found it.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54What bed are you going to have?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Cole quickly made himself at home
0:06:56 > 0:06:59but Mum and Dad were far from impressed.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01It's a bit smaller than I expected.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04I wouldn't move from Scotland to something like this.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06It's only two bedrooms as well.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09You just think if people were coming to stay with you,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11I would kill someone in here.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12Aye.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Luckily, one little person was a bit more upbeat...
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I think the house is amazing.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22..but once Cole's in bed, Julie's fears become very apparent.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27It scares me a bit that this might be what people live in.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29And what we can afford?
0:07:29 > 0:07:31If it's what we can afford,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35I wouldn't put our family through all of that for this.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42In the UK, the Godfreys had been living in a two-bedroom semi
0:07:42 > 0:07:44in the Garrowhill area of Glasgow
0:07:44 > 0:07:48and they were keeping their feet firmly on the ground
0:07:48 > 0:07:51when it comes to finding a home in Australia.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56- It's got to have a nice area.- Yeah. - Nice school, parks.- A few shops.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59I mean, I'm not looking to be in a city.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02If it's not within five minutes, ten minutes to the beach,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04we would like a pool.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Julie and Alan believe they could stretch their budget
0:08:07 > 0:08:09to around £300,000
0:08:09 > 0:08:13so we arranged for them to see a slice of the Perth housing market.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17We showed them three houses based on their budget and needs,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20ranging from the affordable house to the dream home.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23The first house was 20 miles south of central Perth
0:08:23 > 0:08:24in the Wellard area,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28making it ideally placed for Julie and Alan's work.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29A brand-new show home
0:08:29 > 0:08:33was the Godfreys' first taste of the Perth housing market.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- It looks nice from the outside. - Yeah, it does.- Doesn't it?
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- What do you think, Cole?- Yeah.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Our first house, Cole.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42It looks nice and modern.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Cole, you've missed bits.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45I like this.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47It's a big room,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51considering what you would get at home in a new-build.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Oh, look at this wee room.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56This looks like a wee living room for Cole.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00This place had certainly got house-hunting off to a good start.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- It's lovely, actually, isn't it? - It's actually quite deceiving.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Cos it doesn't look as big from the outside, but it's long.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- Yeah, that's the thing, isn't it? It goes back.- Aye.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12What about the outside space?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14The rest of the house was also a hit.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- This is lovely, actually. - It is nice. It's really nice.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Seating area over the back. What do you think, Cole?
0:09:20 > 0:09:24I think we should take this grass away and put a pool there.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26The absence of a pool wasn't the only problem.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Alan and Julie worried about the new suburb's lack of amenities.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34If this is literally being built out of nothing, where's the school?
0:09:34 > 0:09:38And if it's a new school, has it got any reputation yet?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- Facilities and stuff. Shops.- Yeah.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43I wouldn't want to drive 20 mile for a pint of milk.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45The location wasn't ideal -
0:09:45 > 0:09:50but would this house even be affordable with a £300,000 budget?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53It was time to go back inside and find out.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Ready?
0:09:59 > 0:10:02That was right at the top of their price range.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06I wouldn't pay that to live in somewhere that has nothing yet.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08What do you mean, it has nothing yet?
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I'd pay that if it was more established.
0:10:11 > 0:10:12With so much resting on this move
0:10:12 > 0:10:15the Godfreys wanted to get everything right.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18The second house was in the Secret Harbour area,
0:10:18 > 0:10:2040 miles south of Perth.
0:10:20 > 0:10:21A more established neighbourhood
0:10:21 > 0:10:24with shops, schools and beaches nearby,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27it could have been just what Julie and Alan were after.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29This house was typically Australian
0:10:29 > 0:10:32but was smaller, and an older style than the first.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35So, did it go down well with the Godfreys?
0:10:35 > 0:10:39- The front garden is beautiful. - Yeah, the front garden is nice.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It's small but it's a big couch, isn't it?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- It's older than the last one, anyway.- Well, that's the thing -
0:10:48 > 0:10:51you've got to remember you just come from a completely new, modern house.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53I don't like this house.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Alan wanted a modern house,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58but that could mean a less-than-perfect location.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Perhaps the garden would change his mind.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Is this it?
0:11:02 > 0:11:04You'll not be able to play football in this garden.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06The front garden is beautiful,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- but you expect to have grass at the back.- Aye.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13- Nah, this is a definite no.- No.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16This house didn't go down well with anyone...
0:11:16 > 0:11:20..but was it within their £300,000 budget,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23and could that have turned things around?
