Armes Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

For most of us, the idea of emigrating to another country

is nothing more than a pipe dream.

But what if you decided you had enough of thinking, what if?

How would you convince your partner to put aside their doubts

and follow you to the other side of the world?

In 2012, Teo Armes took his family to test drive life in New Zealand.

It was his best shot at persuading them to emigrate.

If we weren't to move to New Zealand this time,

-I don't think we'll ever do it.

-Wife Amanda didn't want to leave the UK.

The distance makes me feel sick with worry.

The thought of leaving her mum seemed unbearable.

I don't like to think about it too much, otherwise I'd cry.

Leaving my mum.

One year on, we'll find out

if the family have made the life-changing decision.

We had everything most people would want.

And then we were just going to give it all up.

For many Brits looking for a new start, New Zealand seems perfect.

Its open countryside and mild climate are a powerful draw.

And with just a fraction of the population compared to the UK,

there is plenty of room for new arrivals.

But the dream isn't always easy to achieve

and it doesn't work out for everyone.

In 2012 the Armes family spent a week experiencing the Kiwi

lifestyle first-hand.

For Teo, it was a chance to convince his wife

and children it would be worth giving up their comfortable life

in the UK for a new life down under.

Today, one year on, we'll find out what happened to their hopes

and dreams.

For their trial week, the Armes took a 12,000 mile

journey before they touched down on Kiwi soil.

But they had an unplanned stopover at immigration.

Amanda filled in the forms on the plane to declare

if we were carrying any food or footwear that may have soil on.

And Amanda forgot to say that we had on our walking boots

and we have been officially warned, luckily we weren't fined 400,

but they nearly did, and they gave us a proper telling off.

And an official warning. She was crying five minutes ago.

-Not a good start, was it?

-No.

The family were about to face a week that could

change their lives for ever.

In the UK, the Armes lived in the historic city of Norwich.

Teo was a consultant social worker, Amanda, a part-time sales assistant.

Football-mad Alfie was nine and Isabella was seven.

After a student trip to Australia, Teo had always wanted to

emigrate, but after falling for and marrying Amanda,

the move had been put on hold.

It's always been talked about but it has always been in the background.

It has never been, we are actually going to do it.

We have never moved forward on that.

But then a tragedy had made Teo look at his dream again.

My brother...

suddenly and unexpectedly died.

It has really had a huge effect on the whole family,

but it has really made me evaluate what I've got, what I want from life.

However, Amanda was worried about moving.

The distance makes me feel sick with worry and nerves,

that if anything was to happen to my mum or dad,

because they have not been that well, yeah, it kind of...

Yeah.

A move was something Amanda hoped she would never have to contemplate.

I don't like to think about it too much otherwise I'd cry, yeah,

leave my mum.

Really?

-SHE CRIES

-They haven't got anyone else. They've only got me.

-Yeah.

-It's the grandchildren.

And taking them away, because they love them so much.

-Yeah, I feel really guilty.

-It would have a massive impact.

Alfie and Isabella also weren't sure about the idea.

Me, Mum and Bella don't know how it feels to be on the other

side of the world. But Dad does.

But back then, with the children growing up fast, Teo believed it

was now or never, if they were ever to realise the dream of emigrating.

If we weren't to move to New Zealand at this time,

I don't think we'll ever do it.

If I weren't to at least try and show Amanda

and the children what we could have somewhere else, and what life

is like living in another country, I think I would always have a regret.

There is nothing worse than having regrets so...

..he needs to do what he needs to do and I have to support him on that.

But the reality of it...

..is something, just, I can't comprehend.

For their trial week in New Zealand,

the family visited Auckland on the North Island.

The country's biggest city, it is full of life

but surrounded by open spaces.

Their rental home was in the suburb of Takapuna,

so how did their first taste of Kiwi living go down?

-Ooh.

-Oh.

-Modern.

Yeah.

-Oh, it's all open plan.

-I like it.

-I like open plan.

-It's good.

-Amanda's thoughts had already turned to the week ahead.

