0:00:02 > 0:00:04Choosing to move halfway around the world could risk
0:00:04 > 0:00:07splitting your family down the middle,
0:00:07 > 0:00:12and in 2010, the Booth family were faced with that prospect,
0:00:12 > 0:00:17as they decided whether to make the life-changing move to Australia.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21One year later, we caught up with them to find out what happened next.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28Helen's dreamed of moving to Australia since she was 18.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32I think Australia is where my restless soul's been.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I can't see why I would want to leave here.
0:00:35 > 0:00:40But her teenage daughter, Steph, wasn't so sure.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43I'm still 50/50 on whether to go.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47But perhaps I'm pampering to my mum there.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Where really I'm 75% sure I want to stay in England.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54If Steph couldn't be convinced,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58Helen would have to sacrifice her dreams or leave her daughter behind.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02We catch up with them one year on to find out
0:01:02 > 0:01:05if they took the huge gamble and moved to Australia.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31In 2010, the Booth family were faced with one of the biggest decisions
0:01:31 > 0:01:35of their lives - whether to leave their home and loved ones behind
0:01:35 > 0:01:40for a new start on the other side of the world, in Australia.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Tim Booth and wife Helen were living in a four-bedroomed semi-detached house
0:01:45 > 0:01:49in the village of Ewloe, near Chester,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51along with two-year-old Ben
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and Helen's daughter Steph, who's 17.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Since she was a teenager, Helen dreamt of moving down under.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01I'm the instigator, the one who's always harped on,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04"Really, we should go to Australia
0:02:04 > 0:02:07"and experience the lifestyle."
0:02:07 > 0:02:11We are an outdoors, adventurous family, and what it has to offer
0:02:11 > 0:02:14ticks all the boxes for us.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19We could all go out as a family and live the dream.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21The time has never been right,
0:02:21 > 0:02:26but Tim was made redundant from his job as a town planner
0:02:26 > 0:02:28so they had started to consider a new life abroad.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33The whole development industry was affected.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37It meant working around the country at different jobs.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42I happened to get one in Essex. It meant moving down there.
0:02:42 > 0:02:48For nine months, I've been living in a caravan just outside Clacton.
0:02:48 > 0:02:54This time away from Helen and the children brought home to Tim what really matters.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56You rationalise what's important.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Working long-term or being close to the family,
0:03:00 > 0:03:06seek a better life and have more quality time with each other.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Teenage Steph didn't share her mother's dream
0:03:09 > 0:03:13and wanted to stay in the UK and go to university.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16I kind of see it as THEIR adventure.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20I want my own adventures now I'm older.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24'I'll have a look at universities but it might not be right for me.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'I just want to be able to go and explore'
0:03:27 > 0:03:29and then say how I feel.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34But at the moment, I'd probably say England's pretty cosy.
0:03:35 > 0:03:41Helen might be faced with tearing her family apart.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44I'm really pulled. I don't know. I don't know.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49If I could go and it was just my decision, I'd go.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Definitely. Without a doubt.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53'I do feel pressure.'
0:03:53 > 0:03:57If I didn't go... I'm not sure they would.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02And then that would make me feel really guilty.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04'That would seem selfish of me.'
0:04:04 > 0:04:08'Yeah, I...don't think I'd...'
0:04:08 > 0:04:12I don't know whether I'd settle without Steph there.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20I hope, whatever decisions we make, they don't influence each other
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and people make the wrong decisions.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29To help decide where their future lay,
0:04:29 > 0:04:31they travelled to Brisbane in Queensland.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38After 21 hours in the air, they finally touch down,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40jet-lagged but hopeful.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45It was OK. We were looked after. Ben was OK.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Feeling a bit tired now.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50The flight wasn't too bad.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55I was trying to get used to the jet-lag, pinning my eyes open!
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Ben behaved himself so we did all right.
0:04:58 > 0:05:04- Have you come for an adventure?- Yes. - Everything's an adventure with Ben.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Their future rested on this "adventure".
