Godfrey Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

If all you wanted in life was to

spend time with the people you loved, how far would you go

to achieve your dream?

For one family, it could mean taking the biggest gamble of their lives -

moving to the other side of the world.

In 2012, Julie Godfrey's job working away from home had been

turning her life into a nightmare.

He's got the window down, he's screaming, "Mum! Mum! Don't go!

"Come back!" You can see that he's heartbroken and it's just horrible.

And husband Alan couldn't take any more.

It was snowing. It was freezing. My wife was in London.

I was depressed and I just decided, "Enough is enough."

But on their trial week down under,

it looked like they would struggle to cope with leaving loved ones.

I'm welling up.

One year on, we'll find out

if the Godfreys are living in the UK or Australia.

We had a lot of really difficult decisions to make

and a week in which to do it.

With its British-style culture and sunny climate,

Australia's the number one destination for

people leaving the UK in search of a new life.

In fact, around 40,000 Brits emigrate there every year.

However, the grass isn't always greener

and nearly a third return to the UK.

In 2012, the Godfrey family experienced a week that could

change the course of their lives.

After seeing at first-hand the reality of living in Australia,

they faced a huge decision -

whether to stay in the UK or to make the move for good.

Today we'll find out what they did next.

A year ago, the Godfreys made the 11,000 mile trip to

Perth in Western Australia.

And, after two days of travelling,

the distance had definitely taken its toll.

The first leg of the flight was fine.

The second leg of the flight was torture.

-There's no way we could make that on a regular basis.

-No...

-We could stay here.

-I think you could make that flight

maybe once a year max.

-Oh, aye, you could do it once a year.

-Not on your life!

The long flight had confirmed that this was going to be

a life-changing week.

I need to leave here knowing the worst that it has to

offer as well as the best.

They would face plenty of challenges in the next seven days,

but then, the Godfreys were desperate to change their lives.

Alan, Julie and Cole, who was then eight, were living in east Glasgow.

Alan worked as an electrician and, three years previously,

Julie had qualified in nursing and had become a midwife.

It was a job she'd always dreamt of doing.

I love it and from the first moment when I qualified

and went in and had my first patient, I...you know,

my knees were knocking, I thought, "I can't do this on my own." And then,

one of the co-ordinators just closed the door and said,

"You're a midwife, aren't you?" And I thought, "Yeah. I am."

However, since qualifying, Julie hadn't been able to find a vacancy

in Scotland, and was having to work nearly 400 miles away in London.

This was going to be the short-term fix,

this was going to be six months, a year maximum, get me some experience

and then I should be able to get a job at home

and it just hasn't worked out that way, so...

this, instead of a short-term fix, this is a long-term arrangement.

Working away for three weeks at a time was

taking its toll on everyone.

In the last year...

she has been home for just over a third of the year.

And that's quite a long time to be away from your family

in the space of a year.

And it's definitely a long time for Cole to be

away from his mum for a year.

Julie's long absences from home were having a big impact on Cole.

I want my mum to be with us all the time, because...

um, she's, like, always away.

And I want her to have a job near us.

Can you take your hands out your sleeves?

'When he comes to the airport and he's got to say goodbye to his mum,'

that's when...

..that's when he really gets really worked up.

Sometimes he's shouting, you know, and he's got the window down.

He's screaming, "Mum! Mum! Don't go! Come back!"

'And, you know, you just have to keep walking

'and then you feel heartless for keeping walking.'

You're trying to wave him off, but he's just...you can see that

he's heartbroken and it's just horrible.

It was a painful situation that just couldn't go on any longer.

'I was on a job.'

It was snowing. It was freezing. My wife was in London.

I was depressed and I just decided, "Enough is enough."

I want something better for me and my wife and my son.

I want something better for my family.

The desperation for a normal life had pushed the Godfreys to

look towards Australia.

Knowing there was a demand for their skills,

Alan and Julie were convinced their family's happiness lay down under.

It can't be worse than what we're doing right now. It has to be better.

And, you know, all the other things - the nice climate,

the bigger houses - maybe they're just a bonus.