The area we are staying in is lovely or it seems really nice,

and the house is gorgeous.

It's very similar to our home, so it doesn't feel like something

completely different and alien to me.

But I know I'm a long way from home.

Trying to get Amanda on board.

If the houses go well, then that holds the whole week in good stead,

I think, because Amanda is the key decision-maker really.

Back in the UK, Teo and Amanda lived in a three-bedroom family home in Norwich.

They hoped to have a budget of £250,000.

But for Amanda, a Kiwi house would have plenty to live up to.

I'd like a modern house. Something homely, comfortable.

For me, as long as she likes it

and she's happy with the house then I'm happy with the house.

Kitchen is very important.

Ideally, I'd like to have a spare bedroom so guests can come and stay.

I'd like an entertaining space so that we can all be together.

I definitely would like to have somewhere to grow some veg and stuff.

The worst thing to be would be to be put in the middle of nowhere

on a lifestyle property,

surrounded by acres of fields. I would absolutely hate it.

That was quite a list,

but finding it would be key to winning Amanda over.

We gave the Armes a taste of Auckland's property market.

We showed them three typical houses based upon what they wanted,

what they could afford and the real cost of property down under.

After seeing what was on offer,

they'd discover how much each property cost.

The first stop was in the desirable beach-side district of Devonport,

with plenty of local schools and only a ten-minute ferry ride

to the city centre,

this was harbour-side living in the suburbs.

-But did it impress the Armes?

-I like the little balcony there.

I don't like the outside of it. It looks quite bleak and depressing.

It wasn't the best start.

OK, let's go and have a little look.

-Are you going to lead us in, Alfie? Yes?

-I am.

OK, what do you think? It's quite small. It's cosy.

I like the veranda and the door.

Kitchen is on the small side but it's OK.

It's nice that it joins the dining room

so you can still sit there and chat.

While the children explored the garden,

Mum and Dad checked out the bedrooms.

This would have to be a children's room. This can't be...

It couldn't be our room.

OK, so this is the master bedroom. This is a bit better.

-It's not huge, but...

-It's not massive but it's good enough.

It's similar to the house when we bought ours, and changed everything.

Yes.

-This is quite a big room as well.

-Yes, this is nice.

At least the kids would have equal-sized rooms for a change.

-It's a good-sized room. You have got the two windows.

-No, this is nice.

I like it.

With only three bedrooms there wouldn't be much space for guests.

But an answer to the problem was to be found downstairs.

-Oh, blimey, it's a huge space.

-That's huge.

The basement area was as big as the house.

Where do you start?

I don't know, it would take some serious cash to...

-change it. But... Wow.

-A bit of a project...

-A bit of a project.

..which I don't really fancy.

I wouldn't mind as long as the money was in the budget to do it.

A guest bedroom was important to Teo and Amanda who wouldn't

settle for somewhere her parents couldn't visit.

-There's a vegetable patch over there, Teo.

-A veg patch.

-It's got rhubarb.

-I like the garden.

-The garden is good.

-It's massive.

I'd worry about the neighbours because the neighbours would

constantly be having a football in each garden!

You would be climbing over that fence like you do at home all the time.

The house had lots of potential and the garden Teo wanted,

IF he could stop Alfie turning it into a football pitch.

But was their £250,000 budget going to be enough to cover it?

-Bearing in mind that we are in Devonport...

-Who dares turn it over?

-..which is expensive.

-Turn it over, let's have a look.

-OK.

-630,000.

-It's a bit over budget...

-Yep.

-..by about 50 grand.

-Yep.

You're going to spend at least another 50, if not more renovating.

It was a good price for Devonport,

but Amanda didn't see herself living there.

So what was Plan B?

If we want to spend a bit less than that, then we're going probably

have to look a little further out from the central business district.

I'm happy to look a bit further out.

The second property was 25 miles to the north-west,

but would it appeal to Amanda?

Oh, my God, there's a caravan!

Oh, this is horrible.

-Stop making your mind up about things until you've had a look.

-OK.

Property two was a country cottage full of character.

Oh, this is not my cup of tea at all.