0:05:08 > 0:05:14If Steph decided Australia wasn't for her, Helen would have a heartbreaking choice -
0:05:14 > 0:05:18to give up her dream or leave her daughter behind in the UK.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23The week was young and nobody knew where the road would take them.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32The family's base for the week was a brand new town house in Redlands,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34east of Brisbane.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- What do you think? - Yeah. It's all right.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50It's nice and roomy.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- It's nice. It's all brand new. - It's clean-looking and fresh.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59First impressions were good, but for Helen, the enormity of the choice ahead
0:05:59 > 0:06:02was never far from her mind.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06The biggest thing for me to come to Australia is -
0:06:06 > 0:06:10without putting pressure on Steph - is her decision,
0:06:10 > 0:06:15and whether she's going to stay at home or come to university here.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19I think she's tending to go for university at home.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22For me, that's the key factor.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25If they're not as good, they don't live up to expectations,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27it's a no-go completely.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31At some point, she's got to fly the nest.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34And, you know...
0:06:35 > 0:06:38..I really don't know. I don't know.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Back in the UK, the Booths live in a four-bedroomed semi-detached house
0:06:49 > 0:06:51at the end of a leafy country lane.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54'They bought it nine years ago for £110,000
0:06:54 > 0:07:00'and have spent 70,000 on renovations to make it their own.'
0:07:04 > 0:07:07In Australia, Helen and Tim spent the day house-hunting
0:07:07 > 0:07:11while Steph and Ben visited the local park.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18They started in Victoria Point with this three-bedroomed town house
0:07:18 > 0:07:26on the market for £194,000, well below their 220,000 budget.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Helen had high expectations.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- The estate's quite nice.- Yeah. It is.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- It's smaller than I was expecting. - Very small.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39The kitchen's not too bad. Could do with a little bit of updating.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44I'm surprised at how small... how expensive it is for the size.
0:07:44 > 0:07:50Yeah. We wouldn't be rushing into buying it, I don't think.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53They weren't impressed.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57In the UK, their home is finished to a high standard but with the price
0:07:57 > 0:08:03of Australian property, finding a house to match with the right amount of space looked like a tall order.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05They're decent-sized bedrooms.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07It doesn't blow me away.
0:08:07 > 0:08:14It'd probably be better if it was all white, just feel brighter and cleaner.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18With Helen and Tim less than excited by the inside,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21the outside space may be more appealing.
0:08:21 > 0:08:27- Garden's not too bad, size-wise. - No. You could make it OK.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29- Don't mind the outdoor space.- No.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34'I'm a bit disappointed, actually, with the Australian property.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36'I'm a bit worried.'
0:08:36 > 0:08:41We really don't want to mortgage ourselves up to the hilt.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46The idea is that we live and not put all our money into a house.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51A bit worried that value for money isn't what I was expecting.
0:08:54 > 0:09:00If they were to find a house that felt like home, they'd need to spend more,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03but they only had Tim's salary.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12It's a nice suburban location. Garden looks nice.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Property two was a three-bedroomed detached house in Alexandra Hills.
0:09:16 > 0:09:22It came with its own pool, and was on the market for £234,000,
0:09:22 > 0:09:2514,000 more than they had planned to spend,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29but maybe it was more in line with what they were looking for.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32The room feels smaller than what I expected.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37- I expected something bigger. - Kitchen's VERY dated.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Either very dated or retro.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48It feels a bit dirty and unclean.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52At least it's three bedrooms, but...
0:09:52 > 0:09:55They're not the biggest, are they?
0:09:55 > 0:10:00- And there was only one bathroom. - Oh, no. We couldn't live with this.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03We'd fight for space.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05No!
0:10:07 > 0:10:11If Tim and Helen couldn't find a house at the right price,
0:10:11 > 0:10:17the whole move would be in doubt - just the garden left to turn the property around.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22The whole outdoors is a real social, family and entertaining area.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25You could really enjoy this.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29- Plenty of space for all of us. - Yeah. I like this a lot.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Good.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36But the outside wasn't enough to sway their opinion.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40I am surprised by the cost of it. The property is quite small.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45The inside lets it down. The kitchen's dated. The decor's dated.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50The bathroom's really dated. So, yeah. Inside isn't great.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55I'm optimistic that the third house will come up with something better.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00Helen is determined not to let the dream slip through her fingers.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02She hoped Australia would give them more for their money.
0:11:02 > 0:11:08It was dawning on them that their budget would need to be stretched.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Property three was a four-bedroomed detached house
0:11:12 > 0:11:15on the market for...
0:11:15 > 0:11:20If Helen worked, they could afford a similar home.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26- It's not the biggest living areas. - It's not at all. No.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31- It's a bit...dark.- We've worked hard at home to open up space.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35It's almost that this is exactly what we didn't want.
