Manuel Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

What if moving to the other side of the world

meant leaving behind your closest family and dearest friends?

Would you be prepared to give it all up

for the opportunity of a better life?

This is the dilemma faced by the Manuel family back in 2007.

Today, we're going to find out if they had the courage to pack up their lives

and move down under.

Back in 2007, the Manuels were dreaming of a new life in the Australian sun.

This enormous move would have meant a potential role reversal for them

with a possible return to work for full-time mum Jo-Ann.

It's been nearly two years since I worked in an office.

It definitely will take some time getting used to the fact that my little girl's not constantly with me.

Leaving their friends and family was almost too much to bear.

It would be hard to wave goodbye to all those people. Now it's a dream,

but although it would be a wonderful dream, there would be some heartache along the way, as well.

I cried myself to sleep.

-I think we've done the right thing.

-Yeah.

In 2007, the Manuels from Crawley

were faced with a life-changing decision -

whether to stay in the UK, or to move with their young daughter halfway around the world.

We gave them one week to experience every aspect of life down under.

But did they make the move?

When we first met the Manuel family from West Sussex,

Jo-Ann and Wayne were considering moving down under

in search of a better life for their daughter Sienna,

but this would have meant a dramatic change in all their lives.

Now, obviously, I'm at home at the moment, a mum to Sienna.

Wayne goes out to work. So I'm not quite sure how it's going to pan out when we go out there.

Under the Australian points system, it's Jo-Ann's former career in recruitment that would have earned

them enough points to make the move, but Wayne was keen to do his bit.

He worked in telecommunications, but could have supplemented his salary DJ-ing in local clubs.

The intention is that we'll go with those skills

and Jo-Ann will hopefully, over a longer period of time, find work within that industry.

But I'm hoping to bring in the main salary

so that we can survive over there, basically.

If it's obviously easier for me to get work, it's looking at who's going to make more of a salary,

then we might have to do a little bit of a swap there.

But we'll see how it goes.

And the pressure of supporting his family down under had Wayne very worried.

My biggest concern is letting Jo-Ann and Sienna down.

You've got to compare it to the life you have here so, if you're surviving out there

but life's not very good because you're just making ends meet, then you might as well just go back home.

So I've got to exceed my expectations that I have.

But for Jo-Ann, it wasn't about more than money. Family was everything.

Sienna's really my life, since I've had her.

The move is really for her and for any future family that we'll have.

Mum and Dad have done so much for me in my life

and seeing how happy they are when they see Sienna, it's as though you're giving them something back.

So I'm sad that I'll be taking that away.

I'll miss my family and friends so much.

But she's given me a strength that I didn't know I had.

And I know that if I've got her and we've got our family, it'll be fine.

It was going to be a very tough decision - to stay in the UK, or move down under.

To help the Manuels consider this huge decision,

they tested out life in Perth for a week

to experience the true Aussie lifestyle.

With Jo-Ann and Wayne being so far from everything they knew and loved,

Perth was going to have a lot to live up to to fulfil their dreams of life in Australia.

After a gruelling 24-hour journey, the Manuels touched down in Perth.

-We're better than we thought we'd be, aren't we?

-Yeah. It was tiring.

-But it was tough.

-We need some sleep.

-Wasn't it? Oh, yeah.

Despite the long flight, they were looking forward to the week ahead.

We can't wait to suss out what Perth is all about.

Their home for a week was a four-bedroom house in the suburb of Currambine.

About half an hour's drive from central Perth,

it had the Manuels excited about living in Australia.

-Ah!

-Oh, lovely!

That's nice.

-Look at the kitchen!

-Nice and spacious.

Ooh!

-Ah, it's really nice.

-Nice, yeah. Really nice.

SIENNA BURBLES Do you like it?

It's the right size for the three of us.

-I think we're going to have a good week, won't we?

-Yeah. We have the space.

Whenever I've thought of Australia, I've thought of Sydney, Melbourne - really happening cities -

and Perth has been a place I've not been too keen to visit.