The house sat in its own land and didn't have a neighbour in sight.

I don't see the point of having ten acres

and being in the middle of nowhere.

Inside, the cottage had an old-fashioned look.

-Crikey. It's certainly a doer-upper, isn't it?

-Do-upper.

-I'd have to knock it down.

-This is called country kitchen.

Not my country kitchen.

Amanda wasn't impressed.

So what about the bedrooms?

This is tiny. There would be a massive fight between the children.

That is more of an office size, isn't it?

-This isn't really us, is it?

-No.

Let's go and have a look. Oh, it's outside. A little veranda.

-Yeah, yeah. What do you reckon?

-Never.

-If we could buy it...

-Never.

-If we could afford it and have the money to do it up...

-Never.

You sound like you are really warming up the idea.

-Could the price help turn things around?

-Come on.

-Do you want to reveal?

-You ready?

-Go.

-I'm quite excited.

-Go.

Oh, my God. Seriously, 224,000 for this? Wow.

I thought it would be a lot less.

Even if it was £100,000, you wouldn't want to buy it.

-So it's pretty irrelevant really.

-No!

It was safe to say the second property

fell into the definite "no" category.

The final house was in the North Shore,

just 20 minutes from central Auckland.

Surrounded by cafes, shops and located close to the beach,

it potentially offered something for everyone.

-This looks nice.

-It does. It looks more our sort of taste.

-Yes.

-Spacious.

-Yes.

-It is nice, isn't it?

-Very nice. It is a really nice size.

That was a much happier-sounding Amanda.

It is a good space.

I can see us making it more our kind of... Wa-hey!

More our kind of house.

With two fair-sized bedrooms for the children, and a thumbs up

from Amanda for the master bedroom, was she coming round to Kiwi living?

Lovely!

I can see the potential in this house. Yes.

You can see us living somewhere like this.

Outside, the children had been exploring the garden.

-Do you like it?

-Yes.

And Amanda had found something specially designed for Teo.

Have a look inside. You would be in heaven, darling.

-Look, it's got a wheelbarrow!

-A wheelbarrow!

Finally, it looked like they had found a real contender.

-The house is the right size.

-Yes.

-With a little bit of work...

With a little bit of cosmetic work, changes here and there

-and the layout.

-But it's liveable.

-It's definitely liveable.

But I think over time it would probably be a good option.

-Good, good. I'm glad. I like it too.

-Wow, we've agreed on something.

But would the £250,000 be enough?

It was all riding on the turn of the card.

-OK, go on, then.

-Let's have a look.

BOTH: Ooh!

-OK.

-Blimey. It's bang on 500,000.

Is it better than you thought?

-Yeah, I thought it would be about 275 or something.

-Yeah.

-That's a good price. It's exciting!

-Yeah.

House-hunting hadn't gone well.

Property one was a disappointment for Amanda.

-And the second house might as well have been on the moon.

-Never.

But the final, much more affordable house had got everyone excited.

Had Amanda seen enough to start the week with a vote for New Zealand?

Based on the three properties we've seen today, we are

going to vote for...

-Middle!

-OTHERS: UK!

So why were you undecided?

I like our house at home but the gardens in New Zealand seen

to be bigger than the ones we have at home.

-Really? You think it is bigger than our garden?

-Yes.

We've made our home really nice and I think the houses

we saw today weren't anything that I would want to live in.

The cost of the houses here in comparison for what you get

and everything, just on the three we've seen, I was...

-They weren't the right home?

-No.

Hopefully, tomorrow, with work and the schools it'll be a better day.

Yes, I am looking forward to tomorrow.

At home, Teo had built a successful career as a consultant

social worker, but he was realistic about his prospects down under.

I would probably be having to almost take a step down if I was going to

go to New Zealand, because I have got more of a managerial position here.

Almost certainly I would earn less money. But I accept that.

That is not really going to bother me.

Teo had hoped to find work from day one in New Zealand.

Amanda wanted to track down a school that felt right for the children.

Alfie is very academic, Bella is very artistic,

so I would need to find a school that combines both of those things,

because I want them both to do as well as they can.

To find out what the job market was like for social workers

from overseas, Teo went to meet Pru and Kristin from

a recruitment agency specialising in health care professionals.

-The New Zealand health system is very comparable to the UK.

-Is it?

And that is why we find that the UK health professionals are quite

sought-after in New Zealand, because they tend to hit the ground

running because the systems are so comparable.

Brilliant, that is very good.

If they decided to emigrate,

Amanda wanted a school to be in place before they arrived,

so she spent the day visiting one that had been recommended.

Welcome to Milford School.

It is good that you could come along today to have a look at the way

we do things here in New Zealand. You'll probably have lots of questions so Mum

and both of you can ask as many questions as you like.

Brilliant, thank you.

Headmistress Lee Hopkirk gave them the guided tour.

Look at the trips, Alfie, they are on their boats and things like that.

-That looks amazing.

-It was from our outdoor education week.

So that's when we had... The year five classes went out to

lots of different outdoor activities in the week.

There's a lot better school trips than we have.

This was a state school but away trips weren't free and Teo

needed to know his salary would provide enough for all their needs.

You could expect to be, you know, minimum, step five.

Which is roughly NZ61,362.

However, you know, there are many steps on here. It goes up to 15.

And here it details how you move up,

as you sort of progressed through, you know, your years.

That is really good actually, yes.

That was similar to Teo's earnings back home,

and for a lower grade, but was there work available for him?

I think you would be a great candidate for people.

That sounds very good.

Yeah, really good. OK, thank you. That's excellent.

It looked like Teo could find a good position, but back

at the school, Alfie and Isabella had a few questions of their own.

We do maths and crayoning and writing. The same probably.

-How often do you do art?

-At least once a week.

This school seemed to be an ideal fit for the children offering

art, high standards and sport.

But would it be easy to place them?

We are a very popular school and our numbers are really high, so much so

that we are not letting our numbers get any higher than they are.

Oh, right, OK.

You have to be living in the school zone to be able to come to Milford School.

And if you're not, then the only way in would be through a ballot.

It looked like good schools were hard to get into wherever

they were, but was Amanda impressed?

The kids really love it and the teachers seem really friendly

and welcoming, so yeah, it's put my mind at ease and made me

feel a lot happier.

And after his day of job-hunting, what was Teo's verdict?

Based on my work interview today,

I'm going to vote for...

..New Zealand!

I'm reassured by the salary. It's very comparable to the UK.

Before Teo could share his views with everyone,

Alfie chipped in first.

-Was it good?

-Yeah.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-And they do do football.

-Soccer.

-Yeah.

-Do they call it soccer?

-Yeah.

-Did they say they do netball, Bella?

-Yeah, every week they do art.

-Do they?

-Yeah.

-Lots of art around the school, wasn't there?

-What did you think, Bella?

-It's cool.

-It's like a really big adventure.

-Yeah.

-Can we go and play now?

-Yep. Course you can.

OK! Go on, then!

It was time for Teo and Amanda to catch up.

-I'm just wondering how you got on today. How did it go?

-Yeah!

Excellent! They were pretty positive.

They said you'd probably start on around 61,000, I think.

-Mmm. Is that for a basic social worker?

-Yeah.

-So, there is quite a lot of progression after that.

-Oh, really?

-Oh, that's OK, then.

-Yeah.

But they were very positive about the prospect.

So, how does it make you feel about moving here now?

-It's made me feel a little bit better.

-Yeah.

It's not made me suddenly want to come out here,

-just because of a school - there's so many different factors.

-Mmm.

But, yeah, that part of it has been really positive.

And it made the kids feel happy.

As long as they're at ease and they

know it's not going to be big and scary for them,

-then it puts my mind at rest.

-Yeah.

But could the Armes afford to live in New Zealand?

We compared a comparison of their expenses at home and down under

to see if they could afford Kiwi life.

-Whoa, look at aubergines!

-Crikey! The kids don't like them anyway, so...!

-They'll be happy!