0:11:39 > 0:11:45Yeah, I mean, for the price I would have expected...bigger!
0:11:45 > 0:11:50As with many Australian houses, the outdoors was a selling point.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- It seems like a nice size garden. - It is.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56The best feature of the house.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- Shall we have a bit more of a look? - Yeah.
0:12:03 > 0:12:09'I'm absolutely not impressed by the houses we've seen so far.'
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I think it's better than where we live.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15So in terms of location, I like it.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20But in terms of the decor and the layout, I don't like it at all.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24The garden's all right. Beyond that, doesn't do it for me.
0:12:26 > 0:12:33Helen and Tim were hopeful of finding the right house but were surprised at every turn.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36They liked the outside space at each property,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40but found the interiors small and dated.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44If this was all they can afford, the move would be over.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47How did they vote on property?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49BOTH: UK.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54- That doesn't mean we're not coming. - It does mean you have to compromise.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56We've got to go smaller.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- A newer property would be what we're looking for.- I'm not certain.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05- I quite like the older ones with more space outside.- Oh!
0:13:05 > 0:13:07There's a debate to be had!
0:13:13 > 0:13:18In the UK, Tim had worked as a town planner for 15 years.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21He hoped his skills would be in demand in Australia.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26The move hinged on him getting a job to fund the lifestyle they want,
0:13:26 > 0:13:31and Steph finding a university that matched what was on offer in the UK.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37So we sent both of them to find out more.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40The job is important.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45For the first year, it'll probably be just my income,
0:13:45 > 0:13:51while Helen looks after and settles Ben into the move.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55I'm looking for some reassurance from the job meeting today
0:13:55 > 0:14:00that they take on UK planners, the systems are the same, fundamentally,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02and there are opportunities there.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Tim joined the Land Use Planning team
0:14:05 > 0:14:11led by Wayne Dawson, to see how things were done in Australia.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14We're talking about planning we're doing at the moment.
0:14:14 > 0:14:20It's worthwhile to give you an overview of how we structurally operate.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24We're looking at planning at a 25-year time horizon...
0:14:24 > 0:14:29While Tim was getting the low-down, Steph met Dr Judith Seaboyer,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32a lecturer in English at Queensland University,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36to find out if it was right for her.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40What would English literature here include?
0:14:40 > 0:14:43In the first year, you get a taste for different things.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48By the second year, you have a sense of what you really want to do.
0:14:48 > 0:14:56So you can do a course in 18th-century literature or in Shakespeare or in tragic drama.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00You have a lot of options in that way.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04I'm going to be a foreign student. What are the cost implications?
0:15:04 > 0:15:08University isn't free for Australians, but it will cost more
0:15:08 > 0:15:12until you become an Australian resident.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16The course structure seemed much the same as back in the UK,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20but with the disadvantage of £11,000 annual college fees.
0:15:20 > 0:15:27Tim needed a job that paid enough to support the family and meet the extra costs.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31He spoke to Eleanor Neunan to get some answers.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36I'll give you a picture as to where you might fit with the council here.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41We find in Australia the public sector don't pay top dollar,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44but they do offer a lot of flexibility.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47So, senior planner, what sort of salary is that?
0:15:47 > 0:15:53In English pounds, I'd say that would be around £38,000 to £45,000.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55All right.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59That was a pay cut of between £5,000 and £12,000.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02With Helen giving up her job as a marketing consultant,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06that was a major setback.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Tim is really the practical one.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12He's the one that has to bring his career over here.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15If he absolutely couldn't come here,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18it would provide the deciding factor for us
0:16:18 > 0:16:21on whether we could come out to Australia.
0:16:21 > 0:16:27It's not all about money. The move's about a change in lifestyle,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31not getting to retirement and not having done anything
0:16:31 > 0:16:35but lived in the same place and worked 9 till 5.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39There's clearly a balancing act between lifestyle
0:16:39 > 0:16:44and the relaxation and adventure that Helen would like to see.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47But if Steph didn't like Australian universities,
0:16:47 > 0:16:53or the courses proved too expensive, she'd stay in the UK.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The university seemed really good.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00The academic side as well as the social side of it was good.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04It's easier to say whilst I'm here, "Yes.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07"It's fine. Yeah. Australia, Australia."
0:17:07 > 0:17:13Then it's, "What about my friends? All the things I like about England?"