I've always thought maybe it's slightly slower.

So I'm looking forward to it, because I want to see if I'm proven wrong. If we're proven wrong.

It's quite exciting to think

as the week unfolds we'll get to see lots of different things.

Back in the UK, the Manuels lived in a three-bedroom house in Crawley.

The living area was open plan, but they wanted more space for their money.

In the summer of 2007, their UK home was worth 250,000.

If the Manuels moved to Perth, their dream was to have

a two-storey detached house in a quiet suburb,

with four bedrooms and a pool.

They had set themselves a budget of around £230,000.

However, Perth property prices had been rocketing for some years,

creating a real challenge for Wayne and Jo-Ann.

With high expectations to meet,

the Manuels looked at three luxury Perth houses.

Property one was a three-bedroom house with a spacious living area and study

in the suburb of Queens Rocks, situated only two minutes from the beach.

On the market at roughly £270,000 in 2007,

it was a bit above their budget.

To make this their dream home would have put their finances under real strain.

Look at this!

-Wow! That's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is, actually.

-Look how everything kind of...

-It's open, yeah.

-If you're cooking,

-you know what's going on.

-It's a lovely setup.

We've got Sienna. When she goes to bed, we need to be a bit quiet, and there's no doors or anything.

-There's doors on the bedrooms.

-I suppose so.

Wayne didn't seem convinced by Australian open-plan living,

but the rest of the house won him over.

Oh, look at this! Sienna, come and have a look at this room.

Look what's in here.

-Wow!

-Oh, my goodness.

-Isn't this a big room!

Wow! And you've got a Jacuzzi, look!

You could get naked in the Jacuzzi.

-Oh...

-Lovely.

-I loved it.

-Where do we start? It is a lovely home.

It's nicely kept,

it's very spacious living. I could see us

living there.

-It's not a problem at all.

-No. Yeah. Really lovely.

Property one turned out to be a great start.

But there was more to see.

Property two, a huge four-bedroom house

in the desirable suburb of Maylands

was on the market at around £475,000 in 2007.

This was beyond their budget.

But it was vital that they found the right home

to make up for the heartache of leaving loved ones behind, whatever the cost.

-Look at this, Sienna!

-Look at that! It's lovely.

-Jo-Ann!

-Lots of space!

That's a nice kitchen.

I really like it. It's huge.

Well, compared to ours.

Oh, this is nice.

-You're joking!

-Quite classy.

What's...? Oh, this must be the...

Oh! Walk-in wardrobes.

This is just mine, I think.

These windows are like...

-They bring so much light in, don't they?

-Wow!

Wow! Would you like this to be your bedroom?

And for Jo-Ann, the house seemed to offer the typical Aussie lifestyle they were desperately looking for.

I think my ideal, dream Australian home

has to have the barbecue, the area to eat and a swimming pool.

This has got all three.

House number three in the suburb of Atwell had three bedrooms, two bathrooms and all mod cons,

It was on the market at £230,000.

This house was the cheapest they'd seen, and they seemed to love it.

But was it worth moving all the way to the other side of the world for?

Quite nice study.

Quite big, actually. And it's got a door on it. See, Wayne?

-That's what I wanted - a door. Yeah, lovely.

-Come on, Sienna.

Let's see the rest of the house.

This is a nice, relaxing area. Look at that!

-Wow!

-There you go.

-Look at that!

-So this is the front room - the first front room.

-Oh!

You didn't see that, did you?

Do you like it here, Sienna? Lots of space, isn't it, for your little car?

Look at this, Sienna, you'll love this.

-Oh, my goodness! Look at this room!

-Do you like this room?

-Oh!

-Yes, I thought so. It's a good size for a little nursery.

-Yeah.

-This looks like a bedroom.

-This is the bedroom.

-Wow!

-This is bigger than the other one, isn't it?

I actually prefer a walk-in like this to the cupboard.

You get the clothes with it, as well!

-Where's the bed?

-There's the bed. Big bed, isn't it? Very big bed.