That's not what we're going for.

Um, we're going to try

and find some kind of way where we can all live together.

A move could give them that time together,

but would come at a very heavy price.

Cole's the only grandkid that my mum and dad have got,

and I feel really guilty...

'that...there's a very strong possibility that I'm going to

'be taking him away from them.'

I'm basically tearing my family apart...

to make me, Julie and Cole a family again.

'And that's really difficult.'

Words can't describe how much I miss my parents.

Aye.

Even with so much to lose,

the couple felt they just couldn't carry on as they were.

If Australia doesn't work out, we are running out of options fast.

-We're not living the now, we're surviving.

-Yeah.

Yeah, we're just existing at the moment and that's not what

we want for us and we certainly don't want that for Cole.

We definitely don't want it for Cole.

The Godfreys would face an emotional week.

They were desperate to find out if Australia could offer them

the family life they craved, but, if the country couldn't provide

the answer, their dreams would be left in tatters.

They spent their trial week in Perth.

With over 50 miles of coastline, it was the ideal place

for the family life the Godfreys were searching for.

Home for the week was the beach-side suburb of Shoalwater

in the south of the city.

The family arrived in the middle of the night and, after a tiring

journey, this house was their first taste of Aussie living.

Right, Cole, where's your room?

I think he's found it.

What bed are you going to have?

Cole quickly made himself at home,

but Mum and Dad were far from impressed.

A bit smaller than I expected.

It's a lot smaller than I was expecting,

but then, you come here with huge expectations, don't you?

Aye.

I wouldn't move from Scotland to something like this.

It's only two bedrooms as well.

You just think, if people were coming to stay with you,

-I would kill someone in here.

-Aye.

There's a chance I might kill one of you this week.

Luckily, one little person was a bit more upbeat.

I think the house is amazing.

But once Cole was in bed, Julie's fears became very apparent.

It scares me a bit that this might be...

-what people live in.

-What we can afford?

If it's what we can afford,

I wouldn't put our family through all of that, for this.

This is going to go really well or really badly.

In the UK, the Godfreys had been living in a two-bedroom semi

in the Garrowhill area of Glasgow, and they were keeping their

feet firmly on the ground when it came to finding a home in Australia.

-It's got to have a nice area.

-Yeah.

-Nice school, parks...

A few shops, I mean, I'm not looking to be in a city.

And if it's not within five minutes, ten minutes to the beach,

we would like a pool.

What's really important to me, is that there are other children around.

-Yeah.

-Because Cole is so used to being able to get out to play here,

that I really want to feel safe letting him out, you know,

like in a little community where I know there's parks

and there's other children around and something that will let him settle.

Julie and Alan believe they could stretch their budget

to around £300,000, so we arranged for them

to see a slice of the Perth housing market.

We showed them three houses based on their budget and needs.

Ranging from the affordable house to the dream home,

it would give them a real idea of what was on offer.

The first house was 20 miles south of central Perth

in the Wellard area, making it ideally placed

for Julie and Alan's work.

As it was a new suburb that was still being built, there were few

shops and facilities, however, that meant prices were relatively low.

A brand-new show home was the Godfrey's first taste

of the Perth housing market.

-It looks nice from the outside.

-Yeah, it does.

-What do you think, Cole?

-Yeah.

-Our first house, Cole.

Looks nice and modern.

Cole, you've missed bits.

-I like this.

-I mean, it's a big room considering

what you would get at home in a new-build.

Oh, look at this wee room.

This looks like a wee living room for Cole.

This place had certainly got house hunting off to a good start.

-It's lovely, actually, isn't it?

-It's actually quite deceiving,

cos it doesn't look as big from the outside, but it's long.

-Yeah, that's the thing, isn't it? It goes back.

-Aye.

What about the outside space?

-Moving on, the rest of the house was also a hit.

-Look at this.

-This is lovely, actually, isn't it?

-It's really nice.

The seating area over the back. What do you think, Cole?

I think we should take their grass away and put a pool there.

The absence of a pool wasn't the only problem.

