Paton Wanted Down Under Revisited

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What if the price of your career

meant missing out on seeing your children grow up?

Could the life you want exist on the other side of the world?

In 2010, that was the question faced by the Paton family.

One year on, we've caught up with them, to see if they found their answer.

Just the thought of leaving her mum was too much for Sharon.

She...basically broke down,

saying things like she feels that she's never going to see us again.

But husband Alan was desperate to change his life and get his priorities straight.

-Back home, I work roughly 90 hours a week.

-OK.

So I'm looking to reduce that.

Ahead was a week that would show the Patons just how tough leaving would be.

Very sad.

Australia was Alan's dream,

but he'd have to convince the rest of the family to emigrate.

In 2010, the Patons faced a massive choice -

whether to swap their home in the UK for a new start in Australia.

We gave them one week to experience the reality of living down under,

but what's happened since we last met them?

Tree surgeon Alan Paton, his wife Sharon and their three girls,

Chantel, Demi and Imogen, lived in Carmarthenshire, south Wales.

Sharon has always lived nearby but Alan, who was from Scotland,

wanted to move. He was tired of putting his business ahead of his family,

The stress is unbelievable. At the end of the day, it's not worth it. I've been seven years at it.

Seven years I've lost of my kids growing up.

Nobody will give me that back.

It wasn't just the children who felt abandoned.

It feels like I'm a single parent.

We want to bring us all together.

I don't think that, if we stay in the UK, it's going to be possible.

They needed to find out if there was something else out there for them.

We get set in this rut where we all do our own little things.

And you imagine what we'll be like. We'll be so distant if we carry on.

I'd like to get to Australia and sample what their life's all about.

They'd been planning for a while.

The pressure was on to make sure they don't get the decision wrong.

-As long as you listen to my opinions...

-I'll listen.

I'm not going through the stress of what I do to keep this house.

-I don't want you to.

-All it is is somewhere to get my head down at night, the hours I work.

-We're the family, us five.

-Yeah.

It's all about us, at this time now.

Is it going to be a good start for them, make them happy?

They're going to be healthy... but they will miss my mum and dad.

VOICE BREAKING: And I just don't know how I'll be able...to do that.

Eldest daughter Chantel struggled to even imagine leaving.

There's still some questions of whether I'm going to go or not.

And sometimes I want to go but sometimes I don't.

I'll probably make some new friends and...

For Sharon, separation from one person in particular was hard to bear.

'I've been so close to my mum.'

Um, and...

When I first told her about the idea of moving to Australia she...

..basically broke down and was just saying things

like she feels that she's never going to see us again.

So, emotionally, that's hard.

Um... I'm thinking to myself that me and the girls

are not going to see them again.

They won't be brought up with their grandparents.

'So, emotionally, that's a big hit, a big issue.'

With so much riding on their trial week, we decided that Adelaide would suit them.

With plenty of parks and green areas, there would be lots of work for Alan.

And Adelaide's small-town feel would have made it easier for Sharon to settle here.

After an exhausting journey,

the family had travelled 10,000 miles to try out a new life on the other side of the world.

It should have taken just under a day to get there but, with delays,

they spent 33 exhausting hours in transit.

Last I slept...

Well, I got up 5am Saturday morning, so it's about 47 hours.

The longest I've spent with the kids in a long time.

There was uncertainty about the week ahead.

Thinking of me moving here makes me sad,

thinking of my friends back home.

We need to prove to her that... What's out there for her.

The only way to prove that is if we can prove that YOU like it.

I want to be a bit more realistic about it.

We'll just wait and see what the next few days show.

After their mammoth journey to Australia, it was a relatively short drive to their rental home.

But all that driving had taken its toll on certain members of the family.

They stayed in a four-bedroom house in McLaren Vale, with a big living space

and views over the fields beyond.

Wow.

It was just the kind of start Alan had wanted for their week.

Look at the views.

Everywhere you look you've got miles of it.

But there were differences of opinion.