0:17:13 > 0:17:18Helen's dream wouldn't be the same without her only daughter.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Steph is, um...
0:17:22 > 0:17:27You know, we're best friends and I just love having her around.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30And, um...it's not just the fact of the independence,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34she'll have wherever we go, and that's quite right,
0:17:34 > 0:17:39it's just really hard to think she wouldn't be part of this
0:17:39 > 0:17:42because she's such a big part of the family.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47It's a huge decision.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- VOICE BREAKING:- So I don't know.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56I'd miss her terribly.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03Mum's fallen in love with it, more than she had before she'd seen it.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05So, that's...good.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10I don't know. It's... I'm still undecided as to what I want to do.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Whether I want to stay in England or come here.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18That's worrying, cos she's piling on the pressure a bit.
0:18:18 > 0:18:24I don't think Mum would come - no matter what she said - without me.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28If I don't come, I'm stopping her doing what she wants to do.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32I still have to make sure the decision's right for me.
0:18:32 > 0:18:39Whatever she decided, the future of the move was in Tim's hands.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Given the cost of property and the reduced salary,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45would he vote for work Down Under?
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Based on today's job meeting,
0:18:47 > 0:18:52I really do like my job in the UK, working on the development side,
0:18:52 > 0:18:56the cut and thrust, more than working for a local authority.
0:18:56 > 0:19:03There are benefits - coming out here could aid the lifestyle move - and on that basis,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I will vote for...
0:19:09 > 0:19:11..Australia.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Back in the UK, the Booths lived in a four-bedroomed house
0:19:24 > 0:19:27which they'd extended and believed to be worth £240,000.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32They would need every penny to afford a house
0:19:32 > 0:19:34they liked in Australia.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38We sent two local estate agents to give their opinion.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43There were no guarantees they would get back the £70,000 they'd spent on it.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Nice sized room. Lovely fireplace.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Ben's crayon all over it!
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Oh, what a fantastic room!
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Light, bright.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Fabulous kitchen.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09Really nice bedroom. Light, bright, great attention to detail.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Nice, big bathroom. Double shower.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17You can even lie in the bath and enjoy the view.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Fabulous!
0:20:18 > 0:20:24What we have here is a traditional three-bedroomed semi-detached
0:20:24 > 0:20:27that's been extensively modernised.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29I think it's going to appeal to a young family.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Good schools, good shops and good commuting links.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37I would recommend it be valued in the region of £235,000.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39For a quick sale, I'd suggest about 220.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41From a price perspective,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45I'd put this in the region of £245-£250.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50To secure a quick sale, it may need to come to £235-£240,000.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52But with that sort of market, as it is currently,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55we should be able to secure a quick sale.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00- So that's about what was expected, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04- When we did it previously it was slightly higher, wasn't it?- Yes.
0:21:04 > 0:21:10But I'd be tempted to rent out and rent over here,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13as opposed to doing a quick sale at home.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16That was more or less what they expected
0:21:16 > 0:21:20but with Helen giving up her £28,000 salary to look after Ben,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Tim's reduced earnings might not be enough.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27We prepared a breakdown of their everyday living costs to see
0:21:27 > 0:21:31if they could afford the life Helen dreamed of in Australia.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33So we'd be halving our income there.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38'Leccy is considerably more.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45I tell you, it's nearly £4,000 outgoings for the UK
0:21:45 > 0:21:47but £3,362 for Australia.
0:21:47 > 0:21:53Oh, so we're actually making savings, then?
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- No. That's a minus.- Oh! That's what we'd be short, then.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- So we'd be short nearly £900.- Yes.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04To live in the lifestyle that we've currently got.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09What none of this takes into account is Steph going to university.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12In order to do it,
0:22:12 > 0:22:18it would have to be that that first year was supported by savings,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22coupled with me doing some freelance work in the evenings.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- Or...- But then...
0:22:25 > 0:22:30..what lifestyle is it when I come in and you go out the door?
0:22:30 > 0:22:34I can work from home, like I do at the moment.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39But to build up that client base would take some work.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Well, that's the challenge, isn't it?
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Yeah. It is a big challenge.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47'To afford the lifestyle she wanted,
0:22:47 > 0:22:52'Helen would work evenings and weekends to make up the difference,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54'which wasn't part of her plan.'
0:22:54 > 0:22:58It's a little bit scary, isn't it?