Alan and Julie worried about the new suburb's lack of amenities.

If this is literally being built out of nothing, where's the school?

And, if it's a new school, has it got any reputation yet?

-Facilities and stuff, shops.

-Yeah.

I wouldn't want to drive 20 mile for a pint of milk.

The location wasn't ideal, but would this house even be affordable

with their £300,000 budget?

It was time to go back inside and find out.

You ready?

That was right at the top of their price range.

I wouldn't pay that to live somewhere that has nothing yet.

I'd pay that if it was more established.

I think if you drive up somewhere

and you see kids playing in the street and you see a park

and it's filled with kids and parents,

that totally opens...well, it totally opens up ways for you to make

-friends almost immediately, doesn't it?

-Aye.

With so much resting on this move,

the Godfreys wanted to get everything right.

Julie wanted the ideal house in the ideal neighbourhood,

but that could mean higher prices.

The second house was in the Secret Harbour area,

40 miles south of Perth, a more established neighbourhood

with shops, schools and beaches nearby.

It could have been just what Julie and Alan were after.

This house was typically Australian,

but was smaller and an older style than the first.

So, did it go down well with the Godfreys?

-The front garden is beautiful.

-Yeah, the front garden is nice.

Oh.

It's small, but it's a big couch, in't it?

It's older than the last one anyway.

Well, that's the thing, you've got to remember you've just

come from a completely new, modern house.

I don't like this house.

-I do.

-I like where it is.

-I like where it is, but I don't like the house.

-I do.

-I don't like the layout.

-I think that's the thing is

we can't afford the nice, modern house next to the beach.

Julie had possibly hit the nail on the head.

Alan wanted a modern house,

but that could mean a less than perfect location.

Perhaps the garden would change his mind?

-Is this it?

-You won't be able to play football in this garden.

-No.

The front garden's beautiful, but you expect to have grass at the back.

Aye.

Just...nah.

-This is a definite no.

-No.

This house didn't got down well with anyone, but was it

within their £300,000 budget, and could that turn things around?

-Will we have a look?

-Yeah.

-You ready for this?

-Yes.

£260,000 was well within the family's budget.

-I still wouldn't.

-Aye!

It's further away from Perth

so maybe that's why it's a wee bit cheaper.

I like the area and that's where it stops.

I would buy that first house today.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Much better.

It might have been in the right location, but this house was

too small, inside and out, and really not to Alan's taste.

Everything rested on the last property in the Waikiki suburb.

Also near the beach, Waikiki was a well-established area with

everything a young family could need.

Close to the main hospital, it would also be ideal for Julie's work.

-This is horrible.

-It certainly wasn't a good first impression.

This is by far the worst.

No. You would need to pay me to live here.

It would be depressing.

I'm devastated if this is it. I couldn't live here.

Will we have a look through there? See if it gets any worse?

What do you say?

Outside was one feature which could lift everyone's spirits.

-Oh, come on.

-They've got a swimming pool...

-..so they have.

-That's the only redeeming feature.

So, at least there was one thing they liked.

Would the price make this property more appealing?

Turn it over, Cole. Let's go for it.

SHE LAUGHS

It was just over budget, but that wasn't any consolation.

I'm flabbergasted that this is the most expensive house we've seen.

I know. That's shocking.

It was a disappointing end to house hunting, even though

this property had plenty of space and a pool.

Their day had started well with a house they all liked,

but in an area lacking amenities.

Things took a bit of a nose dive with the second property,

despite Julie's best attempts to convince Alan.

And hopes of finding the dream home crashed in the third house.

So, when it came to voting,

did the Godfreys choose UK or Australian housing?

Based on the three properties we've seen today, our vote goes to...

-Australia.

-Australia.

Don't know.

If I was voting on the first property, it would

be Australia, but the second two really disappointed me.

-So...

-I voted for Australia because I think the first property represents

what we're looking for, just not in the area that we're looking for.

But I think, given the space that we still had to

manoeuvre in the budget, that we can get something similar

in a better area that we're more comfortable with.

Aye.

