Cliff Wanted Down Under Revisited

Moving halfway around the world to find work and a better future is a big gamble, especially

if you run the risk of being worse off than you were at home.

Back in 2010, that was the choice facing the Cliff family.

Today, we'll find out if they made the right one.

Jimmy Cliff had found it impossible to get work as a bricklayer,

leaving his family close to financial ruin.

Money-wise in the UK, been a massive struggle.

I was out of work for the best part of a year.

But wife Nicola wouldn't be going anywhere if the sums didn't add up.

This could be enough to just stop it all.

And leaving behind their support network would be a massive strain on all of them.

I think it's just...knowing...if I need them...

they're not going to be here.

We catch up with them to find out if their gamble paid off.

In 2010, the Cliffs were faced with a life-changing decision -

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

They had one week to experience the reality of living Down Under.

But was it enough to convince them to make the move for good?

In 2010, bricklayer Jimmy

and his wife Nicola lived in Leeds with their three sons, Conner,

aged nine, Reese, aged seven, and Ethan, aged six.

They dreamt of a better quality of life, with one key reason for considering the move.

I have been out of work for quite a while, due to the recession.

Jobs are few and far between.

And there's maybe 40-50 bricklayers going for the same job.

With bricklaying work difficult to come by,

the family were really struggling to make ends meet.

At one point, we were at the brink of having to sell the house

due to financial issues.

And that's probably what helped give us the drive to go,

try and move to Australia.

There is a lot of pressure cos at the moment,

I feel like I'm letting everyone down.

Jimmy's brother already lived in Australia

and he hoped following him would give them all a new lease of life.

But he had to talk Nicola round first.

When Jimmy first mentioned about going to Australia,

it just didn't appeal to me at all.

I've never really wanted to go anywhere else,

but the situation over here being financially hard and struggling,

he sort of convinced me that it would be a good thing to do.

But the thought of leaving loved ones was always going to be a tough decision.

I would find it the hardest to make the move.

I definitely know already,

I get butterflies thinking about leaving everything behind.

Jimmy also had close family who'd be difficult to leave.

The hardest person for me to leave is my Nana.

I think knowing that if I did leave her, I'd never see her again, maybe.

It's very worrying for me. I'd find it very hard to leave her behind.

The Cliffs spent a week in Adelaide to help them decide

if the move was right for them.

After flying for 23 hours and 10,000 miles,

the realisation of how far they'd come had hit home.

It's not as easy as you'd think.

It's not a journey you want to do every year.

And it is rather hard to believe that we've got here.

Their base for the week was in the popular area of Brompton, 15 minutes

from the town centre, but what were their first impressions like?

Come on then, let's see what we've got.

-Four beds.

-Oh, wow!

-Their own bed each.

-And we get to sleep downstairs!

It'd be a starter place.

I don't think I could see myself moving into it permanently.

For Jimmy, finding work was key to a successful move.

I need to see if work's a definite

possibility out here for me.

Whether I'll be able to cope with the weather. Whether I could earn enough money.

With the family's financial future at stake, a lot was riding on the week.

The Cliffs would have to make the biggest decision of their lives

and it wasn't going to be an easy one.

Back in the UK, the Cliffs lived in a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Leeds.

They'd invested a lot of time and effort renovating their property

and it was a home they were proud of.

They hoped they could get £150,000 for it,

giving them a maximum budget of £200,000.

We showed them three different houses,

to give them a realistic idea of what was available on their budget.

The first stop was located in the suburb of Pennington.

With industrial areas close by, property was generally cheaper

and this three-bedroom house was under budget at £190,000.

But was it what the Cliffs were looking for?

This is a real disappointment. It's far too small. Really dull.

They wouldn't leave Leeds for this property.

The entire garden's under cover.

-For a family with young children, this just doesn't work, does it?

-No.

-Whatsoever.

A big disappointment, really, by the time we've gone through the whole house.

Depending on land prices, you would probably be better off knocking this

house down and rebuilding cos you'd have more to

show for your money than what this house offers.