0:22:58 > 0:23:00There is that financial pressure.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05You mull it over in your head and you see it in black and white.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Um... I think it's probably a point
0:23:08 > 0:23:12that Helen hadn't fully appreciated.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17Tim is obviously concerned that he thinks we're going to come over here
0:23:17 > 0:23:23and we won't be able to live the lifestyle that we're really hoping.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25I think he'll be cautious.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31It'll be his one area of concern on that deciding factor, will we come over or not?
0:23:31 > 0:23:35'This was a huge shock for the Booths.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37'They'd be £900 a month worse off.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41'But Helen still seemed undeterred.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44'How did they vote on the cost of living?'
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- UK.- Australia.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51I can't believe you're voting Australia!
0:23:51 > 0:23:55- I don't believe you voted the UK! - It's far too high.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57We could go round the world.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03- You don't think it's achievable? - No.- Well, I do. I disagree.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10The Booths had a tough decision to make.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14And seeing messages from family and friends would only make it harder.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Hello, Helen and Tim, Steph and Ben.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18Hi, everyone!
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Tim is very loyal, a good friend.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26When Tim and Helen got married, Steph made a speech.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30And it was so good, people still talk about it now.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32But part of it was,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36"My mum, she has a temper It must be her red hair
0:24:36 > 0:24:41"But if you've got a problem She'll always be there."
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Steph's a really bubbly girl.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48She's got loads of friends.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52- She's really easy to get on with. She's a good friend, isn't she?- Yes.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Ben is such a cutie.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58But I think he's got a bit of his mum's little temper!
0:24:58 > 0:25:00< But he is a little love.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04When they first mooted about going to Australia,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07I said I didn't want to talk about it.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11I didn't want to even consider it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13< We don't want them to go.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17She needs to get it out of her system,
0:25:17 > 0:25:22to see what it's all about, but I think she'd do well down there.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27With Helen and Tim, when there is trouble in the family,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29they are the first to come down.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33- VOICE BREAKING:- They're the first to come down to help.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37I think Helen will find that hard, whatever.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40I'd just miss them all, I really would.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44The thought of them being thousands of miles away...
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Oh!
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- Make sure you thought of everything. - Know that we're here.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54< And if you need anything, you can ask us.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57< We miss you lots and lots...
0:25:57 > 0:26:02- STEPH SOBS < ..Bye!- Bye!
0:26:02 > 0:26:07- We'll be behind you no matter what. - We'll always be here.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Make the right decision. Come home.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16And talk to us about it. Yeah.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20I don't know if we'd go to the airport because...
0:26:20 > 0:26:23er...I think that would be a bit too much.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29But I think I'd like to go up there a few days beforehand.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34To see them before they did leave, like. You know?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I've got to get a hankie.
0:26:39 > 0:26:45'That was heartbreaking, seeing Steph upset.'
0:26:45 > 0:26:47You just...
0:26:47 > 0:26:51You try and shelter them from everything,
0:26:51 > 0:26:56and you feel that you're almost inflicting something on them.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01'It's making me think maybe this decision is too early for Steph,'
0:27:01 > 0:27:04to be putting her through emotional turmoil.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09She should be just living without any pressures at this age.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Her reaction then really made me think that.
0:27:14 > 0:27:20It was just I got upset because the things they were saying were nice.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22When you see them, it's like,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26"They're the people I'll be leaving behind."
0:27:26 > 0:27:32It's just whether this adventure would be worth losing all that.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35It's making me reconsider my decision.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39My dream but, you know...
0:27:39 > 0:27:44My dream wouldn't be anything without my children being happy,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46or my family being happy.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50That comes first and she was just so distressed so...
0:27:55 > 0:27:58The Booth family face the hardest decision of their lives.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Could they balance the pull of leaving loved ones behind
0:28:01 > 0:28:05with the opportunities Australia could offer?
0:28:06 > 0:28:08What concerns me most
0:28:08 > 0:28:13is that Tim will vote because he will want to do what makes me happy but, actually,
0:28:13 > 0:28:18that would make me not happy because we equally need to be convinced.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Helen's dream rested on their decision.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25We'll be voting...
0:28:29 > 0:28:32ALL: Australia.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Yay!
0:28:35 > 0:28:39- We're going!- That's yay!