It's very spacious, but I'm still quite, um...

still got my own individual rooms in mind at the moment.

-I prefer open-plan.

-You prefer this?

-Open-plan will bring us together.

What do you think, Imogen?

You just want a bed, don't you?

SHARON: Have you found one? CHILD: Yes!

-Oh!

-ALL GIRLS: I'm on the top!

You having fun up there? ALL: Yeah.

< We're not going to have arguments who's sleeping there?

ALL: No!

Outside, they were reminded of why they wanted to move.

Girls? Can you see what's over there?

GIRL: Tree house. SHARON: And the swing on it.

They wanted the girls to have a more active outdoor lifestyle

and, most importantly, they needed more time together.

-The love it, don't they?

-Yeah.

-See, they don't do this at home.

-No.

But there was a big emotional hurdle they had to get over first.

Knowing that my mum's not round the corner or a phone call away, even.

SHARON: I'm torn at the moment. I'm torn.

I want to come out here for this.

But then...I'd be on my own.

SHE SIGHS It's really...

It's frightening to know that I could do it. It IS possible.

The Patons lived in a large 16-roomed home in Carmarthenshire,

south Wales.

Sharon fell in love with the house the moment she saw it.

They'd worked hard to make it their own.

It was an impressive building, with four reception rooms,

a bedroom each for the girls, and even a flat on the ground floor.

With fantastic countryside nearby, and a playground,

they tried to live the outdoor life, but the weather was a problem.

They had £250,000 to spend, but it would have taken something really special in Australia

to make them even consider leaving their home.

The first house was in the suburb of Woodcroft,

with four bedrooms and plenty of outdoor space,

it was on the market for £250,000 - right at the top of their budget.

Nice big windows.

The room's not a bad size.

You're coming straight in the front door into your sitting area.

-You're right.

-I like the kitchen and dining room to be together.

Their home in south Wales was a tough act to follow.

This wasn't winning them over. Having room for guests was a concern.

If we get visitors, family over...

-I've seen nothing yet for them.

-No. It would be tight.

But it was outdoor living they'd come in search of.

A pool. Wow! That's nice.

You wanted a pool.

You'd have fun in there.

It might have had a pool, but did it sway them towards leaving their home?

It's far too small. We don't need the size of house we have,

but this is too small for us.

This wouldn't convince me to give it up.

Without the space they were used to, even Alan was struggling to see the dream.

He needed far more from the next two properties.

The second house was in Old Reynella, 14 minutes from the city centre.

It was on the market for £240,000, had five bedrooms

and plenty of outside space

with pool. First impressions were key.

SHARON: This is quite nice. I like the floor. It's big enough.

It's not small...

So far, so good. Shall we go and see what else is here?

Yeah. Let's go, then.

SHARON: Oh, this is quite nice.

Good size, isn't it? Do you like this wall?

-Could you cover it up?

-I knew something would come along.

I've always got to do something, haven't I? Never leaves me alone!

Keeps you busy.

Alan would have another job to do,

convincing Imogen this was the house for her.

I'm not going to sleep in this bedroom.

-Why?

-You don't like this one?

No? It is smaller than the one she's got back home.

SHARON: It started off good but I'm feeling it's going down a bit.

Australian houses weren't winning over Sharon or Alan.

If I'm giving up my house,

I want to walk in and think, "I can see myself here and I like it."

And feel homely in it.

And these two properties haven't done that for me.

Everything hinged on the last house.

Set on Sellicks Beach, it offered something different...

..the sea, 500 metres from their front door.

It would have stretched their budget but, with a large outdoor area,

could this house turn things around?

My first impression here, Alan, is "Wow!"

Upstairs it got even better.

SHARON: Oh, wow!

-Oh, this is it, isn't it?

-This is nice, huh?

It's beautiful, isn't it? The work space, breakfast bar.

-Modern kitchen.

-Yeah.

The living area had everything they wanted, but what about the rest of the house?

-I like this.

-It's a good size, too.

Mmm, this is nice.

-Look at the view.