I can safely say I just don't like it.

Out of here.

They weren't won over.

Would the next property live up to their expectations?

In the popular but affordable suburb of Seaford, this house was only

a five-minute stroll to the beach and offered them five bedrooms,

a decent sized living space and a large garden for the boys.

All for £185,000.

It's different.

This is more like a room size we'd want for a living room.

-Yeah.

-The kitchen obviously needs to change.

It's a lot smaller than I thought.

It needs ripping out and starting again.

Another bedroom.

There's not enough space in any of the rooms to fit a full size family.

I don't think it's showing any value for money whatsoever.

No. They seem to be putting a price on sunshine, more than property.

Yeah.

Not happy.

-It's a bit small if it's the main bedroom.

-It is, isn't it?

Not really what I was hoping for at all.

Starting to worry a little bit about the house prices.

You're just not getting...

You're not getting as much as I originally thought.

At the moment, it's making me doubt even wanting to come out.

I didn't think we had that low a budget

but it's proving...to be working against us at the moment.

Let's go.

Although £15,000 under their budget,

the reality of what they could afford was hitting home.

It all rested on the final house.

This four-bedroom property was situated in the country suburb

of Happy Valley.

Although just over budget at £205,000, it had a modern finish,

large living space and room for the boys to play outside.

-Looks so much better already.

-It does.

-Whitewashed walls.

-Looks fresher.

-It's nice.

Plenty of potential and it's decent enough to work with.

You could cope with it for quite a while before you did owt with it.

It was a huge improvement.

There were four decent-size bedrooms for the whole family -

it seemed to offer them all the space they needed.

-This is better.

-Wow!

-This is far better.

-Decent size rooms.

-Decent double room.

-Yes, this is perfect.

-Couldn't expect anything more.

Just a slightly...less price, so we could afford it!

They were won over by the stylish interiors

and there was just the garden left to see.

The garden's nice, plenty of room, garden shed to keep all the tools.

Yeah, I think this is perfect.

Ticks most of the boxes.

-It's ticked every box bar price.

-Yeah.

The Cliffs viewed three different properties

but their dream home was just beyond reach.

Had they seen enough to convince them to leave their home in Leeds?

Today's been a day full of mixed emotions,

looking at houses here in Australia.

It seems the properties a bit further afield from the city

are a bit more reasonably priced.

And better value for money.

So our votes for the property in Australia versus the UK is...

-Australia.

-United Kingdom.

If I could guarantee we'd have a bit more money to come over with,

and maybe look at the more expensive property, the last one,

then I would definitely have chosen Australia.

As it stands at the moment,

I wouldn't want to give up what I already have.

Australian property hadn't convinced the Cliffs.

And affording the dream home seemed beyond them.

Everything now hinged on Jimmy getting the job

and salary to afford it.

Back in Leeds, Jimmy struggled to find work as a bricklayer

and this put a huge strain on the family income.

He dreamt of having steady work and a more secure wage.

I miss bricklaying terribly. I have a lot of pride in my work.

I always feel when a job's done to be able to look back

and know that I've left some mark on the world.

Jimmy had spent the last six months labouring as a scaffolder

and although he was grateful for work, finances were tight.

Money-wise in the UK, being a massive struggle.

I was out of work for the best part of a year.

If I hadn't have had that bit of work then I honestly think

we would have lost the house.

If work was available in Australia,

it would go a long way to convincing Jimmy it was the right move to make.

We arranged for him to meet with Jason McKenzie,

who owned a local bricklaying company.

-All right, mate? Is it Jason?

-Jimmy, how are you going, mate?

-Nice to meet you.

Jimmy was keen to discover all he could about working Down Under.

What days do you work here?

Most people, if they want to work year round, they can just about get away with it.

Summer can be pretty hot. You can get mid-40s.

I dread to think what it could be like in the middle of summer here.

Probably in January, you wouldn't want to be standing here.

I've always had problems with the cold. I've never really liked working in the cold.

I'd much rather be warm and sweaty than cold and shivering.