-Look, Daddy.

-It's a little pool.

-It's small, isn't it?

-It's like a Jacuzzi.

It's nice. Are you sure it's not a pond?

-Coming over to this wouldn't bother me at all. I'd be happy to come to a place like this.

-Yeah.

It's ideal, really. We've got a little bit of everything that we wanted.

And maybe in a few years to come, we could afford

a bigger place, or a place nearer the city, nearer the water,

or anything like that, you know?

I wasn't quite sure exactly what we could afford out here

and especially thinking Perth would be cheaper than it actually is, I was quite nervous, really.

I was imagining a little box here as well. It has got so expensive.

But it obviously proves that we can afford something really nice out here.

-Definitely.

-That's good news, isn't it?

Yeah. Where do we sign?

Whilst properties one and two had impressed Wayne and Jo-Ann,

both were more than they wanted to spend at the time.

Property three was around the right price and seemed to have what they wanted for a family home.

Did the Australian houses offer enough, or would they vote for UK properties?

With Perth being so expensive at the minute, we weren't quite sure what we would be able to afford here.

Having a look at properties today, I think we were pleasantly surprised that we can actually get

something really nice, with some space and maybe even a pool.

So, you know, based on our visits today...

Lots of space, parks for the little ones to play with...

-No.

-No.

Hold this. Look at this! SIENNA WAILS

No, don't give it to her. SIENNA SQUEALS

Wait. No.

I think we vote for...

BOTH: ..Australia.

In 2007, Jo-Ann was the main visa applicant, so their Australian dream couldn't become a reality

unless she found work.

If it's easier for me to get work, it's looking at who's going to make more of the salary,

then we might have to do a little bit of a swap there.

Having put her career on hold to stay at home to look after Sienna,

Jo-Ann hoped to return to recruitment consultancy.

And so she went to check out her prospects.

-Jo-Ann!

-Hello, Andrew, nice to meet you.

-The pleasure is all mine.

In 2007, the job market in Perth was buoyant, so it looked as though her timing was perfect.

We've only been open since the last week of May in Perth,

and we thought it would be an opportune time to kick off here in Perth,

because the mining and resources boom

-has had a domino effect...

-Has it?

-..on just about every industry you can think of.

-OK, great.

-Why don't we go to my office and have a chat

-about some specifics and where you might fit in?

-OK.

-Excellent.

-Good stuff.

It was all looking positive, and Jo-Ann was keen to talk money.

So does it work similar to the UK? Do you have a basic salary and then commission on top of that?

It does work in a similar vein,

although I like to say that, in terms of the base salary, I think the industry is very well-paying.

You could definitely earn over...in three figures.

-Wow!

-Yeah.

That was great news. If she met her targets, Jo-Ann would have earned more than £40,000

and she and Wayne could afford their dream home.

With Jo-Ann's salary not being guaranteed, Wayne was looking at ways of earning extra cash.

I'm into music quite heavily back in the UK,

so it would be interesting to see what the music scene has to offer here in Perth.

DJ Aaron Kovalik has a regular slot at the Manor Club.

Hey.

-How are you doing?

-Hi. I'm Wayne.

-How are you doing?

-Not bad.

-I do Saturday nights here.

I don't know what you're into. This is hip-hop, funk,

R&B - some of the kids get crazy with that Baltimore music.

We get it pretty packed here. We get 200, 300 people every weekend.

What if I said I'm going to give you an unpaid trial in front of 200 drunk Australian kids?

-Could you try and hold it down?

-As long as they're drunk, yeah!

-If you're serious,

-have a look at the equipment - check it out.

-Yeah.

DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

Although DJing was Wayne's passion, it might have had to generate some income

if they moved to Australia.

Do you make a living out of playing this type of music in Perth?

I do three or four nights a week. You won't make a million dollars, if that's what you're asking,

but if you wanted to do it as well as something else,

-you could definitely do it.

-Cool. Thanks for showing us around. You've got a nice place here.

-You're welcome. I appreciate it.

-Thanks a lot.

Coming from a busy London lifestyle,

Wayne had been concerned that Perth would be too quiet for him to work as a DJ.

Pleasantly surprised.

So yeah, it's starting to build up a picture now, that maybe what I do, what I like, exists in Perth.

So yeah, it's surprising. I didn't think it would.

As the visa applicant, the family's future depended on Jo-Ann returning to a job in recruitment.

But did she want to work in Australia?

I'd say Perth definitely has a more laid-back approach to offer,

with the whole life-work balance, which is definitely very appealing.

I also think with the recent mining boom here, you can also make quite a lot of money here in Perth.

So my choice for jobs would definitely be Australia.

The Manuels had both started off very keen to make a better life down under.

However, after a few days in Perth,

Jo-Ann started to have doubts and the cracks began to show.

I like the hustle I have to admit, although I do want to move out of London,

I liked when I worked in London and the hustle and bustle of it. I like it being really busy -

that's just me personally.

-Hold on - so you like...you like the trains being stuffed, you like being late, expensive...

-There's just...

-12-hour days.

-..something about walking down...something about Oxford Street at Christmas.

All those people. I know it's a mad rush, but I love it. There's something about it.

Although, for me personally, I would like something a bit more laid-back,

I still want an element of it somewhere.

I'm still not sure whether Perth is too laid-back and will never offer that, even in the slightest.

That's in the days that you did work there, but now we've got a family, our view has changed a lot.

We don't need that hustle and bustle.

It's not what we want for Sienna, is it?

-Or is it?

-Um, maybe... Maybe a little bit.

-All right.

Wayne and Jo-Ann were feeling the weight of this massive decision.

It could have been that Perth wasn't the right city for them.

Or maybe that Australia wasn't even the right country.

So they used every opportunity to find out more about the city wherever they went.

-Hi.

-Hi, there.

-What's her name?

-Sienna.

-Sienna.

-Hello, gorgeous.

Aha.

So what about a young family?

What are the advantages of being in Perth with a young family?

Well, we've got a fairly supportive network here, family support,

but I find that there's so many people and they're really quite friendly.

-Is there enough to do here?

-It's certainly getting better.

The population has increased, it's almost doubled over the last ten years.

So you've got lots more people,

lots more cultures that live here and more exciting things to do.

It has got a good vibe.

I can see why people wake up and are happy here but there still seems to be something missing.

At this stage, I can't tell you what it is because I don't know myself.

I don't know whether it's just that extra bit of something.

-Just that buzz.

-There is this laid-backness

of Perth which is very holiday-mode.

You go to somewhere, you relax, you kick back.

Whether or not that would suit myself or Jo-Ann for good, 365 days a year, I'm not too sure.

I'm looking round every corner, everywhere we drive,

and I can't see it, so that's the only thing.

Serious doubts about Perth were creeping in.

For Jo-Ann and Wayne, something was definitely missing.

I think the whole family thing will hit me later.

I don't know how they will cope if we do go.

I think it would be really hard for them, especially with Sienna being their only grandchild.

I think it would be so hard to wave goodbye to all those people.

Now, it's just a dream but, although it would be a wonderful dream,

I think there'll be heartache along the way as well.

We've got that return ticket, so knowing that is very powerful.

But I think once you get the one-way ticket, that's it. You've pressed the button.

The decision to leave family and friends behind in the UK

was the hardest they would ever have to make.

The Manuels had to choose between sacrificing everything they held dear,

and the dream of a better life.

We've had a really good day today, experiencing Perth's lifestyle.

We've got this constant backdrop, beautiful backdrop of the water, the sun, the sand, great parks.

Without a doubt, our vote for lifestyle would have to be...Australia.

Australia.

-Good girl!

-Australia!

THEY CHEER

In 2007, we showed the Manuels some messages from their closest friends and family,

to remind them just what they'd be leaving behind if they made the move to Australia.

-Hi, guys!

-Hope you're having a fantastic time

in Oz. We miss you loads and can't wait to see you.