0:11:23 > 0:11:27- Will we have a look?- Yeah. - Are you ready for this?- Yes.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33£260,000 was well within the family's budget.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- I still wouldn't.- Aye.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38It's further away from Perth,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41so maybe that's why it's a wee bit cheaper.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44I like the area, and that's where it stops.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47With two houses receiving negative reactions,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51everything rested on the last property in the Waikiki suburb -
0:11:51 > 0:11:54a family-friendly area near the beach
0:11:54 > 0:11:56and close to the main hospital,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59it would have been ideal for Julie's work.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00This is horrible.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04It certainly wasn't a good first impression.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06This is by far the worst.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09No, you would need to pay me to live here.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11It would be depressing.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14I'm devastated if this is it.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16I couldn't live here.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Will we have a look through there and see if it gets any worse?
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- What do you say? - This better be going for a song.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Outside was one feature which could lift everyone's spirits.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30Oh, come on.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33They've got a swimming pool, so they have.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36That's the only redeeming feature.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38So, at least there was one thing they liked.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Would the price make this property more appealing?
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Turn it over, Cole. Let's go for it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53It was just over budget, but that wasn't any consolation.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I'm flabbergasted that this is the most expensive house we have seen.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59That's shocking.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02It was a disappointing end to their day.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06It had started with a house in an area lacking most amenities.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Things continued to go down with the second property,
0:13:09 > 0:13:10despite being affordable.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14And hopes of finding the dream home crashed in the third house.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19So when it came to voting,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22did the Godfreys choose UK or Australia?
0:13:23 > 0:13:28Based on the three properties we've seen today, our vote goes to...
0:13:33 > 0:13:34- Australia.- Australia.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38I don't know.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42If I was voting on the first property, it would be Australia...
0:13:42 > 0:13:44..but the second two really disappointed me.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47I voted for Australia because I think the first property
0:13:47 > 0:13:49represents what we are looking for,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51just not in the area that we are looking for -
0:13:51 > 0:13:53but I think, given the space that we still had
0:13:53 > 0:13:54to manoeuvre in the budget,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57that we can get something similar in a better area
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- that we are more comfortable with. - Aye.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06With a mixed reaction for property down under,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08it was important they found jobs
0:14:08 > 0:14:10that would not only provide a good Australian lifestyle,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13but also keep the family together.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19Three years previously, Julie had qualified as a midwife,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22but she'd been unable to find any suitable vacancies in Scotland.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26She'd been working nearly 400 miles from home, in London,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and had reached the end of her tether.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I'm really struggling to find a way to bring it all together.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36It brings it home every time I'm in a room and a baby's born
0:14:36 > 0:14:38and you see that family brought together
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and then you think, "Where's my family?
0:14:41 > 0:14:43"I'm not with my family."
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Julie spent a morning at Rockingham Hospital
0:14:45 > 0:14:50to see if Australia could offer any hope of a normal work/life balance.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53If not, she'd be no better off than at home.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Maternity manager Karen had all the facts and figures to hand.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00You have a monthly turnaround of about 120 women.
0:15:00 > 0:15:06That gives us a very manageable amount of work.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Karen wanted to test out Julie's bedside manner,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13so gave her a chance to meet one of the newest mums on the ward.
0:15:13 > 0:15:14- Hello.- Congratulations.- Thank you.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17She's beautiful. What did you call her?
0:15:17 > 0:15:18- Gracie.- Aww!
0:15:18 > 0:15:20- BABY SNEEZES - Oh, dear!
0:15:20 > 0:15:23While Cole was looked after by a childminder,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25self-employed electrician Alan
0:15:25 > 0:15:28went to find out about his work prospects.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31If we do make the move, me and Julie need to hit the ground running,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33get jobs straight away,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and the two of us need to start working straight away
0:15:36 > 0:15:39to realise the dream, basically.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41I'm feeling a bit nervous.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Luckily for Alan, company owner Bruce Marshall wasn't too formal
0:15:45 > 0:15:47when it comes to the interview.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49What's your background, as far as electrical?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Basically, I've done a bit of everything, to be honest with you.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57I've done industrial, commercial, domestic.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Despite his nerves, Alan seemed to be off to a good start -
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and he was keen to address his biggest worry -
0:16:03 > 0:16:04getting the necessary licence
0:16:04 > 0:16:07to work as an electrician in Australia.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09I might be in a wee bit of a Catch-22 situation
0:16:09 > 0:16:14where a lot of companies won't employ me on a restricted licence,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17but I need to be working to get my A grade licence.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18- Is that right?- Yes, you do.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22You need to be sponsored by an electrical contractor,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24and then you will have to do training.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Is there a big difference in pay between the restricted licence?