-Maybe I'll grow them.

-You can grow them!

-OK. Loo roll...

Slightly cheaper.

Yeah, but is it tracing paper or is it toilet roll?

Despite some items being more expensive,

their weekly shop was only £15 more in New Zealand.

That difference per week is not a huge amount,

and as we know, we can, erm...

-save on...

-That's an average, that's fine, isn't it?

-Yep.

-That's nothing.

-That's all right.

They based their calculations on Teo's salary in New Zealand,

which they hoped would be about the same as he earned in the UK.

But there was a big problem.

We'd still be worse off, because, simple fact is,

-our mortgage would jump hugely...

-Mmm.

..from £500 a month at home...

-Yeah.

-..to round about 956 here.

-We've been lucky with the mortgage at home.

-Mmm.

Mmm.

It's doable, but we won't have much left each month.

With only one salary, the figures didn't look great,

so did they think the move was worth it?

So, based on the cost of living between here and the UK,

our vote goes to...

..UK.

-Yes, UK, has to be.

-Yeah.

My heart is saying to me, we can still do it, and I know we can,

erm, but my brain is saying,

erm,

it's still quite a lot of money, and the worry is,

-how much would we have left over each month?

-I don't want to be skint.

We've got enough to be here. So,

it's the quality of life I think you'd have here still.

-Erm...

-Yeah, but...

with that amount of money left, there wouldn't be much quality of life.

You couldn't go out for the extra meal or for the extra thing,

-and the holidays and flights home and... It just...

-Mmm.

That's not going to be enough money, it's just not...

-OK.

-The figures don't work out.

Finances were a set back for Teo,

but would a taste of the Kiwi lifestyle help convince the family

his dream still had legs?

At home, Alfie was a budding player with Norwich City Soccer School.

So, during their trial week,

the Armes visited a similar club in Auckland,

to give him a chance of comparing teams.

While Alfie warmed up, Amanda got chatting to one of the other mums.

-So you come here every... How many times a week?

-Sometimes three.

-Really?

-Depending on the Saturday because he does training.

I'm a bit of a fair-weather football mum so I only come out

-when it's sunny and dry!

-So you don't even watch on a Saturday if it's raining?

-I... No.

That's a good way coming over here to meet people, if you did come and watch.

-Yes, I might have to change my outlook on that.

-You might.

On the pitch, Alfie wasn't having any trouble fitting in.

-Lovely!

-And finish it.

Good. Well finished.

So I was thinking if you wanted to sign Alfie,

we could sort of have a chat with a beer afterwards.

I was thinking sort of 500 grand.

For nine, he's got some great skills.

He seems enthusiastic, as well.

500,000 - for how long?

Teo was already making friends but Amanda still had worries.

I think I'm just going to have to get my head around

just the lifestyle change, not only a big move...

-Yeah, I'm more than happy to help you when you arrive.

-Excellent.

-You will love it when you come next, for sure.

-Yeah.

Amanda seemed to be starting to fit in, so it was time to indulge

Isabella with a treat.

After a busy morning, time together on the beach was the perfect way

to consider the week so far.

I'd be stupid to even say, "No, I wouldn't want to live here."

-It's lovely.

-Yeah.

But there's so many other things to consider.

-This is pretty good, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I mean, the kids are well catered, there's so much they can do.

-Looks like it's all about family.

-It is, yeah.

-Families, children.

Yeah, the activities the kids can get involved in,

like after-school clubs and different..sailing...

-On that front...

-You are won over.

-I'm won over by that, totally.

It's lovely, yeah.

It had been a great day for everyone but had the Auckland lifestyle

worked enough magic for Amanda to overcome all her fears and worries?

Based on our lifestyle in New Zealand,

our vote goes to...

-ALL: New Zealand!

-New Zealand.

Whoo, Bella, you did it, yay.

How come you chose it because I didn't think you were going to?

I like it here.

The weather is nicer than at home.

It's horrible and rainy.

-Yeah, well done, Bell.

-Brilliant.

I like that they do football and it's good coaching.

Yeah, Brilliant.

It's really... It's sunny here and it's got loads of beaches

-and the place is surrounded by water.

-Yeah.

Not much to choose from, Alfie.

Alfie's just speaking for me, as well, there.

This is the easiest vote because the lifestyle is fantastic.

The Kiwi lifestyle had shown Amanda she could enjoy time in New Zealand,

after all, but it was the thought of leaving family and loved ones behind

that had always been her biggest fear.

How did she react to messages from back home?

-Do you want to watch this, are you happy to watch it?

-Yeah.

-You're not going to get too upset, or anything?

-No.

OK, let's watch.

Hello, Teo and Amanda

and Bella and Alfie,

I hope you're enjoying yourselves.

Bella's a little madam, isn't she?

THEY LAUGH

They are absolutely brilliant.

-Brilliant, yeah.

-Aren't they?

-Yeah.

With tragedy that's just happened in the family

I can see more clearly that he wants to live his dream.

He wants to get out there and do what he wants to do.

After losing one brother, it does to me

it does feel a bit like I'll be losing the other

because I don't know how often we'd be able

to get out there and see them.

I don't want you to go, you know that. Erm, all of you.

I'd like to see my two grandchildren grow up.

I'd like to see Alfie play for Norwich.

They've both got jobs at the moment, they've got a nice house,

a nice environment, friends and family.

I can't really understand that.

Deep down I hope she doesn't go but...

There's a part of me that would like them to be around

but that's just me being selfish, really.

I think, for them, it would be wonderful.

I know there'll be a few boxes to tick off

before you make your right decision. I know you'll make the right one.

I will miss you very, very, very much.

TEO: Aw....

It would be another emptiness for me in my life.

But I'm prepared to take that sacrifice and live your dream

and I'll just be there and come and see you as soon as I can

-Oh, blimey.

-That threw you, didn't it?

-Yeah.

It was pretty supportive, really, wasn't it?

Yeah, positive. I knew my mum would be supportive, as well.

I can see it breaking her heart but...

-I think they can understand, they can understand.

-Yeah.

Watching messages showed the Armes just how much

heartache their departure would cause.

But if Teo was to realise his dream,

it would be a price they'd have to pay.

I really like it. I can't fault the place.

There is nothing... It's lovely.

There's nothing I can say against it.

My dilemma is, do I give it a chance and do it for Teo...

And maybe not just for myself, I don't know.

I'm just not...

I just don't think I can do it.

Erm, there is always going to be minuses because they will be

without family and cousins and friends, who they have left behind.

But, erm, the bonus of being outside and having an active

kind of lifestyle outweighs that.

I can see how happy he is, he loves it and he's just like alive.

He's come to life with everything and so has Alfie.

Bella's loving every minute of it, as well.

If Amanda does vote for the UK,

we'll probably have many conversations, I would imagine,

just for the next few weeks, maybe the next month or two

and then I don't think I would say it again, or bring it up.

You know, there's no point flogging a... Is it a dead horse,

is that the saying?

I need to stop being selfish, really,

and do things for others, rather than holding them all back.

It was the end of their trial week and time for their final vote.

Had Amanda been able to put her doubts behind her

and join Teo in his dream?

Based on our week here in New Zealand,

our vote is going to go to...

New Zealand!

Oh!

Oh, UK!

You've gone UK. Amanda, you've gone New Zealand.

Only with a discussion.

It's not a definite we're coming next week or next month.

It is, erm, yeah...

We shall see.

-Oh, Bella...

-You've gone UK?

-I know why.

-Is it Nanny?

-Yeah.

Oh...

Oh, Bella B.

I want my nanny.

We haven't decided.

We've got lots of talking to do, it's not a definite decision, OK?

We wouldn't do anything that you didn't want to do, as well, OK?

We've got lots of talking to do.

When we last saw the Armes,

the family's trial week in New Zealand had persuaded Amanda

the country could offer them the life they wanted.

But with Bella unconvinced, it was far from clear

if the move would really be on the cards.

So, one year on, where are the Armes family now?