Jo-Ann, she was our little princess

in our house before Sienna came.

She's a lovely, lovely daughter. We're a very close family.

I'm the eldest, she's the youngest.

We've had a close relationship since we were young.

She's like my best friend. She IS my best friend and I love her to death.

Wayne is a very quiet person, he keeps to himself.

He's always there for you.

He's there for me.

I can't think of my little boy going away.

We're quite a small family and we're quite close,

so it's quite sad that Sienna will be going

-but it's a fantastic opportunity, isn't it?

-Yes.

-We'll miss her, but we'll still see her because she's not miles away.

-We'll miss her very much.

I've got to take my hat off to them

for actually getting up, because they've got a good life here.

It's not like they're running away.

They want a better future for Sienna and I can't knock them for that.

I keep thinking it's a dream or it might not happen.

If it does actually happen, then it will hit us,

but I'll be positive all the way through. But with emotion as well.

My heart did sink a bit.

I was thinking ahead - "Oh, God, I won't see my son again." But I'll

manage to

put it behind me until the day.

I love him very much.

I am going to miss him very much.

We'll miss you so much and wish you

all the very best if you do decide to go. (Don't go!)

Our love won't stop just like that.

I'll be here for all three of you, Sienna, Jo-Ann and you, Wayne.

So if you ever need me, I'm there.

Good luck, my son and Jo-Ann.

We love you to bits. Bye.

Darling princess Sienna, we're missing you, darling.

Our house is empty without you and your little voice.

We send you our love. God bless you, darling,

and come home safely. Bye.

-Nanny gone.

-Nanny's gone.

That was really sad.

-That was much sadder than I thought.

-Yeah.

Bye-bye.

Imagine watching that a year after not seeing them.

I think what I am happy about is that they all

wish us well and want us... They see it as an opportunity for us.

I feel a bit sad, really, after watching that.

I didn't think I would.

Why do you feel sad?

Just because you're hearing people say goodbye to you, people close to you that you love.

These aren't strangers, these are people we see every day.

People close to us.

You take that for granted, don't you? We spoke about this before.

They're only around the corner and we take that for granted sometimes.

Knowing now that they're not just ten minutes away is the thing.

Yeah, that's it, really.

-There you go. This one's ready to go.

-Lovely. Cheers.

-I'll put this in the car.

-It's made it very real.

I think, the actual realism of living here, missing family back home, will be spread over six months to a year.

It's not something we're going to feel in a week

but it puts it all into perspective, what this whole experience is about.

Although there's lots of good, we are going to go through some tough times as well.

When you come here and live day-to-day, that's going to be the tough stuff.

When your family aren't here for a month and more.

Jo-Ann and Wayne had to face up to the fact that moving to the other side of the world

would affect their lives forever.

It had been an emotional week

and the reality of a potential move to Australia was beginning to hit home.

Jo-Ann couldn't seem to shift her doubts.

The trauma of leaving her family and friends in the UK was taking its toll.

The crucial decision time had arrived.

We've had a really fantastic week out here in Perth.

Everything we've got to say about it can only be positive,

a great lifestyle, beach, weather, houses, jobs.

Potential to earn here is great as well.

I personally had a few reservations about Perth.

I'm not quite sure whether there's something missing here or not, however, I think,

if you are going to emigrate, you need to be slightly open-minded.

So I think our choice will have to be...

BOTH: Australia!

So, the family voted to move down under, but what happened next?

We caught up with them a year later to find out if they'd actually made the move.

The Manuel family from West Sussex

had to put their dreams of emigrating to Australia on hold.

When we met them again, in 2008, Jo-Ann was expecting their second child

and the economic downturn in the UK meant they hadn't been able to sell their house.

If they were still going to make the move, the emotional pain of leaving their large, close-knit family

would have had to be faced all over again.

I'm comforted by the fact that we're having a baby here and we've got that support network around us.

Yeah. We have become quite dependant on the little things that we ask our parents for.