There's nothing worse than being cold.

Whilst he was putting Australian bricklaying to the test,

Nicola wanted to see what Adelaide had to offer free of charge.

Mind the road.

Bike South Australia rents a range of free-to-hire bikes

and the boys are keen to give BMXing a try.

Nicola wanted to make sure the boys would be happy and settled

and free activities were a real bonus.

It's a perfect day out really.

Nice, sunshine, couldn't ask for anything more.

It reminds you why you want to be here.

But she knew the move hinged on Jimmy's ability to find work.

90% of the reason we even considered applying for a visa over here

was to help Jimmy be able to stay in the work that he loves,

but the biggest worry about this week is going to be if we find out

Jimmy can't earn as much as he'd need to to replace both the wages.

So if his salary doesn't cover it, there's not really much hope.

Finances weren't her only concern,

as thoughts turned to those she'd be leaving behind.

I know if everything falls under us,

my mum and dad are still there to pick it up.

Here, we're kind of stuck by ourselves.

I think it's just...knowing if...I need them,

they're not going to be here.

The thoughts of leaving family back home were overwhelming for Nicola.

But this heartache would be for nothing

if Jimmy couldn't secure a job that would afford the life they wanted.

What kind of money would we be talking roughly for me,

if I was coming over here, working in Australia?

With residential, we'd probably start around 27 per hour.

That can range right up to 35.

It just depends on what sort of quality the person brings to the table, as far as work skills.

So if you can wall 'em straight and wall a few down,

-you've got a chance of making a bit more money.

-Yeah. Definitely.

This was excellent news for Jimmy.

That worked out at between £600 and £850 a week.

From what I've seen, you've got all the qualities there, so, yeah.

Keep in touch and we'll definitely go from there.

All right, thanks a lot, mate.

Looking forward to meeting you again. Thank you very much.

It was a huge weight off Jimmy's mind,

and it was pretty easy to guess which way he voted.

I had a really great day. I had a wonderful experience walling again.

The wages, I'm very impressed with.

I should be able to make a decent living for me and my family.

So my final decision is going to be...

Australia!

Jimmy's dream of finding work and a good wage looked possible.

There was just the small matter of persuading Nicola and the children.

Nicola and Jimmy wanted to make sure that their three sons got

the most from their time in Australia.

Hello. Nice to meet you.

We brought them to Glenelg Marina to take a ride on a catamaran

and to get up close to some of Australia's wildlife.

Dolphin!

-Where?

-There!

-Two!

-Two!

OK, guys, we've got a good-sized pod up ahead of us just here!

It's all happening straightaway.

Here they come! Heads down, guys!

Jimmy hoped the trip would be a positive one but for Nicola,

thoughts of what she would be leaving behind were never far away.

I'd love to bring the whole family with me.

It'd make any move ten times easier on me.

But unfortunately it's not the case.

And they will have to be left behind.

Although trips like that wouldn't happen every weekend,

the family day out had given them

an opportunity to forget about their financial worries.

-Enjoy the rest of your stay.

-Thank you.

So how did they vote on lifestyle?

We've just had a wonderful day out,

and our decision on the lifestyle in the UK and Australia is...

Australia!

I think the kids have started to realise that there's more out there

than they actually thought there was, and I think that's definitely

helped in forcing their decision into picking Australia.

The Cliff family had been convinced by the Australian lifestyle

but money issues were constantly on their minds.

With the boys playing outside, Nicola and Jimmy got to see

if their house really was worth the £150,000 they hoped for.

We sent two estate agents round to see if it was realistic.

Modern kitchen.

Compact.

That's a nice way to put "small"! Small!

Beautiful lounge.

This property has a newly modernised fitted kitchen

with a rear double-glazed window, view to the rear back garden.

STAIRS CREAK

-It creaks!

-I know, I was thinking that!

Good-sized master bedroom.

I reckon I would keep the price at £149,000

but for a forced sale, we'd look at 145,000.

I would value this house in the region of £160,000.