-Imagine the evenings, with a glass of wine.

-Look at that!

-That's gorgeous.

-It's lovely having that view.

Every morning, waking up to this.

That just left the girls. Were they going to be happy with THEIR bedrooms?

This is nice. This is MY room.

This is my mine. Mine.

Shall we have a look outside, girls?

A hot tub. Wow!

And it seemed Sharon was coming round to the idea of living in Australia.

This has pushed a couple of buttons. It could be in our price range.

It is within our reach. It wouldn't be stretching the budget too much.

They might have been able to afford it, but it could have meant they'd struggle

to enjoy the lifestyle they wanted. There was a lot to weigh up.

The Patons had seen three very different homes.

The size of the first two was a disappointment

but the last house won them over with its attractive living space and views.

But how did it compare to their family home in Wales?

When it came to voting, did they go for Australia or the UK?

Based on the properties that we've seen in Australia, our vote is...

SHARON AND ALAN: Australia.

But it was a hard decision to make.

I think I might be a bit sad to leave our house back home.

What's wrong with you? Huh? What's wrong?

SHARON: We're all crying now, are we?

I didn't think this would be so emotional.

Just the thought of leaving south Wales was heartbreaking.

The Patons were starting to realise the true cost of moving.

They'd crossed the world to get here,

but they had a long way to go to be sure moving was right.

Back in the UK, Alan had his own tree-surgery business.

It was something he was proud of, but building it up has taken its toll on the rest of his life.

Here in the UK, my dream always was to run my own business.

And now I've done it...no.

I leave here in darkness and come home in darkness.

I never see the kids. I don't see the house.

Whether they moved or not, Alan was determined to change his life.

He was considering a change of direction, in working for somebody else.

This could have a big impact on his wages, so he needed to find out if he could support his family.

We arranged for him to meet a local tree surgeon,

to get a taste of working in Australia. Alan wanted to make sure his skills would be in demand.

There are a lot of trees. There must be plenty of work.

Yes, there is plenty of work. There's plenty.

You can work more than 50 hours a week, if you'd like to.

-Well, back home, I work roughly 90 hours a week.

-OK.

-So I'm looking to reduce that.

-No worries.

A 40-hour week was what Alan dreamt of but he needed to be sure

he'd be happy working for someone else.

Sharon was a qualified nurse but she wouldn't work until Chantel, Demi and Imogen had settled.

To see if they'd fit in, they went to try out one of their favourite hobbies - dancing.

They knew leaving friends would be very difficult,

so it was vital they felt they'd all be able to make new ones.

-They're doing quite well. They seem to be enjoying it.

-They're fitting in really well.

-Imogen's got such a nice grin!

-She's loving every minute of it.

Sharon's new friend Kylie was a great sounding board for her concerns.

Are you worried about the girls settling in? Are they nervous?

Chantel, being older, I am a bit concerned how she'd settle.

Obviously, um, I'm the same as her.

I don't know how it would be, me making friends here.

It's handy having the girls cos it gets me out to meet people as well.

-We're just concerned.

-You'll find you'll fit in well here.

There is a large population of British people. You'll fit in well.

-I can understand your accent, too!

-That's a good start!

We can actually have a conversation!

The girls were enjoying the class and Sharon had got some great advice.

As Alan's day came to an end, he had an important question to ask.

If you don't mind me asking, what's the wages?

About 20 to 35 to 40, depending on the skill and qualifications of the climber.

-Better than the UK.

-How does that compare to a yearly total?

-Say, £20,000.

-Yeah.

-I'm not too sure what that would be.

Out here, you're looking at £40,000, so it's double.

That was great news. It meant Alan could earn the same as in the UK,

without having to do 90 hours a week.

However, it would mean working for someone else.

My decision's going to be...

Australia.

With a great wage and reduced hours Alan's dream was closer than ever,

but there was a long way to go before it became a reality.

One of the big draws of Australia

was living by the coast and having a boat.

They'd had one in the UK, but a combination of Alan's long working hours and poor weather

meant they hardly used it.