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- Absolutely.- Is there? Is it a big difference, yeah?- Yeah.
0:16:30 > 0:16:37- What are we talking?- Your income in WA for a good licensed tradesman
0:16:37 > 0:16:43would be between 60 to 75, working in Perth.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45That was a good result.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Once qualified, Alan could be earning
0:16:47 > 0:16:50nearly £20,000 more than he did in the UK.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54At the hospital, Julie and Karen were getting down to the details.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- So, you'd come in with three years of experience?- Yes.- Yes.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00You'd come in at 57,565.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04You'd go up to 60,155.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Generally speaking, as far as operational services go,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09the on-the-ground midwifery staff,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12the top salary for that one would be 80,000.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13Sure.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16That could mean a salary of nearly £50,000 -
0:17:16 > 0:17:19£20,000 more than Julie was earning at home.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22However, the entire move was about something more important than money.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I'm looking for a change of lifestyle, as such.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I'm still willing to be completely flexible with my shifts,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31but I'd like to occasionally be able to take my child to school,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34which is something I don't get the chance to do.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36How do you work it, if it was full-time?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39How would the shifts pan out over the week?
0:17:39 > 0:17:42The morning shifts, we start at 6:30, finishing at 3pm.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45So that's an idea that you have the whole afternoon with your children
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and the same thing would be night shift if you're coming on at night.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51The night shift will start at 8:30
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and finish at 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and you'll be able to go off and get everybody ready for school.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00The pay and hours sounded ideal,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02which just left one last crucial question.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Do you think there's much in the way of opportunities
0:18:05 > 0:18:09if I was to try to arrive in Perth and get a job as a midwife?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11I would say we would all be fighting for you.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13THEY LAUGH
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Visiting time was over for both Julie and Alan.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19It was time to vote for work.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Based on my chat with Bruce,
0:18:21 > 0:18:25and everything that he had to tell me about work in Perth...
0:18:26 > 0:18:28..I'm going to vote for...
0:18:30 > 0:18:31..Australia.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38That wasn't a surprise - but had Julie been swayed, as well?
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I've managed to get all the information that I thought I had to,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44and based on that, my vote for work goes to...
0:18:48 > 0:18:49..Australia.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I can work in a nice unit,
0:18:53 > 0:18:58give the care that I want to give, and yet I can also have the shifts
0:18:58 > 0:19:01that support the lifestyle that I'm looking for.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04You know, it sounds like I'll be able to spend much more time
0:19:04 > 0:19:06with my family, which is the reason that we're here.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15During their trial week, Cole turned nine.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18To celebrate, the Godfreys visited Rottnest Island,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20just a short ferry ride from Perth -
0:19:20 > 0:19:24and the birthday boy was in for a special treat.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27- There, you see?- Look at you! - Check you out!- Yeah!
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Now, you're in charge of that, so if we crash, it's your fault!
0:19:30 > 0:19:31HE LAUGHS
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Rottnest Island is renowned for its pristine beaches,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39making it popular with day trippers from Perth and beyond.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Cole loves the beach.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44He only learned to swim recently,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46he was never really a swimmer, either.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49So, all of a sudden, he's just...
0:19:49 > 0:19:51The beach is his place,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54and it's lovely to think that if we moved here,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56that we could do this regularly.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59For Alan, the day was just what he'd been dreaming of,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02bringing his family back together.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04You just couldn't do it in Scotland -
0:20:04 > 0:20:07you don't get the weather, you don't get the time...
0:20:07 > 0:20:12and, er, as I say, it's just really good to see somebody happy again!
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Never done anything this exciting on his birthday, you know?
0:20:16 > 0:20:19And he's said to me, you know, "Can we do this next year?"
0:20:19 > 0:20:22So, that's enough for me. He's having a great time.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25It had been a day of simple pleasures,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29but one that had highlighted the importance of time together,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32and what the Godfreys had been missing.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33It makes me realise more
0:20:33 > 0:20:37that we've got to do everything we can to get here.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39The more time Julie and Cole spend together...
0:20:40 > 0:20:43..they're going to start bonding a lot more again.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48It would be good just to see what I can see from here.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51It's no' very often I see a sight like that back in Scotland.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56I like spending time with my mum and dad.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58I don't spend enough time...