Despite a disappointing day of viewing properties, the family's

determination to seek out a better life remained as strong as ever.

It's no life that we've got at home, you know? It's not like...

..if this doesn't work out, we can go back, cos if we go back,

we're accepting that what we're doing now is normal and that's not normal.

You know, we don't have what most families take for granted.

I'm doing this move for my wife and my son.

And, basically, just seeing him jumping about in the sea,

having fun...

bringing him back to the way he used to be - a happy, wee boy.

In the UK, Julie's job kept her in London for weeks on end

and the Godfreys were desperate for more time together.

They hoped Australia would give them

the family life they could only dream of back home in Scotland.

Cole's really sporty, he's very active,

and I want him to go into a culture that embraces that,

because if it's weather like, you know, lovely Scotland, then,

sometimes all you can do are indoor things

and that very much restricts what your opportunities are.

During their trial week, Cole turned nine.

To celebrate, the Godfreys visited Rottnest Island,

just a short ferry ride from Perth

and the birthday boy was in for a special treat.

-Look at you!

-Check you out!

-Yes!

You're in charge of that, so, if we crash, it's your fault.

HE LAUGHS

Rottnest Island's renowned for its pristine beaches,

making it popular with day-trippers from Perth and beyond.

Paul loves the beach.

He only learned to swim recently, he was never really a swimmer either.

So, um, all of a sudden, he's just...

the beach is his place and it's lovely to think that,

if we moved here, that, you know, we could do this regularly.

For Alan, the day was just what he'd been dreaming of,

bringing his family back together.

You just couldn't do that in Scotland. You don't get the weather.

You don't get the time.

And, eh, as I say, it's just really good to see somebody happy again.

We've never done anything this exciting on his birthday, you know?

And he's said to me, "Can we do this

"next year?" So, that's enough for me. He's having a great time.

It had been a day of simple pleasures,

but one that had highlighted the importance of time together

and what the Godfreys had been missing.

It makes me realise more that we've got to do everything that we

can to do here.

The more time Julie and Cole spend together...

..they're going to start bonding a lot more again.

It'd be good just to see what I can see from here.

It's not very often I see a sight like that back in Scotland.

I like spending time with my mum and dad.

I don't spend enough time with...

Mum in Scotland.

It was time to vote on lifestyle.

It's been a great day today, it's been a good birthday,

so, today, we're going to vote for...

ALL: Australia!

Three years previously, Julie had qualified as a midwife -

the job she'd always dreamt of.

But she'd been unable to find any suitable vacancies in Scotland.

She'd been working nearly 400 miles from home in London,

and she had reached the end of her tether.

'I'm really struggling to find a way to bring it all together.'

It brings it home that every time I'm in a room and a baby's born, and you

see that family brought together, and then you think, "Where's my family?

"I'm not with my family."

Julie spent a morning at Rockingham Hospital to see

if Australia could offer any hope of a normal work-life balance.

If not, she'd be on better off than at home.

Maternity manager Karen had all the facts and figures to hand.

You have a monthly turnaround of about 120 women. That gives us...

..a very manageable amount of work.

Karen wanted to test out Julie's bedside manner,

so gave her a chance to meet one of the newest mums on the ward.

-Hello.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-She's beautiful.

-What do you call her?

-Gracie.

-Aww!

-BABY COUGHS

-Oh, dear.

While Cole was looked after by a child minder, self-employed

electrician Alan went to find out about his work prospects.

Getting a well-paid job would be key

if the family were to get the home and lifestyle they craved.

If we do make the move, me

and Julie need to hit the ground running, get jobs straightaway

and the two of us need to start working straightaway to...

to realise the dream, basically.

I'm feeling a bit nervous.

Luckily for Alan, company owner Bruce Marshall wasn't too formal

when it came to the interview.

What's your background as far as electrical?

Well, basically, I've done a bit of everything to be honest

with you - I've done industrial, commercial, domestic...

Despite his nerves, Alan seemed to be off to a good start

and he was keen to address his biggest worry -

getting the necessary licence to work as an electrician in Australia.

I might be in a wee bit of a catch-22 situation where...

a lot of companies won't employ me on a restricted licence,

but I need to be working to get my A Grade licence, is that right?

Yeah, so...yes, you do.

-You need to be sponsored by an electrical contractor.

-Right.

And then you will have to do training.

Is there a big difference in pay between the restricted licence...?

-Absolutely.

-Is there? Is it a big difference?

-Yes.

What are we talking here?

Your income in NWA for a good licensed tradesman

-would be between 60 to 75...

-Yeah.

-..working in Perth.

-That was a good result.

Once qualified,

Alan could be earning nearly £20,000 more than he did in the UK.

At the hospital, Julie and Karen were getting down to the details.

-So, you'd come in with three years of experience?

-Yes.

-Yes.

You'd come in at 57,565.

You'd go up to 60,155.

Generally speaking, as far as operational services go,

the on-the-ground midwifery staff,

-your top salary for that one would be 80,000.

-Sure.

That could mean a salary of nearly £50,000,

£20,000 more than Julie was earning at home.

However, the entire move was about something more important than money.

I'm looking for a change of lifestyle as such.

I'm still willing to be completely flexible with my shifts, but I'd like

to occasionally be able to take my child to school, which is

something I don't get the chance to do.

How do you work it if I was full-time?

How would the shifts pan out over the week?

The morning shifts would start at 6.30, finishing at 3pm,

so that's an idea that you'll have the whole afternoon

with your children and the same thing would be night shift,

if you're coming on at night.

The night shift will start at 8.30 and finish at

6.30 or 7 in the morning and you'll be able to

go off and get everybody ready for school.

'The pay and hours sounded ideal,

'which just left one last crucial question.'

Do you think there's much in the way of opportunities

if I was to, you know, try to arrive in Perth and get a job as a midwife?

I would say we'd all be fighting for you!

Visiting time was over for both Julie and Alan.

It was time to vote for work.

'Based on my chat with Bruce,'

and everything that he had to tell me about work in Perth...

..I'm going to vote for...

..Australia.

That wasn't a surprise, but had Julie been swayed as well?

I've managed to get all the information that I thought

I had to, and, based on that, my vote for work goes to...

..Australia.

I can work in a nice unit, give the care that I want to give and, yet, I

can also have the shifts that support the lifestyle I'm looking for.

You know, it sounds like I'll be able to spend much more time

with my family, which is the reason that we're here.

It was good news all round on the work front, but Alan and Julie

needed to know if they would be able to afford to live down under.

While Cole enjoyed a kick about,

Mum and Dad sat down to look at their finances.

We'd prepared a comparison of costs in the UK and Australia,

starting with the weekly food shop.

Peppers! £1.65 in the UK. £3.89.

I can't believe how much more expensive fruit and vegetables are.

So, there's a difference of...

£13.35.

Oh, I could totally deal with that.

Don't get me wrong, things are more expensive,

but I thought there was going to be a major difference in prices.

I thought it was going to be a lot more expensive here.

Next up, the bigger outgoings.

The Godfreys were looking to take out a large mortgage.

If we take it on property two, cos that's the middle-of-the-road

one, the monthly payments are massive.

They are massive.

That's what you're talking about - £1,730.

That was an extra £1,000 a month, just on the mortgage.

Was the move suddenly becoming unaffordable?

There was one big outgoing at home they'd both forgotten about.

SHE GASPS But look!

-HE LAUGHS

-£900 a month in costs in London.

And we forgot about that, didn't we?

-And that's a minimum cost.

-That is a minimum cost.

And what's the cost in Australia?

Nothing!

HE LAUGHS

-Oh, my God!

-So, we're saving £900 a month.

Yeah, that's the difference in mortgage completely absorbed.

Suddenly, the financial cost of Julie working in London had

become apparent.

You're talking £1,700 better off.

We're financially much better off by living here.

Had the Godfreys figured out how to afford the life they dreamt of?

It was time to put their calculations to the vote?

Based on the exercise we've done today, looking at the cost

of living in the UK and also here in Australia, our vote goes to...

-..Australia.

-Australia.

Finances had given the Godfrey's hopes a massive boost,

but there was one big obstacle they still had to confront -

the reality of leaving loved ones in the UK.

-You've been looking forward to this bit, haven't you?

-Yes.

-Are you sure you want to see it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-You sure?

-Yeah.

Hey, guys, hope you're having a good time.

-Hi, Cole.

-I hope yous are having a good time.

He's always been there for me.

Um, he always helps me out with any problems that I've got and,

more so... He doesn't judge me for anything I've done,

he just basically helps me out and then lets me get on with it.

Julie's great, life and soul of a party, whenever we get together.

She's up for a laugh.

Alan came up to my house one day and just, basically, got me and

my mum in the living room and just said,

"I've got something to tell yous."

Obviously, he found it hard to tell us,

because it's a really big move and, obviously, there's a lot involved.

Oh, it's indescribable how much I'll miss him.

Yous have really thought about what yous need to do here.

I hope yous make the right choices for yourself.

-I'm welling up!

-And I'll see you guys when you get back.

Hi, guys, just to let you know,

I'm going to miss yous absolutely hundreds.

Um, especially the wee man.

Just want to say that I hope everything that yous go

over there for works out for yous and I hope to see you soon.

(Thanks, pal.)

The Godfrey's dream was within touching distance,

but, with their week nearly over, there was still much to think about.

Watching messages from home had been a painful reminder of

everything they stood to lose.

'The friends and family video really upset Alan.

'What they said was really heartfelt and they're not the kind

'of family who are particularly over-the-top with'

each other, you know? They don't really tell each other

how they feel very much.

'I think he feels like he's abandoning them.'

For Julie, Australia was the last chance to get the family life

and career she'd been dreaming of.

This week's just been, probably the best week of my life, actually.

I came off the plane...

turned to Alan and said, you know, like...

"I love Australia already."

Um, and I didn't think it would be possible to feel...

any better at the end of the week.

For Alan though, the future was far from certain.

Landing in Australia, I just...

..I felt as if I had the world on my shoulders.

This is by far the biggest decision I've ever had to make in my life.

So, when it came to the crucial vote, would a new life together

in Australia be worth what the family would have to leave behind?

Well, this is our final day in Australia,

we've had an absolutely amazing week.

We've learnt...

pretty much everything we need to know.

We're about ready to make our final vote.

Australia.

Australia.

Undecided.

That's a shock!

-You've been Australia all week.

-I know! He's been Australia all week.

Did the videos make you a wee bit undecided

although you really like the place?

Now that I've seen the film, it, like, it's really hard

and I don't know what to vote.

-That's OK.

-Yeah.

-That's all right.

Well, that's your decision. OK?

After a week to remember, Alan and Julie had fallen for

the promise of a new life down under, but Cole wasn't convinced.

So, one year later, are the Godfreys getting the time together

they desperately needed?

And where in the world are they?

It's 2013, and Cole's celebrating another birthday...

..in Australia.

A year ago today, we were in Perth, Australia,

on Rottnest Island celebrating Cole's birthday.

And a year down the line, we're now

in Secret Harbour, Perth, Australia, celebrating Cole's birthday.

ALL: # Happy birthday to you

# Happy birthday to you

# Happy birthday dear Cole

# Happy birthday to you. #

'It's Cole's second birthday in Australia.'

We thought it would take quite a bit to top last year's

birthday for Cole in Rottnest, cos that was just beautiful and

great fun and seeing something new, but, actually,

if it's possible to top it, it's just lovely being surrounded here by

so many friends for Cole's birthday.

It's only been a year since the family's trial week in Australia,

but in that short time, the Godfreys have

totally transformed their lives.

It was this time last year,

Julie was still working in London,

and me and Cole were still in Glasgow.

And in the space of a very quick 12 months,

we've basically turned our family life around.

Their original week down under highlighted just how bad

the situation in the UK had become.

'When we first came to Australia, um, we had'

a lot of really difficult decisions to make

and a week in which to do it.

Um, and I think just having that quality time together,

time that we were never used to spending, really showed us

what family life could be like again.

Basically, it got to the stage where...

I never seen my wife and Cole never seen his mum.

Something had to give and if it wasn't Australia...

possibly the marriage could have broke down, you know what I mean?

It got that serious.

And that's when we decided that we wanted things to change.

Having made the decision to uproot themselves to the other side of the

world, the Godfreys wasted no time putting their plans into action.

'But we didn't really have time to sit down and...

'think about things and...

'think about what other people were going to think. We basically...

'from basically deciding to do it...'

and then getting here. It was really quick.

-We went home on the 15th of April, or we left Australia on the 15th.

-Mm-hm.

'Um, I spent a few days at home

'and then went straight back to work in London.'

And handed my notice in. I...

And we booked our flights for the 2nd of August.

Yeah, we arrived in Australia on the fourth of August, so...what's that?

May, June, July...

'Three and a half months, maybe, from when we left,

'we arrived back and that was us here for good.

'Pretty much, yeah.'

THEY CHEER It's about time!

And the massive upheaval of moving their lives lock, stock and barrel

to Australia, wasn't nearly as fraught as the family had feared.

We knew what we were coming to,

we had a list of things to organise and...

Yeah.

..to be fair, all of them...there wasn't a hitch.

-We did a lot of organising.

-Sold everything.

-Yeah.

-Apart from the house, right enough.

-Yeah.

We've kept our house in Scotland, just renting it out

because the property market's not as buoyant.

We had six boxes and that was our worldly belongings.

Yeah, six boxes and three suitcases.

And that was us.

Slimming down their possessions may have been easy,

but leaving friends and family behind was much harder.

It wasn't nice packing up, but it wasn't as difficult as leaving was.

I thought packing up was easier than I expected.

Packing up was easy, but, it's just material things, in't it?

It is.

-It's stuff that can be replaced.

-True.

'The main stumbling block between all this is actually the fact

'that we're taking Cole away from his gran and granddad,'

his uncles and...

the rest of the family. That's the main...

the main point.

'But I think the worst one was watching Cole say goodbye to his

'two uncles who had been so instrumental in his life

'up until then. They had done a lot of'

the childcare when I was in London, um,

and I couldn't honestly say who was more heartbroken - him or them.

But saying goodbye to loved ones was a sacrifice the Godfreys felt

they had to make, if they were to get their family back on track.

You, obviously, you're feeling sad, you're leaving behind what you know.

But, obviously, excitement as well for the fact that we're going

to start a new life in Australia, it's a new adventure.

It's getting the family back together the way it should be.

So, there was kind of mixed emotions, sadness and excitement.

However, a few months after they arrived in Perth, Cole's uncle Kevin

attempted to help the heartache by trying his hand at emigrating.

My brother Kev came over here in...

..I think it was November, on a year's working visa.

And, eh, I think he lasted until the start of February.

And decided it just wasn't for him. It was...

he's redheaded, very fair skin, and he just,

he came at basically the height of summer.

It was far too hot for him, he couldn't handle it,

he couldn't even go out in the sun.

He found it really hard...

..to find work.

And, basically, for the three months he was here, he wasn't working.

And I think he just decided that he was going to cut his losses

and just go back to Scotland early.

Unfortunately, Kevin was just one of the many Brits who move to Australia

every year, only to find out it's not what they had hoped for.

I understand why he went home early as well, because...

not everybody that comes to Australia is going to like it,

enjoy it, love it.

And it's just unfortunate that he...

fell into the bracket that it just wasn't for him.

And it wasn't all plain sailing for the Godfreys themselves.

During their trial week, property had been a major worry for them.

Thankfully, the family have now found a place

they can call home in the suburb of Secret Harbour.

It's a pretty new house and it's in...

..an established area, rather than an up-and-coming area...

-Yeah.

-..which suited us because that's what we wanted.

-True.

-And...

it makes you realise that you can afford a nice house

on the money that we earn.

-In a good area.

-And in a good area.