0:28:45 > 0:28:50In 2010, the Booth family spent a week in Brisbane to find out
0:28:50 > 0:28:53if it could live up to the dream Helen had since she was 18.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58But the pressure was on daughter Steph to keep the family united.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03And, despite having some doubts and emotional dilemmas,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06the Booth family made a decision that would potentially
0:29:06 > 0:29:08affect their lives forever.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11After an emotional week for the whole family,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14it was a unanimous vote for Oz
0:29:14 > 0:29:17and they seemed set on a move Down Under.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22But when we caught up with them a year later, had they made that final step?
0:29:24 > 0:29:31It's Autumn 2011 and Helen, Tim and Ben - now four years old -
0:29:31 > 0:29:34and Poppy the dog are still living in Ewloe near Chester.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39And Steph has just left home
0:29:39 > 0:29:43to become a student at Newcastle University.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47So what's happened since we last saw them
0:29:47 > 0:29:50and why haven't they moved to Australia?
0:29:53 > 0:29:56We stayed in Australia for a good two-three weeks
0:29:56 > 0:29:58and we managed to tour around
0:29:58 > 0:30:02and get to know places and relax a little bit.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06We all enjoyed our time in Australia.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09I think, genuinely, we would have made the move
0:30:09 > 0:30:13and made the most of it but a couple of weeks in,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Helen, over dinner one night in a restaurant,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19admitted it was no longer her dream, as such.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22It just actually didn't live up to expectations.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25So cost of living was one thing but, actually,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29the idea of the big outdoors adventure, etc...
0:30:29 > 0:30:31I actually found Australia quite restrained
0:30:31 > 0:30:33and I didn't think it was as adventurous...
0:30:33 > 0:30:37As a family. I guess if you're single it would be different
0:30:37 > 0:30:39but I don't think it was what I expected.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44And from there, I think, it unravelled a little more
0:30:44 > 0:30:48because Steph admitted she was quite happy in the UK
0:30:48 > 0:30:54at that point in time and that she would have preferred to stay here.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56I think she saw the benefits as well
0:30:56 > 0:31:01and realised it wouldn't be that bad if we went
0:31:01 > 0:31:03but I think the vote she made
0:31:03 > 0:31:07was more for you and keeping us all together.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09It appears the family voted for Australia
0:31:09 > 0:31:12all for the sake of Helen's dream.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15If my mum had decided to go to Australia, I'd have gone with her
0:31:15 > 0:31:17and if I'd decided to stay in England
0:31:17 > 0:31:21she would have stayed with me as well.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25So it was just summing up what we both wanted.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28When my mum said she didn't want to stay in Australia any more,
0:31:28 > 0:31:30to say I was relieved would be an understatement.
0:31:30 > 0:31:35I mean, it would have been great to live there. It really would.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39But just the fact I don't have to give up all my life here.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44I can do what I originally wanted to do. It was like a great feeling.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49The Booth family were going to stick together, no matter what.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54With Helen deciding to stay in the UK, did Australia turn out to be more of a nightmare than a dream?
0:31:54 > 0:32:00I was taken by surprise as soon as we arrived in Australia.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04I guess, if I'm truthful, I was initially disappointed
0:32:04 > 0:32:06with how Americanised it was.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10I guess I had this romantic notion about barbecues
0:32:10 > 0:32:15and lobsters, etc, on the beach and it just wasn't that.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18It was quite vast and, you know,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21the villages and communities were very new
0:32:21 > 0:32:27and it didn't have the culture that we take for granted in this country.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31And that wasn't the only issue the family had with Australia.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35The properties were seriously pants.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38I mean, they were truly, truly awful!
0:32:38 > 0:32:41And it was never to go and get a big, four-bedroomed detached.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43It was never about that.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48But I did kind of expect to have something without mildew
0:32:48 > 0:32:51growing up walls and it was awful, really awful.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55But Tim did find his skills could transfer
0:32:55 > 0:32:59and would secure him the work he couldn't find in the UK.
0:32:59 > 0:33:05The job wouldn't have paid as much as I'd been earning in the UK.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08But then, equally, I had to accept that particular job
0:33:08 > 0:33:11was going back into a local authority.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16I felt could have easily settled in to a job at Redland.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20So that side of it, actually, was quite comfortable.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23It wouldn't have scared me.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27That's one reason for voting Oz. There was no reason not to.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32Australia provided Tim with the opportunity to find work
0:33:32 > 0:33:35but has Helen's decision to stay in the UK left the family
0:33:35 > 0:33:37back where they started?