0:21:00 > 0:21:02..with Mum in Scotland.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04It was time to vote on lifestyle.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06It's been a great day today,
0:21:06 > 0:21:11it's been a good birthday, so today we are going to vote for...
0:21:14 > 0:21:15TOGETHER: Australia.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26It was good news all round - but Alan and Julie needed to know
0:21:26 > 0:21:29if they'd be able to afford that lifestyle.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31While Cole enjoyed a kickabout,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Mum and Dad sat down to look at their finances.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38We'd prepared a comparison of costs in the UK and Australia,
0:21:38 > 0:21:39starting with the weekly food shop.
0:21:41 > 0:21:42Peppers!
0:21:42 > 0:21:45£1.65 in the UK - £3.89.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49I can't believe how much more expensive fruit and vegetables are.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- So there's a difference of £13... - 35.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Oh, could totally deal with that.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Next up, the bigger outgoings.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01The Godfreys were looking to take out a large mortgage.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02If we take it on property two,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04because that's the middle of the road one,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06the monthly payments are massive.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08They are massive.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11That's what you're talking about, £1,730.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16That was an extra £1,000 per month just on the mortgage.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Was the move suddenly becoming unaffordable?
0:22:18 > 0:22:22There was one large expense at home they'd both forgotten about.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23But look!
0:22:23 > 0:22:25HE LAUGHS
0:22:25 > 0:22:29- £900 per month in costs in London. - We forgot about that, didn't we?
0:22:29 > 0:22:30And that's a minimum cost.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32That is a minimum cost.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34So what's the cost in Australia?
0:22:34 > 0:22:35Nothing!
0:22:35 > 0:22:36THEY LAUGH
0:22:38 > 0:22:40So we're saving £900 per month.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Yeah, that's...that's the difference in mortgage completely absorbed.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Suddenly, the financial cost
0:22:45 > 0:22:49of Julie working in London had become apparent.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52You're talking £1,700 better off.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56We are financially much better off by living here.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Had the Godfreys figured out how to afford the life they dreamt of?
0:23:00 > 0:23:04It was time to put their calculations to the vote.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Based on the exercise we've done today, looking at the cost
0:23:07 > 0:23:12of living in the UK and also here in Australia, our vote goes to...
0:23:16 > 0:23:18- ..Australia.- Australia.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Finances had given the Godfreys' hopes a massive boost...
0:23:26 > 0:23:29..but there was one big obstacle they still had to confront -
0:23:29 > 0:23:32the reality of leaving loved ones in the UK.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36You've been looking forward to this bit, haven't you?
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- Yeah.- Are you sure you want to see it?- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:23:40 > 0:23:41- Are you sure?- Yeah.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Hey, guys, hope you're having a good time.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47- Hi, Cole.- I hope you are having a good time.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49He's always been there for me.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52He always helps me out with any problems that I've got,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56and...more so, he doesn't judge me for anything I've done,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59he just basically helps me out, then lets me get on with it.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Julie's great, life and soul of a party
0:24:01 > 0:24:03whenever we get together.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05She's up for a laugh.
0:24:05 > 0:24:06Alan came up to my house one day
0:24:06 > 0:24:09and just basically got me and my mum in the living room
0:24:09 > 0:24:10and said, "I've got something to tell you."
0:24:10 > 0:24:12He obviously found it hard to tell us,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16because it's a really big move and obviously there's a lot involved.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Oh, it's indescribable how much I'll miss him.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23I hope you have really thought about what you need to do here.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26I hope you make the right choices for yourself.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27I'm welling up!
0:24:27 > 0:24:29And I'll see you guys when you get back.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Hi, guys, just to let you know, I'm going to miss you
0:24:34 > 0:24:38absolutely hundreds... especially the wee man.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Just want to say that I hope everything
0:24:40 > 0:24:43that you go over there for works out for you
0:24:43 > 0:24:44and I hope to see you soon.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55Thanks, pal.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04The Godfreys' dream was within touching distance,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07but with their week nearly over, there was still much to think about.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Watching messages from home had been a painful reminder
0:25:10 > 0:25:13of everything they stood to lose.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16The friends and family video really upset Alan.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19What they said was really heartfelt, and they are not the kind
0:25:19 > 0:25:23of family who are particularly over the top with each other.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26They don't really tell each other how they feel very much.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I think he feels like he's abandoning them.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34For Alan, though, the future was far from certain.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Landing in Australia, I just...