For a quick sale, I would put it in the region of £155,000.

I were kind of hoping it would go for a bit more,

but I suppose with the way house prices have dropped at the moment,

it's more what I were expecting.

No surprises on the value of the house, but the Cliffs

were looking for a better standard of living in Australia.

Would comparing the costs between Oz and the UK show them it was possible?

-What's next?

-OK.

Let's have a look at the property prices, since we've just seen that.

-Monthly repayments...

-Yeah...

-I mean, them two...

-1,000 a month.

That's not good.

So we've got 1,050.

Plus... 55.

160.

Plus 160.

20.

So... 2,865.50.

-We already know there, we can see!

-We're already down, so...

-Minus...

-Take away your 2,447.

So we are down...

£483 worse-off.

Can't do it.

It's not even workable.

It kind of says, you have to go back to work, doesn't it,

for us to be able to make ends meet here whatsoever.

I certainly thought we would have had more chance than that.

If we can't afford a home we want,

and the only compromise is

putting up with a house that I can't stand to be in

24 hours a day with the kids, then that's just not even an option.

No.

I... This could be enough to just stop it all now.

It was a serious blow for Jimmy.

If they'd be financially worse off living in Australia,

where did it leave his dream?

Today's been one of the most important things we've had to consider,

and unfortunately it's been rather disappointing.

So our decision is...

BOTH: UK.

Finances are essential wherever you are and if the sums don't work,

there's not a lot we can do.

It is definitely hanging in the balance now

as to whether or not we'd choose to come out here.

The Cliff family had a strong support network back in Leeds.

After seeing messages from loved ones,

could they tear themselves away?

Hi, Nicola, Jimmy. Hi, kids.

Hey, guys.

-Very outgoing, isn't he, Jimmy?

-Yeah.

-Very outgoing.

If you want anything, you've only got to ask him.

I've three boys and I've always had a soft spot for Jim.

He loves his boys, he loves his wife, and the rest of his family.

The children are fantastic, Conner, Reese and Ethan.

They're all loveable children.

Nicola is very sensitive and a homely kind of person.

She's more of the...

-the lynchpin than David and I are.

-Hmm.

She's very close to her sisters.

And I think if she did go, then...

she'd be thinking about them all the time.

-It'd leave a big hole in your life.

-Yes.

I'm not one of the weekend grandmas.

The children and Nicola and Jimmy have always been around.

Can't imagine... I can't imagine not having them here.

Wake up one morning and it'll be,

"Where's Uncle Rich and Auntie Theresa?"

"They're back home in England." "Oh, when can we go and see them?"

"When's Conner, Reese and Ethan coming over?"

"Well, they're not. You might see them at Christmas."

Don't leave!

We'll miss them, really, really miss them.

But, by the same token, I wouldn't want to stand in their way.

Give it a good try.

You give it a go, and see how you go on.

When you make the decision, you make it for you as a family.

It's because it's what you want to do.

Whatever you decide, me and your dad...

Don't worry about us.

We'll be sat here waiting for you when you come home, though.

We certainly will.

Their messages reminded them of what moving would really mean,

and for one member of the family, the thought of leaving was too much.

Come here, bud.

Seeing their son so upset took Nicola and Jimmy aback.

I'm a little bit surprised that he's getting so emotional.

It's quite upsetting to see, to be honest.

It makes me feel slightly guilty that he's feeling like this,

but I do think he would adapt and I do think he'd be OK

if we chose to come out here.

I think leaving life behind, basically, and starting again

would be the hardest decision anyone would have to make.

You know, I think it's just the initial saying goodbyes

and leaving certain people behind that are the issues more than owt.

It is the hardest choice we've ever had to make,

as a family, as individual people.

Dragging your family to the other side of the world isn't really

an easy choice to make.

The Cliff family were about to make a decision

that could change their lives forever.

Would Australia really provide them with the better life they were looking for?

This, to be fair, is the dream. It's beautiful here.

The kids are loving every second of it.

There is a fear of making the wrong decision, but...

That's life in general. There's no guarantees.

It's just where your heart takes you, I suppose.

But Nicola was far from convinced that they could afford it.

It's a terrifying thought to think that we'd be stuck at the other

side of the world, not being able to, potentially, feed the children,

and get them the basic things that they need.

It's no good having a beach and the sea

if you can't provide food on the table.

Australia has a lot to offer,

but the UK has my life, and the last 30 years have been there,

and I don't think you can ever really imagine leaving it behind,

and just not having everyone and everything you knew.

The week in Australia had been a real challenge and had given them

the opportunity to discover the pros and cons of a life-changing move.

But would Australia provide them with all they were looking for?

It was time to decide.

It's been a really hard week, we've had a lot of highs and lows.

The lifestyle here in Australia is incredible,

but unfortunately it does come with a price.

So our final decision is...

-Australia!

-UK!

Conner, Reese and Ethan still hadn't been convinced.

I would've chosen Australia.

It's just seeing all the emotions that our families had.

And it's made me change my idea.

Despite the emotional costs,

Nicola agreed that the family's future lay in Australia.

I do think it's the best thing for everyone.

If we can work our way round the money,

there is a lot of places in Australia, so...

Maybe we have to look a bit wider afield,

but I do think we could make it work.

I'm glad we're on the same page. Makes a nice change!

After an eye-opening week Down Under,

the Cliffs seem no closer to making a decision on their future.

A few months later though, all that was about to change.

So how are you both?

We're OK. Not doing too bad.

The first thing I noticed, the scaffolding's gone on the house.

And then the second thing is, a sold sign, and I'm thinking,

I know times were tough.

I hope they weren't that tough,

or have you got some good news to tell me?

Yeah, we got our visa awarded. It was a long wait.

We put the house on the market.

Fingers crossed, there's a sale going through

and we'll be making the move soon.

Which is fantastic news.

We need to think of the boys and what their futures are going to be.

If we can make it comfortable for them now and give them an opportunity

when they finish school, then that's what we need to do.

Hopefully the future will be brighter for you.

You've obviously worked so hard.

You've got three fantastic little boys.

I so hope it works out for you.

We're just eager for the move now.

The sooner the better. Get it done, start again.

The Cliffs had undertaken the daunting task of packing up

their lives and the enormity of the decision

they had made had started to sink in.

The last few months have just been a bit hectic for us, really.

Getting rid of excess items, toys, games

and things that we really don't want to take over there

and we can't afford to take over there.

It just feels like a dream, really.

Nowt seems real any more at the moment.

It's like any minute we could wake up and we haven't sold the house.

We haven't just made the kids homeless

and plan to move to the other side of the world with nowhere to stay!

Jimmy and Nicola had the children's interests at heart but they were

making a huge sacrifice to give them a better life.

The thought of leaving my mum and dad behind is...

..I can't put it into words to be honest. I feel sick, you know.

You can get roots anywhere

but you can't make your family come anywhere.

Makes me feel lucky obviously to have someone in my life

who's willing to do something like this for me

and leave everything behind, but I also have the guilt feeling

that I am actually potentially going to break her heart by taking her

away from her parents and her brother and sisters

and whatnot, so... The nephews and nieces,

she's always been there for them, she's doted on them,

and to leave them all, it's a lot to leave behind.

A few weeks later, the big day finally arrived.

The time had come to say goodbye to loved-ones.

See you later, squirt. Keep out of trouble, won't you.

Come here, you big softie.

-See you later!

-See you later!

At long last, it was time for the Cliffs to make their final journey on UK soil.

We haven't got jobs yet, we haven't got a place to stay,

we haven't got any schools set up.

And we haven't got a fortune sat in the bank to make it any easier.

Looking forward to it now.

I'll just be glad when we actually get there.

Nervous now but really excited.

I just want to get there and see what we can do.

Got to get settled and start the new life hopefully. Off we go.

Just a few months after returning home,

the Cliffs were on their way back to Australia,

this time for good - at least that was the plan.

One year later, did the reality work out?

It did. The Cliffs have set up home on the Gold Coast.

After initially staying in Surfers Paradise with Jimmy's brother Jack,

the Cliff family finally moved into their own rented property

one month later.

They live in a three-bedroom house in a gated complex in Robina,

an hour's drive from Brisbane, complete with shared pool,

gym and barbecue area.

Although the family seem to be settled,

it has been far from an easy journey.

When I first came here, I was near enough guaranteed work

with my brother.

Unfortunately, two weeks before we were due to fly out,

the firm where he works laid off quite a few guys,

and the position for me basically became unavailable.

I did the same as what you would do at home.

On the internet, looking through newspapers,

sending off as many applications as I possibly could.

I'd hoped to stay at home with the children and not have to rush out

and get a job, and then I did my CV up, started firing that out.

Unfortunately that received as little success as Jimmy's was

for a while. It's so upsetting.

We must have sent off hundreds of CVs and applications,

just not to hear anything.

We honestly thought we'd just fail...

before we started, really.

That's the impression we both got, I think.

That we just couldn't do anything.

And the money wasn't going to last that long.

It has been a bit harder than I thought.

No matter you can say things are going to be hard, until you

actually are going through them, you don't realise how hard they can be.

However for Jimmy, while working part-time as a delivery driver,

he got the opportunity to apply for a job he was a bit more familiar with.

Luckily for me, through one of the customers that we did

a delivery for, they got me in touch with a scaffold company.

That's when things picked up for us.

I was starting to cover the rent, cover the food shopping.

-That was about it.

-That WAS about it.

But around that same time, you got your temp job, didn't you?

So we had a bit of money spare that way.

And then recently, two weeks ago, I left the scaffold company,

and I'm now working with my brother doing solar panels.

So after the initial setbacks, are the Cliffs on steadier ground?

We've got most of the basics covered.

The bank accounts, the rentals. The kids are in school and enjoying it.

They're doing well.

All the teachers have said that they're thriving.

You wouldn't know that they've moved state let alone moved country.

And Jimmy is finally seeing the benefits of working in the sunshine.

He's got a job with his brother Jack, learning the ropes

of installing solar panels as an electrician's labourer,

but there's no special treatment.

At the moment, cos my brother's still relatively new to the solar,

he's picking it up real quick but yeah,

we kind of expect to do 12-hour days.

We set off at five o'clock in the morning.

Very rare we get home before five. But that's through choice.

We could just do one job if we wanted but we're earning

good money at the moment so we might as well enjoy it whilst it lasts.

This is ideal, doing this for a living at the moment.

Working with my baby brother, it's nice to work alongside him

for a change instead of just seeing him the odd weekend.

But there is one drawback.

Working Saturdays is obviously a bit of a disappointment.

Who wants to work a Saturday if you can help it?

But on the other side, the money is better, and at the end of the day,

if I want to be able to make it a permanent feature staying here

in Australia, I need to get as much money as I possibly can

to get me started.

So it's all good.

As long as he doesn't ask me to work Sundays as well

then we should be all right.

Nicola has been enjoying getting out of the house too,

working as a finance officer.

I now work for a dental clinic,

within a university.

It's helped me get used to a lot of things,

like the way Medicare works.

It's been really nice to stop the isolated feelings being at work.

Being around people. I do work on the phones all day anyway

so I'm talking to a lot of different people,

who will give you their opinions of Australia and where you're at.

They hear my accent straightaway. They know I'm not local.

That hits off a conversation of something else.

I got offered a permanent job last week so,

I was temping there for originally six weeks, that dragged out

a little bit longer, so now I've got the permanent job.

So with a job for Nicola and Jimmy's work going well,

the decision to leave is starting to look like the right one.

We were at breaking point when we left the UK.

It is a lot more financially secure for us.

Jimmy was barely working in the UK.

We were struggling most of the time to pay the mortgage.

At least here we have the option of moving again

so we could probably find something a little bit cheaper if we had to.

But for now, we're fine. I can't see us moving from here for a while.

I think if you come over to Australia thinking it's going to be

a piece of cake, you're going to be very disappointed and upset

and you're probably going to want to fly home within the next six weeks.

You have to look at it as being back in England, really.

If work's hard in England, it's hard to find work everywhere else as well.

If you play it safe and say six months to find work

and have money to support you for that period of time,

I think you've got more chance of making it work.

One of the big draws for moving to Australia was the outdoor lifestyle.

It was something the Cliff family weren't able to enjoy back in Leeds.

I'm definitely confident in my decision, our decision,

to move out here as a family.

The lifestyle in general, it's a lot more of a healthier lifestyle.

Instead of the kids being cooped up, stuck indoors all the time,

we're coming to the beach or going for a swim.

There's always something for the kids to do.

It doesn't cost you a fortune.

I mean, just going surfing nearly five o'clock in the evening

in nearly winter, you know.

You can't really ask for much more.

And what do the boys make of their new lives?

I'm having fun in Australia because I like surfing.

We go to the beach a lot more and it's warmer.

The boys have changed dramatically since we got out here.

They are just so independent. They are changing their accent slightly.

They're just confident.

Just in general, when you go to the parks and things,

the kids will be playing and before you know it, they're talking to

loads of other kids, chasing each other around, just the way

that they do put themselves forward and make their presence known.

They seem to get accepted into groups quite quick.

Having extended family in Australia who have been through it before

has helped the Cliffs understand their own experiences,

and the family is extending further with the arrival of Jack's new baby.

Having Jimmy's brother around with us

really helped settle the boys in to start with.

It was just a face that they knew.

Because we knew Axel was on the way,

they were getting excited for him to come along

and getting to see him, and now they enjoy it if we get to babysit too,

so they have fun when he comes around to play.

I think they've had it tough.

I think most people who leave everything behind in England

to start afresh on the other side of the world, it's always

going to be tough but it's up to you how you deal with it.

I think they've done really well so far,

and hopefully they'll stick around and stay out here.

I know down the track when the little fella gets a little bit older

he'll be able to appreciate having his cousins and his family around.

Although he is going to miss the family back in England but hopefully

one day they'll come too, and we can have our happy family in Australia.

But being closer to one side of the family has meant leaving another

back in the UK.

It's a choice that's still tough for the Cliffs to live with.

I have been up and down as to whether or not

I thought this was the right thing, or we made the biggest mistake ever.

My family means everything and always will.

The way of coping with it is,

I strongly believe my family will come out here at some point,

it's just a matter of when.

Leaving your family behind, giving up everything you've got,

you know, it's scary to think about.

Not really any major regrets, I wouldn't say.

Maybe leaving my nana behind.

I think if owt did happen and I didn't see her again,

I would regret moving away then.

But my nana wouldn't have wanted me

to put our lives on hold for the sake of her anyway.

If she could understand what's taken place with us all,

I think she'd be really proud of us.

After everything the Cliffs have been through to get here,

what do they see for the future?

The plan for the next seven or eight months or so

is probably just try to save up as much money as we can,

see how work goes and what happens with the way things are

at the moment, and maybe a year or so down the line,

if things are looking good,

then maybe see about investing in buying a property somewhere.

The Cliff family took a huge risk to try a new life

on the other side of the world.

They face similar challenges both in the UK and Australia.

So after all the heartache, would they recommend it?

It was a lot of finding our feet and struggling and...

"Have we done the right thing, haven't we?"

But once the kids got in school,

once we started to find work, it's all just fallen into place now.

I'd like to think, you know, a lot of people could attempt to do

these things and realise there is a lot more to the world than just

staying at home and relying on your own securities all the time.

It's nice to actually take a gamble and live your life, really.

It is definitely easier to have a hard life in Australia

than it is to have a hard life in Leeds!

It's been a long time coming but the Cliff family

are finally in Australia and settling into their new lives.

While there's still plenty of hard work ahead,

the dream they risked everything for is a lot closer.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd