Fox Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

What if emigrating down under

meant leaving behind all your friends, family and support?

Well, that was the tough decision faced by the Fox family

when we first met them back in 2007.

Today, we're going to find out

if they had the courage to make that life-changing choice or not.

Adam and Ruth Fox desperately wanted to move to Australia

in search of a better life.

An optimistic young couple, they believed down under

was the place to buy the house of their dreams

and to start a family.

But their optimism was quickly shattered.

I'm not moving away from England for this house.

Leaving behind their loved ones would be heart-wrenching.

I'll look after you.

Will you look after me?

Yeah.

This was the most difficult decision they would have to make

and would leave them in turmoil.

So, where are they now?

In 2007, the Foxes from Yorkshire were faced with a massive decision -

whether to stay in the UK or to move to Australia.

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

But what happened next?

Electrician Adam Fox and his wife, Ruth,

were struggling with the thought of uprooting their lives

to the other side of the world.

Having struggled to find work as a marine biologist in the UK,

Australia was the last chance for Ruth to land her dream job.

I did my Master's in oceanography at Southampton University,

and from there, I struggled to get work.

So I went to Australia as a last ditch effort to find paid work.

Australia is where they met but Ruth was worried a permanent move

would be a much tougher proposition.

It's definitely a concern that we are looking at it through rose-tinted glasses,

that when we were there before,

although we were working, we were really on holiday.

It's gonna be hard, but I think it's worth giving it a go.

I mean, we're still only young.

They would have to give up everything

and Adam's strong family ties meant he had a lot to lose.

I'm leaving behind a lot of family. A LOT of family.

They all live within 15 minutes of here.

All of his friends and all of his family.

They're all that close.

And for Ruth, leaving behind her ill father was particularly distressing.

My biggest concern is my dad.

He had major surgery this year.

If he gets worse,

then he won't be able to travel either,

so he won't even be able to come and visit.

He's definitely a big, big concern.

They had a week to experience the reality of life in Australia.

But the decision on whether to move down under or not

would push them to their limits.

To help Ruth and Adam consider the huge risk they'd be taking,

we sent them to Cairns in Queensland

to test the lifestyle for one week.

The 24-hour flight gave them plenty of time to think about

this life-changing decision.

AS they reached their rented apartment,

their first impressions were good.

I could live here.

We'll have one!

But fears about job opportunities had them both worried

about whether Australia really was the right place for them.

If it doesn't work out...

If I don't think I'm gonna like it in Cairns, job-wise,

I'm gonna have to rethink plans.

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with our lives in England.

-So... If it wasn't any better here, then there's no point.

-Mm.

There would be no advantage to moving.

This would be a challenging week and everything was at stake.

In 2007, Ruth and Adam lived in a two-bedroom terraced cottage

in Yorkshire.

The house was worth £120,000.

But with hopes of starting a family,

they wanted to upgrade.

With a mortgage, they'd have about £170,000 to spend on a home.

Their dreams was for a four-bedroom, new-build house with enough space for a pool.

We showed them three properties so they could get an idea of what they would get for their money.

The first was a fabulous four-bedroom house in Redlynch.

Nice to meet you. Adam.

-Hi, nice to meet you.

-Hi, Ruth.

-Hi, Ruth.

-Nice to meet you.

-I just can't see myself affording a place like this.

-Is there any schools nearby?

-Yes, it's great for schools.

All the infrastructure's been set in Redlynch.

It's a growing area of Cairns.

And there's a big shopping centre as well, that you can walk to.

It's perfect, then, yeah?

Their first impressions were good

but this house was well above their budget.

I'm in shock.

Lost for words.

The Foxes fell in love with this property

but they both needed to earn serious money to be able to afford such luxury.

Oh, wow, look!

Not just a double shower.

Double SHOWERS! This is the nicest bathroom.

I'm gonna have to work a lot of overtime.

THEY LAUGH

I need a house like this now.

I dread to think how much this costs.

Go on, give us the bad news. How much is the property?

Totally finished, as you see it, with all the curtains, the blinds, the air conditioning,

540,000.

-You'd never get anything like this.

-Definitely not.

-I'd have to do a lot of overtime.

-A lot of overtime.

With uncertain job prospects, the ideal house looked out of their reach.

Adam and Ruth had to lower their expectations and look at cheaper properties.

-Nice estate again.

-Nice estate, isn't it?

-Really nice.

The second property had four bedrooms, a large open plan lounge

and a stunning pool. It was on the market for...

Oh!

Wow! Really nice.

I wasn't expecting this from the front of the house.

I didn't think it would be so big.

-What do you think of this kitchen?

-I love the colours.

This house was much nearer their budget but was still a big financial stretch.

It's hard not to compare everything to that house because it was perfect.

-It all depends on the price for this property.

-Yeah, if this is significantly less, that's why.

-But if it's not that much less...

-We'd push ourselves...

-To get the other one.

The reality of how little they could afford hit Adam and Ruth hard.

The third property was within their budget at...

Situated in Yorkeys Knob, 20 minutes from the centre of Cairns, it was in a great location.

But the grim reality of what they could afford made them question the entire move.

-You'd have to spend some money working on it.

-Is that...?

-A bedroom with an en suite.

I think you'd have to rip this out and start again.

I do...like the kitchen layout, not the kitchen itself.

I didn't think anything could get worse than that other bathroom.

I think this is a downgrade from our house.

-And I won't move to Australia for this.

-Not for this house.

-What do you think of the house?

-Hate it.

-Yeah, me, too.

I'm not moving away from England for this house.

-I don't want to have to do a house up.

-It's...

-It would be a nice house, it's a nice area...

-You'd have to spend 100,000 doing it up.

-Thumbs down.

-Thumbs down.

Their dream house needed Adam and Ruth to earn a lot more money.

Even the second would really stretch their budget.

And the third property was a total disappointment.

If they couldn't see a better life for themselves here, the whole move looked to be at risk.

Their first vote between UK and Australian property was a tricky one.

We're voting to decide whether we prefer English houses or Australian houses.

It's a tough one.

-What are we going to go for?

-I'm going for...

-Australian.

-Snap!

-Definitely.

-Australian.

This positive young couple were sold on their dream house. However, being able to buy a property like this

relied on both Adam and Ruth being able to get decent jobs, otherwise it was the end of the dream.

Although Adam was the main visa applicant

their big reason for moving Down Under was to fulfil

Ruth's ambition to work as a marine biologist.

I went to Australia as a last-ditch effort to find paid work.

Ruth had hoped that Cairns being so close to the Great Barrier Reef

was one of the best places in the world for her to find work.

If she couldn't find a permanent job here the whole move might be at risk.

This put even more pressure on Adam.

His skills as an electrician would get him a work visa,

but that didn't guarantee a job.

To be honest, I'm quite nervous about it.

I've worked for the same company, the same firm, for all my life,

since the start of my apprenticeship.

So, we'll see what happens!

Adam earned £27,000 as an qualified electrician in the UK.

But was worried he might not get the same pay in Australia.

What's the pay like?

Yeah, you're probably looking at 60,000, 70,000. Dollars.

But for that, I mean, you can have a real good standard of living for that.

This was a similar wage to what Adam earned in the UK,

but only if he got himself an Australian electrician's license,

which could take several months.

For her part Ruth had managed to get some advice from a reef and ecotourism expert,

but the news wasn't good.

Her job prospects were much more limited than she'd anticipated.

You really have four choices as a marine biologist.

You've got scientific research, but Cairns isn't the place for that.

Then you can go into the research side at the academic level,

The best option is working on the boats,

as a marine biologist on the boats.

Which involves snorkel tour guiding, doing the interpretive briefs,

educational talks to the passengers.

More or less, you're looking at a casual position, it's so seasonal.

The numbers of tourists fluctuate.

So it's unlikely to get a permanent position on the boat straight off?

A lot of marine biologists out of uni come,

they have their degree, and expect there to be a lot of work out there.

You can break into it. It takes a lot of hard work,

-and it takes some time.

-Sure.

But, you know, if you persevere,

there might be light at the end of the tunnel.

This was a devastating blow for Ruth.

Seasonal work on the boats was not going to provide the income they needed for a secure future.

Disappointing, to what I was expecting.

Basically, the large majority of the research goes on in Townsville.

I know there's James Cook campus here,

which they teach marine biology at here,

so by that, I assumed that they would also do research up here.

But it seems that they only teach it up here.

I don't know whether that would provide me

with any positions there or not.

It did seem like there was still plenty of work on the boats,

but she did say that there wouldn't be any...

it would be unlikely that I'd immediately get a contract position.

Which is hard, because if I don't have a contract,

then that'll obviously reduce our mortgage abilities.

Because that might just be based on Adam's salary, then.

So that would drastically reduce what we could get.

So... It's not great news.

Now, it was all down to Adam.

If he was unhappy with his work in Australia

his vote would have made the difference to their final decision.

I was nervous to begin with,

but once seeing Dave, how relaxed he is,

and how much he enjoys doing what he does,

and being on site with the guys who come from England, it just...

it was like being in a family.

It was... I think I could settle in there straightaway.

Australia. 100%.

The only disappointing thing is,

I'm going to have to wait to come out here.

Adam was very happy with his decision but that was before he'd heard about Ruth's jobhunting.

-How did it go today, then?

-OK. How did you get on?

-Honestly?

-Yes.

-I'm pleased.

-You're beaming ear from ear!

-I am.

I am. It's just unfortunate that I can't start now!

THEY LAUGH

-So, what was your day like?

-OK.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

Met a really nice lady.

She thinks it's unlikely I'll get a contract on the boats.

And that all the research is done in Townsville.

Right.

-So that's not the best news.

-That's the short version.

Come here. You all right?

With two very different job prospects their hopes

of settling down and starting a family were looking doubtful.

And to even consider such a life-changing move

Australia needed to offer a much better lifestyle than the UK.

The Foxes knew moving to Australia would be a huge financial strain,

and starting a family would push them to their limits.

It was crucial that their hard-earned wages would cover their basic living costs.

We've got 55 to spend, so let's go and see what we can get.

-Let's go and get some weird and wonderful stuff.

-Yeah.

-What are these?

-Cassava.

-What do they taste like?

They taste a bit like potatoes.

-Oh, right.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

-Thank you.

A competition to get the most oddly shaped vegetable in town?

I think so.

Look at the size of that! 60p! They're about that price in England, but they're not normally that size.

The prices and size were looking good, but not everything was so light on the wallet.

Look at that! Iceberg lettuce, 4. That's like £1.70.

That's really expensive.

So not everything's as cheap.

With barely enough left for a cold beer, the cost of living in Oz wasn't a clear-cut decision.

Look how much stuff we got! That's enough to feed us for a week...

-Easily.

-..of fresh food.

The thing is, it might not be miles cheaper than England,

-but it just looks a lot fresher.

-It looks so much nicer, doesn't it?

Would this sway Adam and Ruth in favour of the UK?

Are we in agreement?

I think so.

OK? So, we pick...

-..Australia.

-Australia.

-But I'm still going to miss English pubs.

-Still going to miss the English pub.

-Good.

Back in 2007, to focus their minds on their big decision,

we showed Ruth and Adam some messages from their loved ones back home.

Hi, Adam and Ruth.

Hope you're both all right and having a wonderful time in Australia.

Adam and Ruth, I really, really wish you the best.

Adam, as you know,

I expect you to look after Ruth and love her to bits. I know you will.

If you don't, you know what the answer's going to be!

Wall bricks!

He does, too.

-Two wall bricks, actually.

-See, I told you!

THEY LAUGH

Things that really I'll miss the most about Adam is going out,

to the pub and just having a laugh.

It's not so much now he's married, Ruth keeps him under the thumb.

-Ah!

-Aha!

As a son,

I can't fault him. As a best friend, again, I can't fault him.

I see in them something very special,

that you don't often see in other people's relationships.

What more could you want for your child?

It's the serious crises that you get in your life,

I think that's when they will feel very remote.

-And so will we.

-Yes.

I suppose, in a way,

I haven't thought about it too much, because...

I don't want to, really. It's quite painful.

I'm going to miss you when you go, Adam. You're the boy.

Um...

HE SIGHS

The thought that she isn't, perhaps, going to come back again

is going to be very hard

and I'm one of these people that pushed it to the back of my mind

until it actually has to happen.

We all hope that you are both doing really well

and having a great time. I love you dearly.

I just wish you all the best, darling, and...

I... I don't know what else to say, really.

I shall miss you terribly,

but I know that it'll be good for you both.

Love you, darling.

-That was nice, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-You're crying again!

-I knew I'd cry at my mum.

My dad's health isn't that good.

Um... My biggest worry is something happening to him,

and how quickly I could get back to him.

-I'll look after you.

-Will you look after me?

-Yeah.

This had been a very emotional week and so many of their plans were hanging in the balance.

The heartache of leaving their loved ones behind had taken its toll on both Adam and Ruth.

But it was time for the final vote.

Stay in the UK or follow their dreams to Australia?

BOTH: Australia.

I thought you were supposed to do it, as well!

So the Foxes voted for Australia.

We caught up with them in 2008, to find out if they HAD been brave enough to actually make the move.

Their dream house was out of reach

and job prospects had looked bleak.

So did they give up on their Australian dream?

No!

The Foxes had moved to Australia and had been living in Smithfield,

near Cairns, for three months.

-Hi, guys. This is our place in Cairns.

-Come in and have a look.

We found this place on the internet. We did a lot of research before we got here.

-We set up the meeting before we got here and viewed the day we arrived.

-That was hard work.

Straight off the plane!

It's perfect for us, fully furnished.

-Which is what we needed cos...

-We only came with five suitcases!

Pretty much just clothes.

So...the rest of our stuff's still in removals. Haven't got it yet.

We got some cards from friends and family welcoming us to our new home, which was nice in the first week.

-This is the guest bedroom.

-And computer room.

This is where we chat to our friends on the internet. We use the laptop

and the webcam to show our families around the flat so they can see where we're living, which is really nice.

-It's all ready and waiting for our guests from the UK.

-Yeah.

This is our master bedroom.

Come and see the best bit of the house - the beautiful balcony.

This is where we spend our evenings.

Try and entertain our friends here. The dream house of the last programme is probably a bit out of

-our...

-It's sold.

-It's a bit out of our price range anyway.

But there's plenty of houses on the market for us.

-When the right house comes along...

-It'll be ours!

The Foxes seem to be enjoying their new life in Cairns.

But still needed to sell their house in England if they were to settle in Australia.

During their trial week in 2007,

Adam had some concerns about working in Australia.

To be honest, I'm quite nervous about it.

I've worked for the same company all my life, since my apprenticeship.

So, we'll see what happens!

It was vital he found a suitable job.

One year on in 2008, Adam had landed work with an electronics engineering company.

However, finding this job wasn't that simple.

When I first got to Cairns, I was out of work for, erm...

around five weeks, which wasn't expected.

I just presumed it was going to be easy to find work.

That wasn't the case.

It was a bit disappointing at first.

It did get me down a little bit.

Obviously not having a licence here,

was a bit difficult.

You've got to start as a trades' assistant and then get your licence.

So, I'm not a qualified electrician over here so, I'm employed as a TA - trades' assistant.

Erm...which is fine. It'll be a few months before I get my electrical licence.

In 2007, Ruth went to Australia

with the dream of working as a marine biologist but was devastated

when she found out her prospects of permanent employment were bleak.

If I don't have a contract, that'll reduce our mortgage abilities.

It might just be based on Adam's salary then.

That would drastically reduce what we could get.

So... It's not great news.

However, once she moved to Australia, her fears were laid to rest.

Good morning, my name is Ruth.

I'm one of the marine biologists on board today. I'll be doing a short presentation here,

in the main cabin about the Great Barrier Reef,

and some of the things you're likely to see today.

She found a full-time job on a tourist boat running trips to the Barrier Reef.

And in 2008, earned around £20,000.

'I do guided snorkel tours which involve...'

basically, me being in the water teaching people how to snorkel.

I've taught people who've never swum before in their lives, never been in the water ever before.

It's great. As soon as you get their head in the water, they're just like, "Wow!"

That's great.

Although everything looked rosy on the job front, it had been quite a rough ride.

In the beginning when Adam was out of work it was very stressful, to be honest.

It was the first time in his life he's been out of work and it wasn't what he expected.

He was panicky that he wouldn't find work but it only took him six weeks.

Adam's the kind of person that...that wants to work.

It's just Adam putting the pressure on himself, bless him!

With their long-term plans of starting a family,

they now had to concentrate on getting out of rented accommodation.

We are looking to have a family still. We're looking forward to having that family...

Though we really want to be settled in a house first.

We want to be in our own house, in our own environment.

So, yep, as soon as we've got that house,

hopefully we'll be starting that family. House first!

One of the big draws for Adam and Ruth was the laid-back Aussie lifestyle.

They really threw themselves into it.

How do you turn these things on?

Adam, what we need is some Australians!

-It's sizzling!

-Hooray! It's all going on now.

-Got told by a proper Aussie - throw beer on your onions.

-Really?

It seemed they were well on the way to starting a new life with plenty of friends.

In 2007 the prospect of leaving behind their family and friends was hard to bear.

Once they had actually made the move, the reality of being separated from them really hit home.

We were stood just outside the security gates, weren't we?

Hugging and going, "We've got to go!"

"Stop crying!"

-We didn't cry though, none of us cried.

-You liar.

-Yeah, I lied.

-We all cried.

-We all cried.

-I found it, probably, worse than you.

-You did, definitely.

Yeah, definitely worse than you. We got here and had no jobs,

no friends...

It was the no friends that I struggled with.

-And we had so much to do, we couldn't meet anybody.

-Yeah.

We showed them messages from their family and friends,

to show how they were coping without them.

Hello, Ruth and Adam. It's lovely to talk to you.

I love you, I really love you very much.

We love you dearly. We'll never stop loving you, no matter how far away you are!

We're always here for you if you need us.

Adam is a rather old-fashioned Englishman, like myself,

who feels he's the bread... And having difficulties getting a job for the first few weeks,

it was actually quite a problem for him.

I had a discussion with my daughter about it and said, you know, "Adam needs some support now.

"You don't need it." She can deal with unemployment quite well.

With Ruth and I, there has always been a closeness.

Maybe I was holding onto her longer than I should have done.

Perhaps I kept her closer to me than was necessary.

I hope not - I hope I've given her an all-round life

and that she feels the same as the other children do.

We're a very close-knit family and still all meet together and do special things together.

-They'll miss things like that, for sure.

-I don't discuss my health with her

because it will upset her.

My wife probably tells her what the things are, just tell her the facts of it.

But she has to tell her - Ruth NEEDS to know. She's that sort of person.

We used webcam the other weekend, actually, to speak to each other. It was lovely to see him.

We were all going like that on the webcam.

It's a sort of hug. Technical hug!

We will be desperately concerned when she's having a baby,

because she's the one who's suffering, not the husband,

so my wife will want to be there when she has the baby. That's for sure.

They'll just have to move over for nine months.

I do miss you terribly. I can't wait to see you again

and just...lots of love. Big hug! Technical hug!

Love you lots! Be happy!

We're looking forward to coming to see you and sharing your experiences in Australia.

Lots of love. Bye.

We're missing you terribly and it's really hard for us at times.

We'd just love to hug you, to cuddle you

and to feel your actual warmth against us.

We love you very much, darling.

And you, Adam! We mustn't forget you!

-We love you, too.

-Don't forget me!

-Look after each other.

You must look after each other. Take care.

Love you.

What do you think, then?

Apart from upset?

It's kind of...happy tears, too, to see them

and to hear them say all those nice things.

I thought that was brilliant.

But Ruth's dad was her biggest concern.

I hope that my parents are honest with me - I think they are - about his condition and when it's worse

or better or every time he goes to see the doctor and has a new prescriptions

or anything new to say. They do tell me.

Obviously, they did talk about... if something happened...

If we couldn't get over so quickly, in a few hours time. It IS a long way away.

That's something we're pretending's not going to happen.

But it will happen, and we always knew it was going to happen,

so...we have to take it when it comes, really.

Being separated from her loved ones had created huge doubts for Ruth.

Adam had got off to a rocky start, having struggled to find work

and, still living in rented accommodation, they desperately needed to crack the problem

of finding a family home.

After three difficult months in Australia, it was time for Adam and Ruth to decide

if they had made the right decision.

Last time, we thought Australia was the place for us to live.

We had a few problems, when we first came out here, with jobs,

but that's all worked out really well now.

You've got your dream job, I've got mine. So...

I don't think there's any doubt in our mind. We're living in...

BOTH: Australia.

SHE SCREAMS

-BLEEP

-Sorry, Mum!

Good old Australian lifestyle, eh?

-Good?

-That was good.

-Mwah!

When we last met the Foxes in 2008,

Adam only had a trainee job position

and they were living in a rented apartment -

still a long way from their dream of raising a family in their own home.

Now I'm popping in to find out if they managed to realise any of those hopes.

-Hi, Ruth, Adam. Good to see you.

-and you.

-New house?

-It is indeed.

-Yes, new house.

-Am I allowed the tour?

-Come in.

-Have a look.

-So, Nicki, come and have a look at our dream house.

-Lovely!

But before that, we've got something special to show you.

Oh! A baby Fox cub!

-And who's this?

-This is baby Finlay.

-Oh, congratulations.

-Thank you.

The fact you've only been in the country for two years, but you feel comfortable and at home -

and this IS your home - and you're having your family straight away says a lot.

-It does feel like home now.

-Going to play with the baby in a while but could I have the tour?

-Certainly.

-Oh, this is wonderful!

-This is my beautiful kitchen.

-This is Ruth's kitchen.

-Is it?

-Took a while to find the right house for us.

But when we walked in here, we knew it was the one.

-Lovely. Right, let's keep the tour going.

-Through to the dining room.

-Great dining area.

I love the open space!

Ah! Now THIS is very nice.

Got a generous en suite next door.

-And how many bedrooms has this house got?

-Four.

-Can I be cheeky? Was it really expensive?

-We got a really good deal.

-Originally on the market for 550,000.

We got it for 430.

Wow. For what you get for this house,

it such high quality and so much space.

-Could you have bought something like this back home?

-No.

-No.

Not for the money.

-I would love to see Finlay's room, if that's all right.

-Of course!

-Ah! So this is the little man's room?

-This is Finlay's room.

And how was it? Obviously, he's your first.

How was the medical side of it, the hospitals over here?

-They're pretty good.

-They were good.

-We went with Medicare, which is their version of the NHS.

Right.

This is a lovely room. The whole house is beautiful.

What's the garden like? Are you a keen gardener?

I don't mind my gardening. We've got a little addition to the garden, as well. Come and see.

-Our outdoor area.

-Oh, another open space.

-Our Thermos barbeque.

-Is he a good chef?

Yeah, he is pretty darn good on the barbeque anyway.

A true Aussie, now, with your barbeque!

-Everyone needs a big barbeque.

-Look at this! There's pools... and then there's your pool.

That is gorgeous!

Adam and Ruth, you have the most beautiful house, and I know you settled in so well,

but I have to say congratulations - the icing on the cake has to be baby Finlay.

Thank you. He is indeed. We're very proud.

It's been 18 months since we last saw you.

You both seem very settled, very positive about the move, but was it harder than you thought?

First week was really hard. I struggled.

You have so many parties with friends and family before you leave.

then you get here and you have nothing

-except each other.

-It was a big emotional upheaval, that initial leaving stage.

-It's hard.

-On the work front, Adam, was it hard for you at the very beginning?

-It was hard for me.

We came over, there wasn't that many jobs in Cairns for me.

I went round most of the companies in Cairns, to be honest.

They wouldn't take me on because I didn't have a license.

How easy has it been to make new friends?

Quite hard to make Australian friends. The Australian friends we've made have moved on.

The majority of our friends are English.

It's just happened that way. I think it's because it's easier to make friend with fellow English people

because you have more in common.

'They've moved out here for the same reasons we have,

'and they're also looking for friends, like we are.'

With a baby, a home AND new friends, it seems the Foxes have well and truly arrived in Cairns.

However, with Ruth being a full-time mum, it's meant that the family income has taken a big nose dive.

Fortunately, Adam's career has turned a corner.

I've now got my licence, which was a huge relief and a big weight off my shoulders.

It's a lot of hard work to get the licence.

Probably cost roughly 3,000

and a good three months of hard work.

It's worth it cos as soon as you've got your licence, you get that pay rise.

'With little Finlay just being born, there's a lot more responsibility that I've taken myself.

'Obviously, with Ruth not working at the moment, I've got to try and get some overtime

'just to make life a bit more comfortable.

'The long-term ambitions for me, Ruth and Finlay...

'at the moment is just staying in Cairns. We're liking life in Cairns at the moment.'

If we find it's not working for us in Cairns any more,

then we can try Melbourne, Sydney, Perth... Anywhere else.

We've seen how well the both of you - well, I should say the three of you - are settled in Australia.

But, of course, you do have plenty of friends and family still back in the UK

and they've given us some messages for you to see. So, Adam,

do you want to do the honours? Let's take a look.

ALL: Hello, Adam, Ruth, Finlay!

Hi, Ruth, Adam and little Finlay.

Hello, Adam and Ruth and baby Finlay. Hope you're all well.

Adam as a son, how can I describe him? Marvellous.

The best brother in the world.

A lovely daughter-in-law. I can't fault her at all.

She's made Adam...Adam, at this moment in time.

Ruth is really gorgeous. She's very, very beautiful.

They got their dream - they've ALWAYS wanted to go to Australia.

Obviously, it's very sad,

cos we didn't know the next time we would see her.

We thought it'd probably be when one of us gets married or something.

Such an achievement, when you think about what they've had to do

to get where they are.

It's incredible, and I take my hat off to them.

Because I can't see him... I know I see him on Skype but it's not the same

if it's just his face talking. It's not the same.

Wish I'd have been there when Finlay was born.

And...to pick him up, give him a hug.

Having Lily, and her having Finlay,

it would just be so nice to have someone who you're really good friends with to go through,

and talk about pregnancy, talk about babies,

talk about how hard it is, and the good things.

We've been best friends for years and it's not going to change - we talk and e-mail all the time.

Now I'm crying.

I just think it's hard when you've got children, and it would be lovely if she was here.

Hi, Adam, Ruth and Finlay.

I miss you and hope you're having a good time.

Hope you're OK and enjoying life and we miss you loads and loads and can't wait to see you. Lots of love.

Adam, Ruth and Finlay, I love you so much. You know I do.

Our thoughts are all with you all the time. We love you dearly.

-# You are my sunshine... #

-Oh, my God!

-# My only sunshine... #

-I knew they'd do something stupid.

# You make us happy when skies are grey

# You'll never know, dear How much we love you... #

Look at Danny in the background!

Very amusing.

# Please don't take our sunshine away. #

THEY CHEER

So, how was that for both of you? Was that difficult to watch?

that was really good, seeing them. Especially my sister

and how big she's grown. You can go on the Internet and see them there

but, like you say, you don't really get to see her grow up so fast.

-Still hard not seeing them...

-Yes, yes.

-..when you want to see them.

That's the first time I've seen my best friend's baby.

When you decided to move, did you appreciate just how hard it would be leaving your family and friends?

It has been hard, having them all the way back there,

with friends having babies, getting married and missing it all.

It's really hard. We'd hope to go back for the special occasions

but it's just very expensive to get back to the UK.

-Ruth, your parents weren't included because they're out here at the moment.

-That's right.

They've been here for just over two months now. They came out a week before Finlay was born.

They've been helping us out with the household chores and playing with baby.

There's nothing like family, is there, when you're moving so far away?

Cos it is such a tremendous distance.

Sitting here watching your friends and family with you, the one thing that does come across is that,

although they miss you dearly,

they're delighted that you've made the step, that you've been brave enough to do it.

they do seem thrilled that you're making such a success of your lives.

-They're very supportive, aren't they?

-Yeah. From start to finish.

-Has that made a big difference?

-A huge difference.

-Big help.

It's made it really easy for us.

Any parent will miss their children. It's the physical contact you miss.

Not to be able to hold and touch them... You know, the intimacy you have normally.

That's the hardest part.

It's really lovely to be here with them but it'll be horrible to go home and leave them here.

Adam and Ruth really rose to the challenge of starting a new life in Australia.

With ambitious ideas of a bigger house, better jobs and starting a family,

they really had their work cut out.

In a relatively short time, they've achieved all they wanted, and have really set down some firm roots

for a bright future.

We've been in Australia for two years now. It's time to vote between the UK and Australia.

And we vote for...

BOTH: Australia!

The Foxes have embraced life in Australia.

So much so, their first little Fox cub has duel citizenship.

We wish all three of them the very best.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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