0:25:37 > 0:25:39..I felt as if I had the world on my shoulders.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44This is by far the biggest decision I've ever had to make in my life.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48So when it came to the crucial vote, would a new life in Australia
0:25:48 > 0:25:51be worth what the family would have to leave behind?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Well, this is our final day in Australia.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56We've had an absolutely amazing week.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00We've learnt pretty much everything we need to know.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02We're about ready to make our final vote.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Australia.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13Australia.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Undecided.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- That's a shock!- You've been Australia all week, Cole.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I know, he's been Australia all week!
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Did the videos make you a wee bit undecided,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25although you really like the place?
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Now that I've seen the film, like...
0:26:28 > 0:26:31..it's really hard and I don't know what to vote.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- That's OK.- Yeah.- That's all right.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Well, that's your decision.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38OK?
0:26:45 > 0:26:46After a week to remember,
0:26:46 > 0:26:51Alan and Julie had fallen for the promise of a new life down under,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54but Cole wasn't convinced.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57One year later, in 2013, we caught up with the Godfreys in...
0:26:59 > 0:27:00..Australia.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04A year ago today, we were in Perth, Australia, on Rottnest Island,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07celebrating Cole's birthday -
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and a year down the line, we're now in Secret Harbour,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Perth, Australia, celebrating Cole's birthday.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15It's Cole's second birthday in Australia.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17We thought it would take quite a bit
0:27:17 > 0:27:19to top last year's birthday for Cole in Rottnest,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22cos that was just beautiful and great fun
0:27:22 > 0:27:23and seeing something new,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26but actually, if it's possible to top it,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28it's just lovely being here surrounded by so many friends
0:27:28 > 0:27:30for Cole's birthday.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Having made the decision to uproot themselves
0:27:33 > 0:27:34to the other side of the world,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37the Godfreys wasted no time putting their plans into action.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40From basically deciding to do it,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43and then getting here, it was really quick.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48We went home on the 15th of April, or we left Australia on the 15th.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I spent a few days at home,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53then went straight back to work in London,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and handed my notice in.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59- I....- And we booked our flights for the 2nd of August.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Yeah, we arrived in Australia on the 4th of August.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06So, what's that? May, June, July...
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Three and a half months, maybe, from when we left,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11we arrived back, and that was us here for good.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12Pretty much, yeah.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14It's about time!
0:28:14 > 0:28:17And the massive upheaval of moving their lives
0:28:17 > 0:28:19lock, stock and barrel to Australia
0:28:19 > 0:28:22wasn't nearly as fraught as the family had feared.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24We knew what we were coming to,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27- we had a list of things to organise, and...- Yeah.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31..to be fair, all of them, there wasn't a hitch.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35- We did a lot of organising. - Sold everything.- Yeah.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37We had six boxes, and that was our worldly belongings.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41- Six boxes and three suitcases. - And that was us.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46Slimming down on their possessions may have been easy,
0:28:46 > 0:28:49but leaving friends and family behind was much harder.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53The main stumbling block between all this is actually the fact
0:28:53 > 0:28:57that we're taking Cole away from his gran and granda,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01his uncles and the rest of the family.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03That's the main...the main point.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10I think the worst one was watching Cole say goodbye to his two uncles,
0:29:10 > 0:29:15who had been so instrumental in his life up till then -
0:29:15 > 0:29:18they'd done a lot of the childcare when I was in London -
0:29:18 > 0:29:22and I couldn't honestly say who was more heartbroken, him or them.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27But saying goodbye to loved ones was a sacrifice
0:29:27 > 0:29:29the Godfreys felt they had to make
0:29:29 > 0:29:32if they were to get their family back on track.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33Obviously, you're feeling sad,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35you're leaving behind what you know,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37but, obviously, excitement, as well,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41for the fact that we're going to start a new life in Australia,
0:29:41 > 0:29:42it's a new adventure,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46it's getting the family back together the way it should be.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50So there was kind of mixed emotions, sadness and excitement.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56During their trial week, property had been a major worry for them.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Thankfully, the family found a place they could call home
0:29:59 > 0:30:01in a suburb of Secret Harbour.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04It's a pretty new house,
0:30:04 > 0:30:10and it's in an established area, as well - an up-and-coming area.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14- Yeah.- Which suited us, because that's what we wanted.- True.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18And it makes you realise that you can afford a nice house
0:30:18 > 0:30:23- on the money that we're earning. - In a good area.- And in a good area.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26It was Julie's work/life balance in the UK
0:30:26 > 0:30:28that led the Godfreys to consider
0:30:28 > 0:30:30the move down under in the first place.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33In the UK, I had a bit of a horrendous commute,
0:30:33 > 0:30:37in that I used to fly down from Glasgow to London,
0:30:37 > 0:30:42work roughly 15 night shifts, and then fly home for eight days.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44Now, nothing could be more alien.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47By choice, I work seven nights on, seven nights off,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51I start at seven o'clock at night and I finish at 7:30 in the morning.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54The best bit about that is I'm able to take my child to school
0:30:54 > 0:30:56every single day.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01But electrician Alan had to take a slight step backward in his career.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05I am currently working as an electrical trade assistant,
0:31:05 > 0:31:11because I need to transfer my qualifications to Australia.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15I've had to take maybe a wee step back and say, "Right,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18"if this is what I've got to do, this is what I've got to do."