It was Julie's work-life balance in the UK that led to the

Godfreys to consider the move down under in the first place, so has

Australia put a stop to the family being separated for weeks on end?

In the UK, I had a bit of a horrendous commute in that

I used to fly down from Glasgow to London,

work roughly 15 night shifts and then fly home for eight days.

'Now, nothing could be more alien. By choice,'

I work seven nights on, seven nights off.

'I start at 7 o'clock at night and I finish at 7:30 in the morning.

'The best bit about that is

'I'm able to take my child to school every single day.

'I can also pick him up from school every day, so for'

the first time in almost four years, we're not relying on friends, family

or anybody we can grab to get our child from school, which is

a benefit all on its own.

Julie's new job mean the family finally have the quality time

together they'd been craving.

I'm never on my own in the same way that I was in London.

Um, I haven't been on my own for a Mothers' Day,

I haven't missed Christmas Day, I haven't

'had a birthday on my own. I've managed to do all these things

'and work it in with my shifts here, and...'

I would say the work-life balance that we've achieved here is

far superior to what we ever expected to get.

Julie's already gained a promotion at work, but electrician Alan

has had to take a slight step backwards in his career.

I am currently working as an electrical trade assistant

because I need to transfer...

..my qualifications...

to Australia. I've had to take maybe a wee step back and say,

"Right, if this is what I've

"got to do, then this is what I've got to do."

If I need to jump through a hoop, I jump through a hoop.

It's only for a few months and then I'll be

back working as an electrician again, hopefully.

This is a semi...

On the plus side, I'm actually earning more money...

as a trade assistant than I was as an approved electrician

back in the UK.

'For the Godfreys, Australia has delivered everything they'd

'been looking for.'

Our family life's better.

Our bank balance is better.

And...

we've left a lot of family and friends behind, but...

..we still think about them, but

we've actually made quite a close knit...

kind of circle of friends over here.

-There's Dad.

-Hi!

-Hi, Dad!

'And it's not just Mum and Dad

'who've reaped the benefits of the move.

'Cole's been really, really enjoying it since we got to Australia.

'Um, he's made lots of friends at school and, apart from that,

'you know, he's started with'

the soccer team and he's got, you know,

he's got swimming lessons

-and he's certainly kept very busy.

-Mm-hm.

'And then, in our free time, we're usually out doing things as a family.

Yeah. Also, weekends,

-he can have sleepovers up at his friends' houses.

-Yeah.

His friends come here for sleepovers.

So, he's settled in pretty good.

Taking full advantage of the local activities on offer has

probably helped that settling-in process.

But, more importantly,

Australia means Cole has a brand-new relationship with his mum.

-'Cole gets to see you every day now.

-Yeah.

-Every single day. Whereas'

he was getting to see you for...

three days, four days, five days out a month.

'Yeah, and it's horrifying when you think of it like that,

'compared to what we have now. It's...'

how we put up with that and just accepted that as the norm for

so long. It makes sense at the time to you, but now

when you're looking back in retrospect,

it just seems the most stupid that we could ever have done, but...

-it seemed OK.

-Needs must, you had to do it at the time.

Alan and Julie have finally managed to bring their family together,

even though it's taken a move to the other side of the world

to achieve it.

And they've absolutely no regrets.

We've...

made the move to Australia

and it's probably the best decision we've ever made.

I'd like to say life in Australia is everything

I hoped it would be, but, in reality, it's more than I expected.

I can't see us going back to the UK.

For holidays only, but not permanently.

We didn't come out here for a bigger house, we didn't come here to

live by the beach, we didn't come here for, you know...

'..the weather, although it's very nice.

'We just came here to be together.

'And, we've got that and so much'

more from Australia and we...

I think we'll be forever in its debt.

Oh!

'We're in the same place at the same time and we're all'

enjoying being back as, basically, a family unit again.

'That makes us happy.'

It does.

The Godfrey's lack of a family life in the UK had brought them

to breaking point, but, in just 12 months, Alan, Julie and Cole really

have turned their lives around,

achieving a lifestyle they once only dreamed of.

We wish them every continued happiness

as they enjoy their life down under.