I have to admit, I can't go a day without picking up the phone and speaking to Mum and Dad

-and seeing them.

-Yeah.

-Maybe I won't have that in Australia

and Wayne will be at work and I'll just be sitting at home, waiting for him to come back.

At the moment, the focus is on the baby,

so Australia has to be put on hold until Jo-Ann delivers.

It's over two years since we saw the Manuels, and we've caught up with them again.

Are they still in the UK or have they managed to move to Australia?

Well, they're in Australia, but not Perth.

They've moved to the more cosmopolitan city of Melbourne,

capital of Victoria.

They're staying with Wayne's Auntie Sheila and her husband, Bob, whilst they find their feet.

And, as well as starting a new life, they have a new addition to their family -

baby Jayden-Cruz. So how have they found it so far?

-This is Bob. You've met Bob.

-G'day. How are ya?

-This is Paul, Nick. This is Wendy.

-Hi.

-This is Sue. All the kids -

Ryan, James, Tessa, Chloe...and Mia. Sorry, and Mia.

So it's my Auntie. Sue and Wendy are my cousins and it's their family's and their other halves

and their kids.

Bob and Sheila are sponsoring Jo-Ann and Wayne,

which involves them paying a bond to the Australian government to cover possible welfare costs.

This means they can move to Australia without having found work first.

Risky, but the Manuels are confident they've made the right decision.

We sold our house back in November '09 and I think that was the turning point

that now, it's actually happening. And we're now living what we've been speaking about and, you know,

-preparing for.

-We discussed it and thought we could possibly keep the house on the market a bit longer,

make a bit more money, or leave now, when the kids are young.

Sienna's starting school soon and it just made more sense to get the kids settled and make the move now.

-And also for us. As you get older, you get into a comfort zone.

-Yeah.

We were getting comfortable in the UK so it was kind of, "Let's do it now."

-I think we've done the right thing.

-Yeah.

The first night we arrived, I cried myself to sleep

because it wasn't holiday mode and I knew what we were here for and that I wasn't going back.

I didn't think I'd feel like that, but then I woke up the next morning

and we wrote a list of everything we had to do and got on with it.

And it's been really good so far.

We're initially looking forward to getting our own house,

getting our bits in there, getting the kids settled,

Sienna starting school, and then living out that lifestyle that we've dreamt of.

They've managed to sort out a more permanent place to call home.

Hopefully, it compares well to the houses they saw in Perth.

-Lovely.

-Congratulations, and enjoy.

-Thanks a lot.

-No problem.

-Take care.

Keys to their rental property in hand, the Manuels can hopefully start to settle in.

Their new home is the windy western suburb of Melbourne, Point Cook.

With its new-build modern properties, it's a haven for young families -

the perfect place for the Manuels to start living their Australian dream.

Here we go.

Look at this!

-Wow.

-Have a look, Sienna. Wow.

-Lots of space here.

-It's going to be your new house!

Look - we can fill this area with your toys.

-Look. Do you like it?

-He's gone straight for the stairs.

-We need the stair-gate in, then.

Straightaway.

My dining table will fit in very nicely there.

And our corner suite.

-And the TV.

-Yeah, corner suite will go there. TV.

-Bit kitchen.

-Like we wanted.

-Yeah. Big kitchen, lots of cupboards.

-Yeah.

-It's good.

-We haven't enough things to fill it.

-We have, actually. Yeah.

Do you like your big kitchen, Sienna?

Oh, I don't know. Oh, this is the laundry room.

-We need to do the washing.

-Yes, put the washing machine in here.

Oh, these are more cupboards. That's what we never had back home - enough cupboards. Loads of storage.

Let's go upstairs, shall we?

-Daddy! Daddy!

-Yes, darling. Hold on. Let's look at this area first.

-Mummy! You'll miss it!

-Yeah, but look at all this space.

-What will we put here?

-Put your toys in here, can't we?

Wow. We can definitely fill this with all your pink things, can't we?

-There's really a big...

-Well, we'll move that bed and put your pink bed in there.

Once it arrives. And where do you want, Mr, shall we find your room?

Well, that's Jayden-Cruz sorted.

Let's go and see Mum and Dad's room.

Wow.

-Is that nice?

-There's LOADS of pillows!

-There are!

Look what we've got - a little shower.

Let's see from outside our window.

Shall we pull it up? Do you want to look?

Wow! Look!

That's not a bad view at all! Plenty of space for the children to run around

and enjoy the Australian sunshine.

Oh, it's quite a big space.

Yeah. Not bad. Outdoor area.

Have the barbie here, the table and chairs there.

-HE LAUGHS

-The pool over there.

-Do you think anything different of the place? Is it somewhere you'd like to move into, still?

-Yeah.

-I think it's lovely. Perfect for us, isn't it? For our first house.

-Yeah.

Lots of space for the kids, nice big kitchen, which we like.

Bedrooms are nice. Just have to suss out the area.

Yeah, just the area. Yeah.

No. I'm pleased with it, too. I think it's everything that we could want.

This property is a four-bedroom, double-storey house.

Double garage.

We are looking to pay about 380 a week - that's dollars!

-That's about what? About...

-About £800 a month.

-Yeah.

We can't actually move in until next week.

This isn't out furniture. This is the property's furniture.

And our shipping, I think, will be here in about two weeks.

-Yeah, about two weeks.

-We've a little bit of time without any furniture, which should be fun!

But, yeah, we'll get all our bits in and start living in here.

Start living our life - living the dream that we always wanted to.

Do you like the house? How much do you like it?

This much...or this much?

-Oh, great(!)

-It's a bit more of an improvement.

THEY LAUGH

For Jo-Ann, having another child has changed everything.

She wants to be a full-time mother to their two children

so the pressure is on for Wayne to find a job to support his growing family.

He wants to pick up his career in telecommunications and has lined up a chat with a local company

to explore his options.

I'm a bit nervous but, you know, it comes with the territory of interviews, right?

So... And from here, it'll give me good indication of where I fit in, how I fit in,

er...and, you know, my earning potential, etc.

So I'm really looking forward to it today.

It's vital this goes well for Wayne, as his family's future is at stake if he can't find suitable work.

It was a huge step for Wayne to leave the job he had back in the UK.

He had a really, really good job, lots of nice perks and was able to work from home sometimes,

so we still had a good lifestyle back home, and his job there allowed that.

So let's hope he doesn't find something here that we don't see as much of him as we did in the UK,

especially as we're trying to get an even better lifestyle!

-Wayne.

-Hi, there.

-Hi, John Thompson.

-Hi, nice to meet you.

-Welcome to Australia. Come this way.

-Thank you.

The telecommunications industry is growing rapidly in Australia,

so it looks like Wayne is in the right place at the right time.

He's very keen to know about the salary.

What do you think my earning potential could be here in Australia. What should I look for?

In terms of Australian dollars, at least 100,000 per annum,

which would put you in the high-earning capabilities in this country.

That's equivalent to just over £60,000.

Wayne is keen to get some advice on making the most of his new life in Australia.

I've been here now for two weeks. Is there anything you can advise me about?

Er, having done it myself, my recommendation would be take it easy,

enjoy the time you have right now, whilst you're finding out things,

interacting with the local community, looking for jobs, meeting people,

because far too quickly, as we've identified here,

your skills are in a desirable quality and you will be picked up by someone very quickly,

so enjoy the time you have now with your wife and family,

enjoy Australia - it's got a lot to offer -

again, speaking from experience - and just take it easy.

there's no real rush to get yourself into a position very quickly - there are opportunities out there.

Yeah, thank you.

That's a massive boost to their dreams, and will make Jo-Ann's plans

to put their career on hold, to look after the children, possible.

Thanks for your time, Wayne. Good luck and we'll be in touch soon.

Thanks. Bye-bye.

It was good to get an insight to my CV. They also gave me an insight into the market over here -

what I can expect, so that was really good.

But, yeah, I'm really positive about it. There might be something at the end of it.

You never know, but, yeah, it was really encouraging. It was good to speak to them.

Wayne heads back to meet Jo-Ann and the children, to give them the good news.

Oh, look, here comes Daddy.

Hello there!

-Hello.

-How you doing?

-How was it?

-Yeah, it was good.

Met some good people, it was really positive.

-Was it?

-Yeah. so...they were telling me a lot about what they do and where I might fit in...

..and about the industry as a whole.

the salary was really good - we'll be able to live off it really well.

You know, it's a bit better than the UK, so...yeah, let's hope it works out.

Things are definitely starting to fall into place

and they've only been here for two weeks!

It's early days for the Manuel's life in Australia and, so far, everything seems to be going well.

But they're missed back home,

as they're about to see in these messages from those they've left behind.

This could affect them and their decision to build their life down under.

-Hello, Wayne.

-And Jo-Ann.

-Sienna.

-And JC. How are you?

Hi, Sis. Hi. Wayne. Hi, Sienna. Hi, Jayden-Cruz.

Hello, Jo-Ann, Wayne, Sienna and Jayden-Cruz.

It was confirmed they were emigrating to Australia

and my first reaction was, I was very happy

cos I know how much they wanted to go.

When the actual time came when they told us they are definitely going to go,

I was upset, obviously, when he told me.

But the way my son sounded so happy on the other end, I just had to say, "Oh, I'm glad for you."

I think they've made a good decision. They're both very positive people.

They know exactly what they're doing.

All along, I said I'd be strong.

But going to the airport, I felt that knot in your stomach.

I felt numb. Just driving up to the airport felt like it was going to...a prison sentence.

It just felt awful.

It's very heartbreaking. I know my daughter must be feeling the same on the other side to have left family.

But I know that she's done the right thing.

-It'll be just... Time will tell.

-I love you so much, Sis.

I miss you. Wayne, I wish you all the best in your job hunting

and I know you'll do well. Whatever you do, you succeed.

Hi, Sienna! I love you, it's Auntie Wendy!

I miss you, my darling. I'll see you soon.

I love you, Jayden-Cruz. I love you, Jayden.

# Gotta get-get

# Gotta get-get

# Gotta get-get

# Boom, boom, boom! #

I'll come and sing and dance with you too, OK?

I love you both. I love you, Sis. I love you, Wayne.

Take care. See you soon. Bye!

We're still heartbroken from the time you left.

but we're getting there. I know my girl.

I love you so much.

I know how you feel. You must feel as much as we feel.

But no-one likes change and we get over these things.

I know you enjoy your life there, but...

-you've got good support anywhere - all round.

-We're always here for you.

We're always here for you, so good luck. Love you lots. Bye, darlings.

Take care of one another. Be safe. God bless you.

-Bye!

-Bye-bye!

Lots of love and kisses. Big hugs.

It's OK. I think when you...

put a camera in front of people and ask them questions...

you're focusing on that and it brings the emotion out.

But when we speak to each other on the phone and on the computer,

you know, it's like we're round the corner.

It's...

Wayne is putting on a brave face about their situation,

but Jo-Ann is lost for words.

It's time for one last vote.

OK, so we haven't been here that long,

we're just settling in,

but it's been exciting so far and we've done quite well -

with two children, as well! -

to set up what we have so far.

So...our vote is...

We feel we are settling in really well here in Australia.

-So our...

-Oh, my goodness!

We've settled in really well and we're doing really well so far.

So our vote is...

Australia!

Turn it the other way, Sienna. Other way!

ALL: Australia!

ALL: Australia!

No.

Australia!

ALL: Australia!

Whey!

The Manuels are just starting their life on the other side of the world

and, though Jo-Ann and Wayne quite clearly miss their family back home in the UK,

it looks like they're going to have a go at living the dream in Australia.

And Sienna and Jayden-Cruz will both grow up as little Aussies.

Join us again, when we catch up with another family on Wanted Down Under Revisited.

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