0:31:18 > 0:31:20If I need to jump through a hoop, I jump through a hoop.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22It's only for a few months,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25and then I'll be back working as an electrician again, hopefully.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31On the plus side, I'm actually earning more money
0:31:31 > 0:31:34as a trade assistant than I was as an approved electrician
0:31:34 > 0:31:35back in the UK.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39For the Godfreys, Australia had delivered everything
0:31:39 > 0:31:41they'd been looking for.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Our family life is better,
0:31:43 > 0:31:45our bank balance is better,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49and we've left a lot of family and friends behind,
0:31:49 > 0:31:51we still think about them,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54but we've actually made quite a close knit
0:31:54 > 0:31:58kind of circle of friends over here.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02And it wasn't just Mum and Dad who reaped the benefits of the move.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Cole's been really, really enjoying it since we got to Australia.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10He's made lots of friends at school, and apart from that, you know,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14he's started with a soccer team and he's got, you know,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17he's got swimming lessons and he's certainly kept very busy -
0:32:17 > 0:32:20and then, in our free time,
0:32:20 > 0:32:22we're usually out doing things as a family.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25Also, weekends, he can have sleepovers at his friends' houses,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28his friends come here for sleepovers.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31So, he's settled in pretty good.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34Alan and Julie finally managed to bring their family together,
0:32:34 > 0:32:38though it took a move to the other side of the world to achieve it.
0:32:38 > 0:32:39- Whoa!- Oh!
0:32:39 > 0:32:41We're in the same place at the same time,
0:32:41 > 0:32:47and we're all enjoying being back as a family unit again.
0:32:47 > 0:32:48That makes us happy.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50It does.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58The Godfreys' lack of a family life in the UK
0:32:58 > 0:33:00had brought them all to breaking point,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03but in just 12 months, Alan, Julie and Cole
0:33:03 > 0:33:06really had turned their lives around,
0:33:06 > 0:33:10achieving a lifestyle they could once only have dreamed of.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15So, four years on, in 2017, and the Godfreys are living in...
0:33:15 > 0:33:17..Australia.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20And since their trial week back in 2012,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23life down under just got better and better.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28I actually remember our trial week in Australia quite vividly.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30I remember a lot about it.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35I remember arriving and feeling at home, like, I remember...
0:33:35 > 0:33:39- That was it.- The first time we got off the plane, we were arguing!
0:33:39 > 0:33:41And then, the next day, I think, when we got up,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44because obviously we arrived at night, and the next day,
0:33:44 > 0:33:49when we got up and we kind of got out and about, it just felt great.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51But Cole wasn't sure at the time
0:33:51 > 0:33:53if Australia was the right place for the family to live.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55In the trial week,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59I voted undecided because at the end, I just felt like...
0:34:01 > 0:34:04..I was leaving everyone behind and starting a new life.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07I think when we did the trial week and Cole was asked to decide,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11he came up undecided, and we were a bit shocked, actually,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14because we knew that we'd all enjoyed the week
0:34:14 > 0:34:15and everything that we had done -
0:34:15 > 0:34:18but I think a lot of that goes with being nine
0:34:18 > 0:34:21and being asked to make a huge decision like that.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24When we had to say goodbye to everyone,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27me and my dad went round everyone's houses
0:34:27 > 0:34:31and we said goodbye to everyone,
0:34:31 > 0:34:35and the hardest one to say goodbye to
0:34:35 > 0:34:38was definitely my gran and my grandad,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41because they were crying and everything,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43so it was really hard to say goodbye.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47But with the help of the internet
0:34:47 > 0:34:50and taking a surprise visit trip back to the UK,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Cole realised that goodbye wasn't forever.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58I only really keep in touch with my family, like, my uncles
0:34:58 > 0:35:03and my nanny and grandad, and sometimes my cousins -
0:35:03 > 0:35:04but that's about it, and only...
0:35:04 > 0:35:08..and I used to do that through Facetime with my dad and my mum.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11He speaks to his gran every week. She's good.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15He speaks to his uncles and he speaks to his granda -
0:35:15 > 0:35:18but he doesn't really spend a lot of time, er,
0:35:18 > 0:35:22speaking about friends and stuff like that,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25he's kind of moved on and he's got all his friends over here,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28which is good. So, he's...
0:35:28 > 0:35:32He's pretty settled here, and he knows this is home now.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Cole is thriving down under.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Not only does he have Scooby the dog to share his life with now,
0:35:38 > 0:35:43but also nonstop soccer, where even his dad gets involved.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Cole loves football, and not only does he play it at school,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49but he also plays for Rockingham, where Alan is his coach,
0:35:49 > 0:35:51so that's a bit of a challenge!
0:35:51 > 0:35:55I basically started coaching
0:35:55 > 0:35:57at the start of the season last year,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59because the team that Cole had joined
0:35:59 > 0:36:02didn't have a coach that year, so, I basically put my hand up.
0:36:02 > 0:36:07Having my dad coach me is fun, but at the same time,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09he pushes me more than any of the other players,
0:36:09 > 0:36:11so it can get annoying, but I just have to get on with it.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18I think Cole finds it a wee bit tough, at times,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20having his dad as a coach,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24because I'm always going to be tougher on him
0:36:24 > 0:36:28than I am on the other kids, because I can't be seen
0:36:28 > 0:36:31to be favouring my own son across other people's kids.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34So, Cole does get it in the neck quite a lot.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37It's all right, it's not that bad, actually.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45I can actually go along to the training sessions and watch them,
0:36:45 > 0:36:46I get to most of the games,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49so it's just a huge turnaround for us, you know?
0:36:49 > 0:36:53I also feel very involved in his sport, now, as well.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Right, so, enjoy the rest of your week,
0:36:55 > 0:36:56and I'll see you all on Sunday.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58THEY CHEER AND SHOUT
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Living in Australia, though, for Alan,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02doesn't mean he's forgotten his roots.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06As much as, er, as much as Australia's my home...
0:37:07 > 0:37:10..er, I still enjoy the chances that...
0:37:10 > 0:37:14When I get a chance, I still enjoy going back to Scotland.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18It's where I was born, it's where my friends -
0:37:18 > 0:37:20where all my friends from childhood are,
0:37:20 > 0:37:22it's where most of my family are.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28I enjoy going back, but it's...
0:37:28 > 0:37:32You go back for a holiday to see friends, Australia's home now.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Also, it's important to the Godfreys
0:37:35 > 0:37:37that family and friends back home
0:37:37 > 0:37:40understand why they chose to live in Australia.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42A lot of people are...
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Like, their feelings are hurt when you pack up and you move...
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- That's true. - ..and it's not, you know...
0:37:49 > 0:37:51..and it's nothing that they've done, but...
0:37:51 > 0:37:54I think the best thing that my parents done
0:37:54 > 0:37:56since we left was actually come and see us.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Because I think, until then, they didn't get it.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03- Yeah.- People don't get it until they come and they see your lifestyle
0:38:03 > 0:38:07and how settled you are, and what life means for you here...
0:38:08 > 0:38:10..and I think that's...
0:38:10 > 0:38:12..that was really heart-warming for us,
0:38:12 > 0:38:16- was that they got it.- Yeah. - They understood.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Since making the move nearly five years ago,
0:38:19 > 0:38:23both Julie and Alan have advanced their careers.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27I've just started a new post in the private sector.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31It's more to do with managing the growth of the unit
0:38:31 > 0:38:34and upscaling the midwives,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38basic day-to-day running of the unit,
0:38:38 > 0:38:42and I'm the go-to person for the staff on the floor.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46I'm currently working for the main electrical utility company
0:38:46 > 0:38:48in Western Australia,
0:38:48 > 0:38:52and I have been for the last two and a bit years now.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55It's totally different from what I did back in the UK.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Back in the UK, I was mainly working on domestic
0:38:58 > 0:38:59and commercial properties,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02but now I'm working for the utility company,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and all my work is basically based outside.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09And both now enjoy much more civilised working hours, too.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11I start at six in the morning
0:39:11 > 0:39:13and I finish at two o'clock in the afternoon.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15So, that's a lot better, I've got a lot more...