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Since we went out there in the April, I actually got a job
0:33:40 > 0:33:43back in the north-west around the same time.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46So I've been doing that now for 18 months.
0:33:46 > 0:33:51It's the client and development side, so doing what I want.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53It was just fantastic.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58It's only half an hour up the road and, clearly, you know, he was able
0:33:58 > 0:34:03to help with family life but also be there with the family as well.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06I feel I'm there for Ben growing up,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09whereas I felt I was missing out on things
0:34:09 > 0:34:13and definitely Ben at that age -
0:34:13 > 0:34:18you could see the closeness he had with Helen more than me
0:34:18 > 0:34:22because I wasn't there during the week.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25And, I mean, that tugs on your heartstrings.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30So, yes, it was tough in that sense, completely, on the family.
0:34:30 > 0:34:36Tim's new role in property development has resolved many issues
0:34:36 > 0:34:39and they've avoided the heartache of leaving family
0:34:39 > 0:34:41halfway around the world.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46We knew we'd feel quite upset and, once you're in Australia,
0:34:46 > 0:34:48you do realise how far away it is
0:34:48 > 0:34:51and the time difference makes that further
0:34:51 > 0:34:56because they're not at the end of the telephone when you want.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02I think, for us, actually, none of us liked seeing the others distressed.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04No.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08So it wasn't so much the feedback through the video
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- but it's upsetting Steph.- Yes.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16As a parent, you feel guilty your decisions are having an impact on your children's lives.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21Steph was clearly distressed at the thought of moving to Australia.
0:35:21 > 0:35:27- I don't know about distressed.- Well, she got quite emotional, didn't she?
0:35:27 > 0:35:32She would have been leaving her family, her friends.
0:35:32 > 0:35:33It was a huge decision for Steph.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36It was my dream, so, of course, I felt guilty.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39And you know, as parents, I'd like to think both our children
0:35:39 > 0:35:43get the idea that it's good to try something
0:35:43 > 0:35:47and get that sense of adventure, as opposed to never doing something.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52So if there was anything I'm justifying my guilt for, it's that!
0:35:52 > 0:35:57When my mum saw how upset I was, that made her consider a lot, like, do I really want to do this?
0:35:57 > 0:35:59For her and for me.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03She's really close to her mum and my nan and grandad
0:36:03 > 0:36:06and her brothers and stuff.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09That really did make us think, like, do we want to leave all that behind?
0:36:09 > 0:36:14Is it worth it? Obviously, I've left a lot behind coming to university
0:36:14 > 0:36:18and things but it's just completely different to moving to Australia
0:36:18 > 0:36:21and knowing you not going to see them for a couple of years,
0:36:21 > 0:36:25whereas I'll see them in a couple of months, which is a lot different.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29And you still feel that closeness, just being in the same country.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33It's just nice to know they're two hours away on the train,
0:36:33 > 0:36:37or just a phone call away if you need to speak to them.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41I think it must be much harder if you actually emigrate
0:36:41 > 0:36:46to actually, sort of, cut off the family completely.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51It's a big sacrifice, I think, to say to grandparents,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54actually, you know, you're taking the grandkids away, type of thing.
0:36:56 > 0:37:02Although the family didn't emigrate to Australia,
0:37:02 > 0:37:03Steph has moved on with life.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Steph was lucky enough to get a position at Newcastle.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10So she started at the beginning of October.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13And she's having a fantastic time.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17She informs us she was born to be a student. I don't know what it means
0:37:17 > 0:37:20but I'm sure it has to do with socialising and things!
0:37:20 > 0:37:24So Steph has really settled in well and found her wings
0:37:24 > 0:37:28and, you know, she's having a fantastic time.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Hello! Welcome to my humble home.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36This is my student flat and where I'm living now.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39This is our kitchen, where we do our cooking.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43We don't do much of that, being students. It's all about takeaways.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48Now I'll show you my lovely room. This is where I live.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53These are all my letters from my lovely mum,
0:37:53 > 0:37:59keeping me in touch and giving me post to open and all my friends from home.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04This map just is where I've scratched off all the places
0:38:04 > 0:38:06I've been travelling so far.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11Australia, with Brisbane, along the east coast.