The Armes are currently in...

..New Zealand!

The family made the big move down under and are now living

on the North Island in the seaside town of Oakura.

When Amanda said, "Yes," I was...really surprised.

I was really chuffed, really excited. I was thrilled.

Then she kind of put a little caveat in saying,

"Oh, we need to talk about it."

It came with a few conditions that we had to discuss quite a lot.

I agreed to do it for two years.

You knew I wanted to go but I said it's up to you.

And then you said, "Let's go for it, let's do it."

And that left just one person to be convinced, Isabella.

I think we may have told her that she'd get a pony

but we don't have a pony and we live by the beach.

The horse might not have materialised

but every thing else was coming together.

I started looking online on the internet for different jobs

and I saw three jobs that I, potentially,

could do in the place where I'd like to be.

Within weeks Teo had landed himself a job in the town

of New Plymouth on New Zealand's North Island.

The speed at which events moved surprised everyone,

especially Amanda.

-It was pressure, wasn't it?

-I didn't expect you to get a job

-so quickly.

-I didn't expect to get a job so quickly.

Yeah, even though I said, "Yeah, let's do it."

You kept saying, "Hurry up and get a job, hurry up..."

And then he got the job and I was like,

"I don't really. I don't want to do it now."

As the time to leave got closer,

Amanda began to think she had made a terrible mistake.

I had decided from the point where we'd had our leaving parties

and drinks and things like that

I just didn't want to leave everyone.

I kept thinking, "I've got really nice family, all my friends here.

"I've had friends for years, I've got new friends.

"I've got a job that I like. I've got...

"We had a nice income, we had everything most people would want."

Then we were just going to give it all up

to, supposedly, have a better life.

But it was too late, the wheels were already in motion.

-At that point we had...

-Rented somewhere.

-We were going, weren't we?

-We had paid for everything.

At that point, it was done, everything was bought, paid for.

Ship's gone, done.

By the time departure day came, Amanda was reaching breaking point.

The drive to the airport was tense.

Quiet intense with the music on, just to try and keep us,

yeah, keep us on an even keel.

We got to the airport and we checked our luggage in

and I just lost it.

I really just lost it, I just burst into tears.

I was like, "I don't want to go.

"I don't want to go." So, yeah...

Then we didn't really speak much on the flight.

It was really bad.

Really bad, really bad, yeah.

But Amanda's cold feet couldn't keep Teo down for long.

Landing in Auckland, that was good,

because we felt we'd been in Auckland and we liked Auckland.

And it felt good to be there and it felt different

because we were coming to live.

But then we were more nervous because we had to get our internal

flight down to New Plymouth which we hadn't seen, and as we got

right to New Plymouth and we could see the coastline, it was beautiful

and green and lush, and you could see the big mountains in the background.

And me and Alfie both got really excited. He was like, "Nice one, Dad!"

Alfie was won over by New Zealand's charms.

I love the sea and how close everything is

and how close school is.

Alfie adapted, I think pretty much from the minute

he got off the plane.

And even Bella, the little one who didn't want to be here,

really, as soon as they went to school, everything changed.

I like it that it's always sunny

because in England you only get one week of sun when it is the summer.

And over here you can just go in the sea and you can get surfboards

and boogie boards and there's a skate park just down the road,

and everyone's friendly.

They were, they made friends, friends were coming over,

they were going to stay with their friends and, yeah,

they seem to have just sort of... Yeah, they love it.

And Alfie is still playing his beloved football,

but does his new team live up to his high standards?

When I first moved over to here,

I wasn't sure about how good they'd be but they have lived

up to my expectations and they have gone higher, a lot higher!

For Teo, New Zealand was everything he had hoped for.

When you can go to work, get home, be on the beach,

go in the sea, all the kids are in the sea, other dads,

mums, people coming out at six, seven o'clock at night, going surfing,

going kayaking, fishing,

and then you turn round and you've got the view of the mountain

and you just think, you can walk home in five minutes.

We would leave him at the beach on his own

because he'd be more excited than the kids.