We arranged for them to visit a boat dealer,

to see what they might be able to afford on their budget of £15,000.

This is in the price range.

There's seating for six to eight adults inside there.

To give them a taste of the lifestyle,

Tim, the owner, agreed to show them what life on the water was all about.

-Want to go a bit faster, girls?

-ALL: Yeah!

It seemed this was a lifestyle the whole family could enjoy.

If I launch my boat off the beach, I get out on the water at 6 o'clock, just sit there and it's dead calm.

-You can hear the city start to kick into life.

-This would be the dream.

-Imogen's fallen asleep.

-Has she?

-Yeah.

-OK, she's enjoying it!

Imogen might have been tired out,

but Chantel and Demi were enjoying their day.

It's really good to get on a boat. It's fun.

-Will we go a bit faster?

-SHARON: Yeah, let's go!

How did you enjoy that trip, girls? Was that a good day out?

I'd like to do it every weekend.

< We'd have to move to Australia to do it, though!

CHANTEL: Aww!

They'd blown away the cobwebs and enjoyed their time on the boat.

But owning it would be a big expense.

Had they been convinced by the Australian lifestyle? Time to vote.

Our vote's going to be...

-Australia.

-Australia.

SHARON: What did you think, Imogen?

Even though you slept, you still had a lot of fun? Good girl!

To afford to live in Australia,

everything depended on the value of their house in Wales.

They'd put a lot of effort into making it a home they loved.

They were hoping to get around £300,000 for it.

-It's raining, as usual.

-Shows you how good it is here.

We sent two estate agents to give their valuations.

-Lovely size kitchen for a family.

-House looks nice, girls.

-It'll feel strange going back there.

-I'm not looking forward to it.

This would do it for me. That definitely is the wow factor.

Be interesting to see what they say at the end.

And the lovely uninterrupted views to the back.

-See?

-But look at that weather.

-I know.

-Gets me down, that weather.

Was it really worth £300,000?

For a quick sale in this market,

you would have to keep it below the 250,000, so I would market it at...

-No way.

-Not happy with that!

I would place the property on the market at 250,000

with a view of taking an offer.

If they needed a quick sale, I would pitch a little bit below that,

around 230,000.

-That's giving it away.

-Exactly. Exactly.

-That's giving it away.

With a big question mark hanging over the value of their home,

it was crucial the Patons found out exactly where their money would be spent.

We prepared a comparison of living costs, so they could work out where they stood.

Let's find out.

The moment of truth.

The monthly bills. What are we looking at?

Mortgage...

-Our Australian one is 1,013.

-So that one's better.

That could possibly be payments for a boat, repayments for a boat.

Gas and electricity, 160 in Australia.

-150 back home.

-I thought it would be more expensive back home.

-Health and dental insurance - we don't have that at home.

-No. Get the NHS back home.

School dinners,

almost £50 here.

Wow. Crikey, that IS expensive.

More than double. The everyday things in Australia -

hair cuts, school trips -

that kind of stuff is a bit more expensive.

As Sharon was planning to work

once the girls were settled into school, they included her wages.

The difference between the two is...

2,688.

-Yeah. Big difference.

-That is a big difference.

It seems to be ticking all the boxes with a 40-hour week.

With fewer outgoings but higher wages, they calculated

they'd be a massive £2,100 a month better off in Australia.

-That's a big difference, isn't it?

-Yep.

Alan was desperate to work a more 9-5 routine.

If they could only afford to do that in Australia,

did the figures change everything?

Time to vote on living costs.

After working out the costs of living, our vote goes for...

BOTH: Australia.

-No surprise there.

-It had to be.

-Yeah.

Key to the move was Sharon feeling she could make new friends and fit in with Aussie life.

They went to see Kylie Rowan, who they met in the dance class,

with her family and their ponies.

Although they hadn't ridden much before,

Imogen was keen to give it a go. For Sharon,

it was a chance to see a whole different side to Australian living.

Are properties cheaper in this area?

The further out from town they are,

you get more land.

SHARON: I'd feel at home with all the hills.

At home, it's hilly and green.

Sharon could see a lifestyle that would bring them all closer.

It makes you get together as a family. There's so much to do.

They were impressed but they had some tough choices to make.

-SHARON: Chantel's loving it.

-Pool or horse?

Horse.

Pool or horse? Pool.

Pool or horse? Pool.

It looked like they were going to have a tricky time pleasing all their daughters.

and they still had to consider the heartache of leaving everyone back in the UK.

They decided to watch some messages from their friends and family

to see how they felt about leaving home.

-Hi, Alan.

-Hi, Sharon.

-< Hello to the girls.

-How are my beautiful granddaughters?

Hi, Alan, Sharon, Chantel, Demi and Imogen.

-Alan is...Alan.

-Yeah.

< He's a hard-worker.

Chantel is a very reserved child.

< Demi is more out-going and a very loving child.

-She'll think nothing of coming up and saying...

-I love you. Yeah.

She goes, "I love you, Nanny."

< And gives a kiss and a hug. Imogen just follows whatever Demi does.

-< CHILD:

-I think it's really hard, Chantel,

< because it's, like, the other side of the world

and everybody's in this country.

< I try not to think about it too much because it does upset me.

People say you can talk on the phone, get a webcam from Australia,

and all that, but...

but nothing can make up for the arms round your neck, and the hugging and kissing.

-Oh, God!

-And the funny little things they say.

-Yes.

< We've always wanted to be grandparents.

They're so close as well.

But there's nothing there to change it, is there? If you could...

They'd be devastated.

Give us five.

That's the hardest bit, girls.

THEY SOB

SHARON: I thought we weren't all going to cry! SHE LAUGHS

Oh, wow! That had a bit of an impact, didn't it?

The messages brought home just how much their leaving would affect everyone.

They'd never get over it.

It would be just as hard for them as it is for us to come out here.

It was nice to see them say things like that about me.

Because every day I see them in school

and on the weekends they usually come over.

I don't know what it'll be like to be without them.

It was very sad.

This is the biggest decision we'll ever have to make.

You won't make one as big as this.

But time had run out to make up their minds.

The Patons had been through a very emotional week.

They'd found a place to call home, a lifestyle they loved,

and made good friends easily.

But hanging over them was the pain of being so far from loved ones.

For Chantel, it was a decision she didn't want to face.

Back home, I've been with my friends since we started school.

When I'm over here, I've only got my mother, father and two sisters.

I wish that I didn't have to make such a big decision.

But Alan and Sharon were under huge pressure to get this right.

Their future and happiness depended on their final choice.

I don't know where we'll go from there

because there's no way I'm carrying on working the way I am. I've had enough.

Obviously, I'm worried and concerned I might make the wrong choice.

'If my final vote turned out to be that I wanted to stay in the UK,'

then Alan would be absolutely devastated.

But if my vote went for Australia,

that would be the icing on the cake, he'd love me forever for that.

With so much resting on the vote, could they really turn their backs on south Wales

and move to Australia to follow Alan's dream?

This has been my dream. My goal was to see what it's like.

We've met some fabulous people and our vote goes for...

SHARON AND ALAN: Australia.

Oh.

They all vote for home.

You surprise me, kids. I didn't see that coming.

-I knew YOU'D be convinced.

-Did you?

-Yeah.

I wasn't sure about Chantel,

but I thought the other two might have gone for Australia.

I've got to redo my cost of living

cos I'll have to buy a pool, a boat and a pony to get the kids here!

-What do you think, kids?

-Maybe. Maybe.

Their week in Australia showed them everything they could gain and lose by moving down under.

With their future in the balance, what happened next?

So, one year after their trip,

had Alan, Sharon, Chantel, Demi and Imogen made the move to Australia?

No! When we caught up with the Patons, they were still in the UK.

However, that was all about to change very soon.

We're going to the airport on Monday, and we'll be moving to Australia.

We decided to move to Adelaide.

The reason we chose Adelaide,

cos when I went there it felt very much like home.

I mean, at the time I remember looking at the views,

you could see the hills, and...there was work there for Alan as well.

That's where the work was taking him.

I went and found a company, and I had a job offer there and then.

The job has been kept open for a whole year now.

They've actually been pushing for me to hurry up and get out there.

It's quite a good position I'm going to have as well.

Alan's job offer meant the move could finally happen.

The main hurdle was their home,

which had been valued a lot lower than they'd hoped.

We've decided to keep the house now, and rent it out.

The market is terrible now,

so we'd be losing about £30,000 if we were to sell it at the moment.

But obviously nothing's even selling.

The house pays for itself when you've got tenants in.

Although they still had their concerns,

Sharon and Alan were convinced about the decision they'd made.

It's probably one of the biggest gambles we're going to take in our life,

but I'd rather try it than stay here

and in maybe five, ten years' time, look back and think,

"I wish we had," and have regrets. So...

Regrets are no good. So I think it's worth the gamble.

I think what I am leaving is a lot of good memories.

And those are something that will always be with us. I feel it's time to move on.

No, I think there's a new adventure out there for us.

And one short week later,

they were heading off to their new life on the other side of the world.

-Come on, girls. Can anybody see our flight?

-GIRLS: Me!

Where is it?

-I can see it!

-Going to Singapore, yeah? And then from Singapore to...?

Adelaide!

Adelaide.

-How many bags to check-in, sir?

-Ten.

-Ten bags.

Definitely no going back now.

My mum, today, was really bad, wasn't she, Chantel? Yeah.

But I sent her a text earlier, saying that each day will get easier,

and each day is a day closer to seeing us again.

Then finally, after months of planning, there was no turning back.

The Patons were off to find their dream life 10,000 miles away,

in Australia.

We caught up with them six months later,

in their final destination of Adelaide.

They're renting a house in the suburb of Athelstone,

just seven miles from the city centre.

But has it all been plain sailing?

It's been hectic, to be honest.

But we've made it that way, haven't we?

We arrived in the winter, and we wanted everything done

so we could sit and enjoy what we came here for.

It's been not easy, has it?

Renting a house here was a big problem

because we weren't here, we were in the UK, they didn't want to know us,

we didn't have employment here, things like that.

But we stumbled across this one, sent all the necessary forms off,

they said "You can have it, but you've got to have it now."

So we actually paid for this for about six weeks before we came out here.

I loved my house back in the UK, but I love the house here,

and...I just feel that a house is four walls, and you make it a home.

You changed your mind about the house, then? Cos you wanted to bring it here,

now you're saying it's just four walls.

I know! It is, I've realised that. You MAKE it a home.

Sharon may be happy with four walls, but for a while that's all they had.

Being without our furniture for the first five, six weeks,

-that made it difficult.

-Basically we lived on patio furniture.

By the time it left the UK,

and we got it delivered to the front door was about 13 weeks.

It was hard.

And having got their belongings,

the Patons seem pretty happy with where they've landed.

Athelstone is a lovely suburb.

It's a friendly suburb, we've got all the local shops,

you've got parks all around you, you've got the wildlife around,

it's a really nice suburb. There's a lot around here for us to do.

-It's just the outdoor life, isn't it?

-Yeah.

We've only been here five months, so we haven't really explored a lot yet.

We've been busy just getting settled, but there's so much to explore now, and over the next year

we're going to find out a lot more beneficial things for us.

-Koala!

-Aw, look!

It's what I wanted in life now, just to be relaxed.

It's not as fast-moving as some of the other places in Australia.

It's quite laid-back, and it's pretty old-fashioned

compared to the rest of Australia as well, which is nice.

To me, that's true Aussie style.

Sharon and Alan may have uprooted their family and moved to the other side of the world,

but they seem to have settled quickly into familiar routines.

Alan has landed just the job he wanted, as a tree surgeon

working for someone else, rather than being the boss.

And Sharon has found work as an ophthalmologist

in a local eye clinic.

I work in a private eye clinic, which I love.

I worked in eyes in the UK about nine, ten years ago,

so to be back into that environment is really good.

Although Alan was the driving force behind this move,

the shoe was on the other foot after their trial week.

I was very surprised with Sharon after we'd been out here.

She was pushing for it more than me.

I kind of knew that it would come, the paper process, the visas,

all that kind of stuff, but when we had all the wet weather,

she'd say, "When is this going to come through, are we ever going to get there?"

I think the visit here definitely convinced Sharon that it was the right move.

It was just that feeling that I just want to get there,

I just want to be out there, and start living the dream

that we've been looking forward to and been wanting for a long time.

Yeah, we just couldn't wait to get out here.

We were really sad leaving friends and family behind.

Again, the excitement took over

because we knew what we were coming out to.

We knew what to expect when we got here.

But it was still sad saying goodbye to everybody, really emotional.

For Sharon, the big hurdle to emigrating

was leaving the rest of her family in the UK.

And it hasn't been easy.

The worst part was saying goodbye to my grandad.

Because I knew that was probably the last goodbye...for him.

But he was so happy for us, he was wishing us well,

and he wanted us to go, and he was saying, "Good on you for doing it,"

so that was really difficult.

And saying goodbye to my parents.

My mum and dad wanted to come to the airport, but I refused,

I didn't want them there because I knew we couldn't handle it.

They couldn't and we couldn't, and I don't think it would be fair on the girls either.

So we said our goodbyes at home,

and now I can still picture them in their home,

and they can still picture us in a village where we were brought up.

Yeah, it was really hard.

But despite the heartache, Adelaide has given Sharon and Alan

the family life they could only dream of in the UK.

The lifestyle here is better.

I don't feel like a single-parent any more, because Alan is employed,

he's working for a company, so it's basically 9-5, Monday to Friday,

so we have got the weekends together,

and we do have more quality family time that we can go and do things.

The family side of things has been good.

Interacting with the kids a lot more,

we play ball, we've got great places round the house to go to.

We go to the park.

Our main dream was to buy a boat, and we've just done that,

so that's what we will look forward to now.

I got my boat licence the other week,

so we can start getting out in that every weekend.

I think things have changed a lot for Alan,

because he used to work so many hours in the UK,

and he's not working as much now.

And he's...

..not as grumpy! He was so tired working all those hours.

That's made a big difference for him

and he's got more time to spend with the children.

I probably see them more in one night now

than I did in a whole week at some points.

And they can really see the difference it's made

on Chantel, Demi and Imogen.

The thing I notice the difference with the kids now

is as soon as we get home, they want to go and play on their bikes.

In the UK, it was always in the house, watching TV, computer games,

but they want to be outside now, doing stuff.

Before, we used to nag them to get out,

but they're nagging us to get out now, so they are adapting well to it.

At the end of their trial week, all three girls voted for the UK.

Chantel was particularly worried about leaving her friends behind.

How do you feel after being here for six months?

Are you happy, settled in? Yeah, happy. I feel settled in.

And you've made good friends? Loads.

Are you missing your friends back home?

Yeah, but I still keep in touch with them, e-mails and writing to each other.

I think they're probably missing you, too.

So, if you had the flag now, would it be Australia or UK?

Australia.

Yay! That's a result!

As they enjoy a traditional Australian afternoon with their friends,

it's safe to say living down under suits the Patons.

Though it looks like Alan's got a long way to go

before he can call himself a proper Aussie!

Nice one, Alan!

I think you need to do a few more barbecues to get the hang of this.

Takes you about two years to learn how to barbecue probably!

A good tradesman never blames his tools,

but obviously the error was within the barbecue.

Moving to a new country is never easy.

And after a tough start,

it looks as if the Patons are settling into their lives down under.

And with everyone finally getting time together,

it's a big step to the future they've dreamt of.

We wish them the very best of luck.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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