0:39:15 > 0:39:19I've got a lot more time for myself in the afternoons.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20I'll be working a nine-day fortnight,
0:39:20 > 0:39:24starting at seven in the morning, finishing at three.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26So, yeah, Alan and I will both be home
0:39:26 > 0:39:28before Cole gets home from school.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And after renting a property for nearly two years,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33the Godfreys finally found a house in a neighbourhood
0:39:33 > 0:39:34they could call home.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Julie is friends with a lady who works in real estate,
0:39:40 > 0:39:44and she must have took us through about 20 houses.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46But we did give her Mission: Impossible,
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- there was only so many streets we wanted to live in.- Mm-hm.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Eventually, she was in the office one day
0:39:51 > 0:39:54and she heard a couple come in asking for a valuation,
0:39:54 > 0:39:59she heard the address and she immediately hopped out and said,
0:39:59 > 0:40:04"If you give me a 48-hour listing, I think I'll sell your house today,"
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and it was ours by 10 o'clock that night.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10When you think back to when you're in Scotland,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12and the big Aussie dream is the house with the swimming pool,
0:40:12 > 0:40:17you know, by the beach, and I think we've scored on all fronts
0:40:17 > 0:40:21with that, I think, yeah, it really is the Australian dream.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26But without friends to share this dream, life down under can be hard.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30I found it really hard when we first got here.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Er...
0:40:33 > 0:40:36I wanted to be everybody's friend.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37I'll tell you what I remember.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40I remember you saying to me one night,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44you think it's weird that you go and get groceries
0:40:44 > 0:40:47- and you don't bump into anyone at the shops that you know.- Yeah.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49That got you for a while...
0:40:49 > 0:40:52You're used to walking round the shops and somebody shouting,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55"Oh, Alan, Julie, how you doing?" But you don't know anybody.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58And you can feel isolated.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03Luckily, they met Jackie and Tony and instantly formed a bond.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06They're from Johnstone, just outside Glasgow,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09which actually is only a 20-minute drive at the most
0:41:09 > 0:41:13from where we were from - and yet we'd never, ever met -
0:41:13 > 0:41:14and they invited us round
0:41:14 > 0:41:16because the boys had a mutual love of football
0:41:16 > 0:41:18and they thought it would help Luke get settled in,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20to meet someone like-minded.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22We've obviously got a really strong support network here,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- so we've been very lucky, haven't we?- Yeah, very, very lucky.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Yup, we wouldn't... We just wouldn't look back at all, would we?
0:41:29 > 0:41:30Definitely not, no.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!
0:41:33 > 0:41:34- Al, I love you. - THEY LAUGH
0:41:34 > 0:41:37You love us so much, you bought a house five minutes away!
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Yeah, we bought a house five minutes away -
0:41:39 > 0:41:41and the boys are obviously very close,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43they play in different football teams,
0:41:43 > 0:41:45but we all go to watch each other's games.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49And they've already created their very own annual tradition.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53Christmas morning, we all meet down the beach, glass of champagne,
0:41:53 > 0:41:55- the kids are in the water... - Santa's there.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59Santa comes in on his, er... Is it the jet ski this year?
0:41:59 > 0:42:01- He surfed one year. - He surfed one year,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04jet ski last year, and sometimes on the surf club's ute,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- he just drives by each... - Drives round. Gives out lollies.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08A guy plays the bagpipes, as well.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Yeah, there's a guy who comes down to the beach
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- and plays the bagpipes on Christmas morning.- Yeah, it's awesome.
0:42:13 > 0:42:18Having achieved the Australian dream through hard work and determination,
0:42:18 > 0:42:22there was just one obvious thing left for them to do.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25So, at the beginning of the month, we became Australian.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- Citizens.- Australian!- Yeah.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31It's the icing on the cake for everything that we've done,
0:42:31 > 0:42:33- for everything that we've worked towards.- Yeah.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35- You know what I mean? - It really does, and it...
0:42:35 > 0:42:39I don't know, I mean, I think we always thought it was our home here.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Yeah - but that just confirms everything, really.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- I'm excited to get my Australian passport.- Yeah.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47I'll still keep my British one,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49but I'll probably use my Aussie one more!
0:42:55 > 0:42:58The Godfreys were determined from the start
0:42:58 > 0:43:01to make their move to Australia work,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05and it's this resolute spirit that has certainly enabled them
0:43:05 > 0:43:07to settle with such success.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11We wish them all the very best for the future.