The beach lifestyle isn't the only thing Teo's impressed with.

He is also enjoying his new job as a care manager,

very similar to the social work he had been doing back home in the UK.

But with a Kiwi twist.

An excellent attitude... to kind of a work-life balance.

They expect you to work but also it's not the be all and end all.

They appreciate that people have got other things in life,

families and yeah.

I like it. I like it, it's good.

But while Teo was living the life he had always dreamed of,

Amanda was struggling to cope with the reality of life away

from her friends and family.

Teo would be at work, the kids would be at school,

so I would be on my own all the time. And that drove me insane.

I think it was just being on my own and not having anyone to talk to.

I spent most of my life on Skype.

After having had such a close relationship with her parents in the UK,

only child Amanda really struggled with the distance.

You miss the family?

-Basically, who, your mum and dad?

-Mm.

-You've just found it hard, haven't you?

-Really hard.

It's probably one of the worst,

one of the worst things we have gone through together.

We argue anyway but it has made us argue.

You start thinking, well, you did, I didn't, I was just

thinking I would get on with it but you were starting to think...

-I blamed you...

-"I can't be here, this is your fault, look what you've done."

But... We got through it.

The turning point for Amanda came when, after two months,

the family moved from New Plymouth to the nearby village of Oakura.

I like living here. I like it because it's modern.

Our furniture fits in.

And it wasn't just Amanda who liked their new house.

This is my room and this is where I chill. It's really cool.

The three-bedroom house the family are renting has everything

-they need for their new life.

-The garden is small but...

It is not too big, is it?

We don't really use the garden because we are always at the beach.

While the family are loving the new house, city girl Amanda is

also surprised at how much she is enjoying the change of scene.

I never, ever thought I would live in a village.

I have always said I would never live in a village, ever.

But it doesn't feel that isolated here.

It feels, there is a nice community feel.

Finally, Amanda had people she could talk to.

As soon as we came to this village,

within days we had met half our street.

Yes, we met the Armes family just before Christmas.

I think they were about to move in and they drove up

in their rented car with a lamp in the back and they all jumped out.

I think the kids had their scooters and my kids had their scooters

and we just, yeah, we got on really well.

It was a good time that we first met them, yeah.

Kiwi hospitality was just what Amanda had been looking for.

They have become a wonderful part of this community.

We go to the beach most afternoons.

We have had them over for a few drinks. Quite a few barbecues.

Teo has invited us over for some Lebanese food, so yes,

they have been wonderful, awesome.

It is literally like Neighbours, the TV show.

So we were welcomed, as soon as we got here.

The people in New Plymouth call it the Shire, out here,

because it is quite English.

So we have met quite a lot of English people too, haven't we?

And they have all been really good because the English people

have all obviously emigrated and been through what we've been through.

They've all got children.

And having people who knew what she'd been through was

-a massive help to Amanda.

-I don't feel alone any more.

-I know I can phone someone or...

-Yeah.

That someone's there if I need them.

And I don't know, I guess I've always felt that that would happen

and you'd be all right and you'd get there.

As Amanda settles into her new life,

she is appreciating just what New Zealand can offer her family.

We do spend much more time as a family, which is a positive thing.

-We go to the beach together.

-I love being able to walk to the beach.

I love living near the sea.

We go into town and we never really used to do things like that.

I'd go off and do my own thing, you'd do your own thing.

-That's true.

-So we do spend quality time as a family.

So six months after their move,

how does Teo think the family would vote now?

I reckon, as a family we would all vote New Zealand.

And I think the kids have got good friends,

I think Amanda would go New Zealand, mainly because as a family,

she thinks it is good for all of us.

And I know I definitely prefer New Zealand, because it's got everything.

The kids love it, Teo loves it. It is a lovely place.

What a year it has been for the Armes.

The last 12 months has seen a very emotional

and life-changing move for them all.

And it's been a roller coaster of emotions for Amanda

as she initially struggled to cope with life down under.

But, she's toughed it out and it now looks like the family

are enjoying the New Zealand way of life together.

Just as Teo imagined.