0:38:11 > 0:38:17Since coming back from Australia, I completed the International Baccalaureate, like A-levels.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21But I originally did it with the intention that
0:38:21 > 0:38:24I might move to Australia cos it's an international course.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29But then, obviously, through that we changed our minds,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32stopped the visa process, and I decided to apply to universities
0:38:32 > 0:38:37in England and I ended up here studying geography at Newcastle.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Not English, like I said I was going to do in Australia.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45Change of heart! I'd still like to be a writer but travel writing now,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48not really with the English. I like travelling a lot.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51And being separated from her daughter
0:38:51 > 0:38:54was always something that Helen feared.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56The build up and thought of Steph not living here,
0:38:56 > 0:39:00going off and being her own person, was much harder than when I've seen it
0:39:00 > 0:39:05and I know she's settled and making friends and living her life.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08And so that actually feels quite good
0:39:08 > 0:39:11and we're proud she's done that and proud of her.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Even though Steph has gone to university here
0:39:14 > 0:39:20and she's independent, it is still nice to know we'll be meeting up.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22In fact, she's been gone three weeks
0:39:22 > 0:39:27and she's coming back in a couple of weeks' time and that's quite nice.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Over there, that wouldn't have been an opportunity.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33In fact, I can't even imagine
0:39:33 > 0:39:36what that would have been like.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38So, yeah.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Letting go of her daughter was one of the hardest things
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Helen has had to do but how has Steph coped?
0:39:45 > 0:39:49Not as tough as you'd imagine, leaving your parents and making a new life.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53It's four hours away. You can always pop home if you need to.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55They are always there on the phone
0:39:55 > 0:39:57and it's just such a good life up here
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and all the friends you make and the independence.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Studying a new subject is just great.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Things are looking good for the Booths and Australia seems to have
0:40:06 > 0:40:10given them a new appreciation of their lives in the UK.
0:40:10 > 0:40:15We perhaps realised we don't do that much at the weekend together,
0:40:15 > 0:40:16when we could do in England
0:40:16 > 0:40:20and take advantage of things that are close to us at home.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24So I think it really did make Mum think about the stuff at home
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and that the lifestyle could be improved in England,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31rather than just moving to the other side of the world.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34I think we do take for granted in this country,
0:40:34 > 0:40:35or what we took for granted,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38was how close we were to the rest of Europe
0:40:38 > 0:40:41and how easy and cheap it is to get
0:40:41 > 0:40:43on a plane to fly out to anywhere,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47to absorb lots of different cultures and lifestyles
0:40:47 > 0:40:50and, actually, it's things like that, on reflection,
0:40:50 > 0:40:54you kind of would have missed without even realising it.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Australia was a great place but within the month we had there,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00I don't think within two or three years we would have
0:41:00 > 0:41:06necessarily experienced anything hugely different to what we did.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10With their new outlook on life, only one question remains.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14- Where next for the Booths? - Plans for the future?
0:41:14 > 0:41:18Ben has just started school and he's settled in to school.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21We're trying to do some travelling, as much as we can,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24and as Ben's older that's becoming much easier.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26We're off to Thailand at Christmas.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29So we're trying to travel as much as we can
0:41:29 > 0:41:33that we would not have been able to do
0:41:33 > 0:41:36if we had made that move out to Australia.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Once I've finished this degree in geography,
0:41:39 > 0:41:41I'd like to become a travel writer,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43make some documentaries,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47travel the world, definitely go back and visit Australia again.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49I mean, it was a beautiful place.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52I'd like to explore more of it and when I'm older,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56have family of my own, maybe I'll decide that it's my dream
0:41:56 > 0:41:59to go there and drag my family over there!
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Make them see whether they want to live there.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Although the travel bug is very much alive,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08for the Booths, home in the UK is where the heart is.
0:42:09 > 0:42:15I think Helen is much more calm and relaxed about what we've got
0:42:15 > 0:42:21and we can lay to bed the idea of this dream of going to Australia.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24She's been there, done it, seen it and didn't quite like it!
0:42:24 > 0:42:27And she's not buying a ticket back.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Absolutely no regrets.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34I had a fantastic time in Australia.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38It's great memories we've taken from it
0:42:38 > 0:42:41but now we've come back, we've got a great life.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45So, you know, it's just making the most of what we've got.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49So Australia did help the Booths decide on the future
0:42:49 > 0:42:54they wanted but it was a future back in the UK
0:42:54 > 0:42:59and with plenty of changes at home, and Steph happy at university,
0:42:59 > 0:43:01it looks like they made the right choice after all.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd