McGrath/Jackson Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

Great memories of time spent abroad can often plant

the seed of something more permanent, but are they enough

to convince your family to move halfway around the world?

In 2012, Lucy Jackson and Lee McGrath

took their children to Australia to see

if Lucy's vision of a new life down under could work for their family.

Today, we'll discover what happened next.

For Lucy, Australia offered a chance to live the life she dreamed of.

If we're meant to be there, we just will be.

'But her partner, Lee, wasn't so sure.'

I don't want to be at the other side of the world feeling trapped.

Down under, the numbers didn't add up...

You know, the cost is generally quite a bit higher.

..so, one year on, has her dream become a reality?

Our long-term goal is to be happy, um...

wherever we are.

For thousands of new arrivals every year,

Australia offers the chance to live an ideal family life.

Watching your children grow up in the sunshine

and the great outdoors can seem like a dream come true,

but, for many, life down under doesn't deliver the paradise

they hoped for, and they end up returning home.

In 2012, the McGrath-Jackson family put their dream to the test

experiencing the reality of living in Australia.

When it was over, they had to make an agonising decision -

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

So, one year on, where are they now?

The McGrath-Jackson's original trip down under started

with 72 hours of travelling before they touched down on Aussie soil.

On their arrival, the family were tired

but looking forward to the week ahead.

The journey was long and it was different with children.

I'm feeling good about the week ahead.

Um, ready for the surprises, see what hits us,

a little bit apprehensive.

But I think the jetlag's kicking in at the moment.

Back in the UK, the McGrath-Jackson family were

living in the village of Burghead near Inverness on the Moray Firth.

Lee was the manager of a local charity,

partner Lucy was working as an alternative therapy practitioner

and the couple had three children - Rosie, aged 11,

and twins Poppy and Jack, aged 9.

For Lucy, the idea of immigrating had first taken root

in the 1990s after a fateful meeting changed the course of her life.

Well, I had a great job, I just didn't feel right somehow,

so I saw a friend who was a clairvoyant and, um,

he said to me, "You need to be in Australia. You're in the wrong area.

"You need to go there."

I went out to Australia to study Australian bush flowers.

It was particularly that, he said,

that I was to work with in the future.

So, I travelled across Australia and I studied lovely courses

and it just all flowed.

'Lucy brought her alternative therapy experience back with her

'and began running her own flower remedy sessions at home,

'but she still dreamt of returning to the place that inspired her.

'I'd like to go out into the bush'

and work with the flowers one-to-one, I'd like to see them in

their natural habitat. There's nothing physical that says,

"Go now." There's nothing... It is definitely based on energy,

similar to the flowers.

It's like, um...yeah, it's based on a feeling.

Lucy was passionate about Australia, but partner Lee was torn

when it came to moving to the other side of the world.

I wouldn't say I've been seriously considering emigrating,

but I've been thinking about it because, obviously,

I'm living with a lass that's really keen on the idea of emigrating,

and we have children together and we love each other to bits

and, you know, I want to be with her.

Lee had two jobs.

He was running a social enterprise reconditioning computers

for disadvantaged communities, as well as

tutoring others who were starting up their own business.

Australia would involve leaving a work life he loved,

but he knew what a move would mean to Lucy.

Lucy's passion for the flowers, you know,

it's up there with her passion for her children and her family,

so it's something that Lucy lives by day-to-day through her work

and also through her own personal life as well.

Australia would also signal big changes for the children.

They were educated at home, so moving down under could mean

giving up an important part of the family's lifestyle.

You know, they learn a spectrum of learning,

rather than just academic.

'Academic's covered too, of course, it has to be.'

The major difference is the relaxed atmosphere

when you walk in the home.

It's so much more relaxed, yeah.

And the couple's children had their own thoughts

when it came to a potential move down under.

Me and my dad are kind of the ones who are not as keen to go.

It's more the twins and Mum who want to go the most.

Um, I'd like to go to Australia because

it's great to have new experiences.

And I would like to go to Australia to surf.

The family might have had separate views on a move,

but they all agreed on what they would lose if they decided to go.

I know that, um, my mum and dad would be

'very upset if we left the area and I would be

'very upset to leave them.'

And the opportunity, you know, that we have at the moment,

we can go and visit Lucy's folks

and Lucy's family down south three or four times a year, it's not going

to be that possible if we're living on the other side of the world.

Lee's roots ran deep in Scotland and

if he couldn't face letting go of them, Lucy's dream would be over.

I would never drag him across there leaving all his family

and things, he has to feel it

'or it won't happen.'

I will go as far as...

a move to the other side of the world, you know, move to the moon,

um, to make Lucy happy, as long as, as a family unit, we're all happy.

I think, if you just really let go and jump,

sometimes amazing things come.

The McGrath-Jacksons faced a tough decision -

whether to choose their future with their heads or their hearts.

For their trial week, they visited Ipswich,

a growing city 25 miles inland from Brisbane.

Home for the week was this traditional four-bedroom

Queenslander house.

-Wow!

-Oh, wow!

-Colonial.

-Oh, that's lovely, isn't it? Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Nice.

For me, if we look at this as our move-in house,

it's too dated for me, like, I like mixing old and new.

I'm interested to find out how much it costs.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Not the perfect start.

Back home, the McGrath-Jacksons were renting

a three-bedroom modern house.

Lucy also owned a plot of land near her family home,

which she hoped to sell to raise funds for emigrating.

The family had a budget of £125,000 in mind,

if they could find the right property.

I'd love the kids to have a bedroom each. I would love that.

-The twins have never experienced that, so...

-That would be good.

..that would be fantastic, and some space to work where we could,

in the future, build on, and also somewhere for people to stay,

-cos that's really important, for people to stay.

-Yes, it is.

But my absolute dream is it's all made of wood, yeah. Isn't it?

Yeah, and I think I kind of go with that, but...

-Beautiful swinging seat on the veranda, eh?

-Yeah.

Ipswich was known for its old style Queenslander houses.

For years, they'd been a cheap option for families

emigrating on a tight budget, but as UK exchange rates had fallen,

property prices in Australia had rocketed

and the days of bargain basement deals were a thing of the past.

So, could Lee and Lucy's budget keep up with their hopes?

The first house the family visited was a classic Queenslander design.

According to the estate agents, it was an inviting family home,

but would the McGrath-Jacksons agree?

Whoa!

-Whoa!

-Whoa, it's like a cabin!

-Oh, my gosh! That wasn't expected, was it?

-Wow.

-Let's have a look out here.

-Oh, that's nice.

It's nice to come out onto a balcony. Oh, my God, this was like

a kind of dream of ours, wasn't it?

Having a balcony, but it's a doer-upper, isn't it?

It's a real doer-upper.

That wasn't a bad start, although, at over 60 years old,

the house definitely needed some TLC.

But it did offer the children their first taste of an Aussie backyard.

-We definitely don't get these plants in Scotland.

-Definitely not.

They don't grow a lot.

THEY LAUGH

The property had plenty of Aussie character, but, with only

three bedrooms, it seemed a bit short on space, at least upstairs.

-Oh, my gosh!

-OK.

Wow!

This is a shock. I didn't realise this was underneath.

-I mean, this makes up for not having the fourth bedroom upstairs.

-Yeah.

The other thing you could

potentially have here is your healing.

Although missing a fourth bedroom,

the downstairs space this property offered could have been

ideal for Lucy's flower remedy business,

but could they afford it on their £125,000 budget?

Shall we have a look at the price, guys?

-Guys, you can have a look, yeah, look.

-OK.

-You turn it, Poppy.

-Oh, £196,000.

-196,000.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-I reckon...

-We couldn't afford that.

-..you'd be looking at...

If we did everything we wanted to do in the house,

you'd be looking at 30 to 50K.

It was a tough start to the day.

The house was what the family wanted,

but it was at least £70,000 over budget.

We might have to find a slightly poorer area...

to shop around for a house!

Lee was staying positive, but it looked like finding a house

the McGrath-Jacksons could love and afford would be a real challenge.

The second property was ten minutes from Ipswich city centre,

close to local shops and schools.

It was another doer-upper, meaning it could be more affordable,

but would it lift everyone's spirits?

Well, it's um...

..a nice colour!

-SHE LAUGHS

-I like the colour!

Maybe not on the outside, but what about indoors?

-It's quite dark, isn't it?

-It's very dark.

-It's very dark, yes.

-It's pitch-dark in here.

-POPPY: We need some disco lights in here.

I'm not picking up good vibes in here at all.

-Why is there a door behind there?

-No, it doesn't give

-a nice warm feel in your belly...

-No.

-No.

-..to be honest.

It's freaking me out, actually, standing in this room. I actually

don't know what's gone on in here, but I don't like the feel of it.

That wasn't a great sign.

The house did have front and rear gardens,

but turning it into a family home would take some work.

-I can't even stand in that room. I'm going to have to go out the room.

-OK.

For Lucy, Australia was all about finding a house that felt right

and this one simply didn't.

Well, let's head out, shall we? Cos I'm...

We'll head out and have a look in the garden and see...

Cos there's something out there. I don't know what it is.

Yeah, I'm not sure about the bar area!

Could Jack have hit the nail on the head?

It looks like a bachelor pad...even worse than a bachelor pad.

They're into alcohol, a lot into alcohol, actually.

More than I've ever known somebody to be into alcohol. Two bars!

Converting this house into a family home would require a lot of work,

but would all its shortcomings be overcome by the price?

-So, Jack, are you ready to turn it over?

-Let's look at this price.

Find the price time...

I think it's going to take a while to sell at that price.

Um, it's set up as a bachelor pad.

If you're aiming to sell a house,

-you have to kind of neutralise it and...

-Yeah.

..give a bit more of a feel, because it just doesn't feel right at all.

-No.

-It's not somewhere where we would want to live. Yeah.

-OK?

-OK.

Despite its failings, this house was still £20,000 over budget.

It was looking like this move might not be about emotions,

but exchange rates instead.

After another disappointment,

the family headed out of the city to view their third property.

It was situated in Glamorgan Vale,

a rural community in the outback with fewer than 500 residents.

Like the previous properties,

the three-bedroom house needed renovation,

but its veranda looked out over ten acres of land, offering

a peaceful alternative to life in the city.

OK.

So, we've come in here...

-..to the kitchen, I think.

-Mm-hm.

-It's a reasonable size.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah. It's a reasonable size.

-Wow, yeah.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Wow.

Oh, look, the features are really nice, like these things

and those doors. I think it needs just lots of love and care and...

Yeah, yeah. No, this is...it's all right, yeah.

Although it needs a lot of work and renovation,

I really...I feel better here, definitely.

It's got potential and I like the location.

It's a bit further to travel,

but you'd be willing to travel that distance...

To have this on your doorstep.

..to have, you know, somewhere to live like this whole area.

Lee and Lucy were far happier

and the children got to know some of the locals.

CHILDREN GIGGLE

Don't touch it on his head. It doesn't like it.

Oh, you're a good horse. Yes, you are.

But, faced with a tight budget,

was this a house that could only be considered for the future?

Are you ready? Shall we turn this over and have a look at

-how much it's worth?

-Yeah.

-Right, are we going to get a shock?

-OK.

Oh, wow!

-OK.

-Yeah.

-So, it's a little bit less, yeah.

-215,500.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

It does put a lot more pressure on me...

for the work, which is a little bit worrying,

and I'll be working a lot of hours and I'll be away a lot having

to earn the money in order for us to have this.

But, in saying that...

you sometimes have to do that in order to get what you want.

The house had impressed everyone, but it was way over budget.

It had been an interesting day

and the family had plenty to think about.

The first property had the right feel and potential,

but its price tag came as a nasty surprise.

Although cheaper, the second was

definitely not wanted down under.

And while it was perhaps out of immediate reach,

the final house showed everyone a glimpse

of what outback living was all about.

So, we've looked today at three properties

-and now it's time to vote, guys.

-OK.

-OK.

-UK.

-I don't know! THEY LAUGH

Australia!

The houses ultimately didn't appeal to me.

-The land in the last house did...

-Yeah.

..but when I'm looking at the costs...

..uh, that's where I kind of sat. Based on what we've seen.

Well, we couldn't be more split if we tried, guys, could we, really? Eh?

We've got a mixed bag.

High property prices got the week off to a difficult start

and affording a life down under was looking like a tall order.

Would work prospects in Australia help to get things back on track?

At home, Lee was the manager of a charitable company that

reconditioned computers for the disadvantaged.

It was his skills that held the key to getting a visa

and living Lucy's dream, so finding a job that could pay

the bills would be a big step in the right direction.

-Hi, Lee?

-Yes, yes.

-It's Mark.

-Nice to meet you, mate, nice to meet you.

-Come with me for a chat.

-OK, thank you.

Mark Simms managed a company similar to Lee's,

so could he offer some much needed good news?

We're sort of looking to set up a second branch in Logan,

which is the next city to Brisbane.

-Right, OK.

-We'll be doing a very similar thing

-and trying to reach out to that community to help them as well.

-OK.

So, it's quite good that you came at this time, because your skills

could certainly be utilised in running something like that, really.

It was a good start.

Across town, Lucy was also hoping for a positive outcome.

-Hi.

-Hi.

'While the children were looked after by a child minder,

'she was meeting Kelly, a fellow practitioner,

'to talk about their shared love of Australian flower therapy.'

There's lot of people that are really starting to become

interested and engaged in not only this medicine,

but the actual bush flowers themselves.

A lot of the people I work with are doctors and physiotherapists

and things like that.

That's really taking off, that understanding of working together.

It seemed both Lee and Lucy could find jobs,

but making Lucy's dream work out would depend on how much they could

earn in Australia, particularly Lee, who would be the main breadwinner.

So, what sort of salary would you be looking at for a role such as that?

-Um, typically, we'd pay 40,000 to 50,000 per year.

-Yeah?

And I think there's a lot of potential,

so in sort of developing various aspects of the business that could

certainly help you do...sort of bring that figure up a bit as well.

OK, yeah, yeah. No, that sounds very reasonable actually, yeah.

That was comparable to Lee's salary at home.

Did Lucy's potential income offer good news too?

So, if you're going to be doing consultations,

most people charge between 50 to 60 for an hour,

and then usually 10 to 15 per essence on top of that.

So, if you were doing four consultations a day,

if you've got the time to have four hours a day,

you could do that, or if you did one a day,

you're still pulling in quite good money just from that.

Although finding clients might take time, the figures sounded

promising, but, for Lucy, the day was about far more than just money.

It really is special to hear it from someone who lives her,

who is Australian born and bred,

and who really has a connection with plant life in Australia,

and just to know that the amount of money you would earn is the

same as what I'm earning in Scotland and that's great, it's really good.

While the children rounded off the day with a picnic,

-Lucy caught up with Lee to hear his news.

-Yeah, really, really positive.

Uh, hopefully, with the possibility of work there as well.

And what about the finance? Did that pan out, or...?

Again, the finance was actually quite good comparably to what

we're looking at in the UK.

Probably a little bit more.

It's flipped my head around a little bit, and I'm a little bit,

um, pickled in my brain with it, cos I didn't expect it.

Um, but it's certainly something that is looking pretty positive.

Yeah.

So, was Lee convinced that working down under would be worth

leaving the job he loved at home?

-Australia!

-Undecided.

-Yeah, makes sense, makes sense.

-It wasn't surprising, was it?

I wasn't surprised at that one at all.

The offers that I had were superb, um,

-but I still worry if it's going to be enough, financially.

-Yeah.

-It's going into the unknown a little bit...

-Yeah.

..so, there's probably a little bit of fear there as well.

Yeah, but, yeah, no, brilliant, brilliant.

And I am, I'm moving round.

To help Lee and Lucy figure out the cost of living down under,

we prepared a comparison of their food shopping costs in Australia

and back home.

-Um...

-I'll tell you one thing that's really shocked me here

is four litres of milk...

-Organic milk.

-Yeah. £7.40!

That wouldn't be a problem for me, cos I wouldn't drink, um...

normal milk, nor would the kids.

It looked like the higher food costs in Australia would have a

sizeable impact on the grocery bill.

Next, were the bigger costs of living.

-Rent and mortgage...

-Oh, is this in the UK?

This is the UK we're looking at, yeah. OK.

Lee and Lucy were paying a low rent on their family home.

So, they based their mortgage payments on the cheapest

property they viewed.

OK, so let's add this up

and see what it's going to cost to live in Australia.

-OK, so, we're down in Australia...

-Minus!

-Uh, huh.

-£198.49.

-A deficit of almost £200 a month was not good news.

SHE LAUGHS

In theory, I think that impacts in a way, which makes you start

questioning your whole lifestyle, which would be like,

you'd have to start questioning, "Would I have to work full-time?"

And I would. We've just got to earn more money.

I think, just earn more money.

Moving to Australia could mean the McGrath-Jacksons making

big changes to their lifestyle.

Would that be a price they were willing to pay to live here?

We've done some figures for the cost of living

and now it's time to vote.

BOTH: Don't know.

OK!

It stacked up against us, but then, it didn't feel like it did.

Even though it did, financially on paper.

On paper, it didn't look that hot, but there are things, I think,

-you can work on to balance it out.

-Make that balance, yeah.

So, we've not given up just yet. Not based on money, no, never!

'In the UK, Jack, Rosie and Poppy were schooled at home with

'a network of home educators to support them.'

So, we took the whole family to visit a local community

centre to meet like-minded mums and dads.

So, you were happy home schooling in Scotland,

and, obviously, that's been a good experience for you.

Were you worried about coming out here and continuing to do that?

I don't think we're worried about coming to Australia.

We kind of believe that if it's meant to be,

it just will be and it will all sort of fall in.

It's really good to find places like this to share and not to feel alone.

Because, obviously, we'll be coming out here, there'll be no family.

-Hmm, yeah.

-Which is a concern.

-Well, it's like anything.

You can be as involved as you choose to be.

If you want to be doing a lot of things in the community, then

you can definitely do that,

but, you can find a situation that will cater to you, definitely.

Making friends would be vital in continuing the lifestyle Lee

and Lucy believed in, but that was no problem for the children.

Is it true that what some people say that a magical creature

like the leprechaun lives in Scotland?

In Scotland, um, there's...

the Loch Ness Monster.

As the zoology lesson continued,

Lee's thoughts turned to what he could be leaving behind in the UK.

Everything is as I pictured it.

Um, has it changed my mind about us living in Scotland?

I'm not sure, to be honest. It's great to know that there are

networks like this that can support you here, um...

but they're not my family.

I know this is going to sound really cheesy, but

happiness comes from within, not from the outside world

and I think if your family are happy,

you could be living anywhere and it wouldn't matter.

Three, two, one, go!

Having like-minded families close by in Australia might have

helped soften the blow of leaving loved ones behind back home,

but had the Aussie lifestyle done enough to win the family's vote?

Based on Australian lifestyle, we are now going to vote.

ALL: Australia!

I vote for the middle.

Middle!

Why did you choose 50/50, Rosie?

I chose 50/50 because I still like playing in Scotland.

-You do like playing in Scotland.

-Yeah.

The lifestyle feels...

-..more relaxed and more in my favour here.

-Yeah.

With home on everyone's minds, Lucy and Lee decided to watch

messages from the UK together with the children.

-Hi, guys!

-Hi!

Hi, Lee, Lucy, Rosie, Poppy and Jack.

Gammy and Gampy here, Mum and Dad.

Hi, Lu, Lee, Rosie, Poppy and Jack.

We're sure you've had a fantastic time out in Australia.

I think one of two things will happen with Lee.

I think he'll either go there and think,

"I should have done this 15 years ago and never come back."

Or I think he's going to go there

and it's going to reinforce the fact that he's always lived in Scotland.

He does like Scotland. He's a home bird, Lee, he's a home bird.

I think, if they decide to stay...

in Australia, it'll be great for the children to experience

an outdoor life.

It would be totally different here without...

Yeah, it would be a big hole really to fill, which,

we probably couldn't.

You know that if you did decide to go out there...

Don't worry at all because we'll be over to see you.

We're missing you.

And we will miss you, eh...

Staying out there, if you decide to stay out there...

It's your choice, nobody else's. We just hope that...

you make it for the right reasons

and you take everything into consideration

because it will be very, very difficult for us. We will miss you

and, eh...

And we don't want you to go,

but, if you do, then that's for you to do.

I love you.

They knew we weren't always going to be in Scotland for ever,

-as well, so...

-Yeah, I know,

it's just that it's the other side of the world, so it's, you know...

-It's a bit far, isn't it, for them?

-It would be easier if it was

-somewhere in...

-The UK or something.

-..somewhere in the UK.

Lee's tears came as a shock to the family,

but now Lucy's dream rested in his hands.

The experience we've had out here

so far...it's obviously a beautiful place to live,

but then there's home, and home is home to me.

There's no point coming across the world for Lee to

be just miserable and missing home.

At first, I didn't want to go to Australia.

I wasn't interested in it,

but now I've been here I like it much more, yes, I really do like it.

It's more sunny so you can go out more and have an adventure.

I don't feel like...

I'm going to live in Australia and then I don't feel like I'm going to

live in Scotland, so it's going to be a bit awkward in just a second.

So, after seeing all the McGrath-Jacksons could gain

and lose by emigrating, where would their final vote take them?

All right, guys, so we've had a lovely week down under.

And now we've got the final vote.

-Are you ready?

-ALL: Yeah.

-OK.

-Let's go.

-Go.

-Australia!

-Unknown.

-UK!

So, why did you vote, er, well...?

I think it's been probably kind of obvious for the whole time.

There's no problem with it here, there's just a problem with...

do I want to be at the other side of the world, away from my friends,

-family?

-You know, you don't have to see it as the rest of your life.

It could be just an adventure we go on, you know?

-And, um, see something new.

-It's going to be a difficult one,

I think we kind of need to get back, sit down as a family...

-And process it a bit, yeah, yeah.

-Process it a bit.

Uh, I don't know, I really don't know.

'With the family's vote spread between the UK and Australia,

'one month after they arrived home, I caught up with them to see

'if anything had changed.'

When we last saw you...

especially for you, Lee, you wanted just a little bit more time

to mull it all over, take it all in.

It was quite a short period of time to absorb everything,

especially when I wasn't necessarily pro-Australia, um,

and, you know, my heart was still held in Scotland.

That's the big tie, um, I have...

-back in the UK...

-Yeah.

-..is the friends and family, so.

Uh, we used Skype over there back to friends and family, which was great

and that did, again, break me slowly into the Australian lifestyle.

I mean, that makes a big difference, using computers,

-being able to see grandparents...

-Exactly.

..they can see their grandchildren.

-Absolutely, yeah.

-It does open it up.

-It does.

So, shall we get the children back in and do it one last time?

-Definitely.

-Right, kids, are you there?

-Yeah.

-Fancy a final vote?

-Come on in.

-OK.

-OK.

Would you like to vote for the final time?

-ALL: Yes!

-OK. Let's get the flags.

There we are. We'll get Mummy and Daddy to join you as well.

So, this is it.

For one final time, is it going to be the UK or Australia?

-UK!

-UK!

-Australia!

-UK!

-Oh, so it's still a split vote, isn't it?

-It's split still, yeah.

-So, who's changed their mind?

-Them.

-You've stayed the same, I've changed.

-Dad's changed!

And what about you guys? Are you surprised Daddy voted Australia?

-BOTH:

-Yes!

-But if it all goes according to plan,

you'll be popping back to the UK as well.

-Yes.

-Best of both worlds.

Well, we wish you all the very best.

Let us know how you get on, won't you?

-We will.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Bye!

-Bye!

Lee had been won over and Lucy's dream looked like it

was about to become a reality, so, where are they now?

One year later, the McGrath-Jacksons are currently living in...

..the UK.

On the surface, it might look like nothing's changed,

but big plans are afoot.

Last year has been a busy year.

It's been absolutely packed

and I can't believe it's nearly a year gone.

Lucy's passion for Australia is as strong as ever.

'I know it sounds so cheesy,'

but my soul place, it's like the land is my soul.

'That's how I feel about that land.'

And persistence has finally paid off.

After voting for Australia the last time we saw him,

Lee's now actually ready to give it a go.

The funny thing is, I don't think it's actually Lucy that's

won me over about Australia. It's me and it's had to be me.

It's like stopping smoking.

You can't stop smoking for someone else,

you have to stop smoking for yourself, and I think it had to be

me that was comfortable with it, because, if not, I would have

probably ended up going out there

and there'd have been a lot of resentment.

'But the family won't be returning to Brisbane.

'Instead, Lucy has plans to explore another part of the country.'

We want to go to Western Australia this time.

We feel quite drawn to the Northern Territory

and Western Australia for the work that I do

'and we'd really like to take a bit of a road trip from

'the Northern Territory all the way through to

'Western Australia, ideally.'

'With the couple both agreeing that Australia could potentially

'offer them a better life, they've reached a big decision

'on their future.'

The plan is, within the next six to eight months, we're going out there.

And Lucy's delighted Lee's on board.

It was exciting and, um,

I'm really glad that Lee came to that on his own...in his own way,

you know, not through me in any way, it was just what he felt.

But the move won't be a permanent one. Well, not at first anyway.

We're going back out there...

to live and breathe it and work it, uh, for a period of time

and then, when we've done that, we can come back, reassess

and actually look at the options there.

A speculative move may not be exactly what Lucy was hoping for.

Lee's like, sort of, the feet, the ground, whereas I'm more

the kind of "Let's just do it!" Yeah, you know what I mean? Like, yo!

You know, just, does it matter? You know, just cut through it

and just, you know, do it

'because life's for living and this isn't going anywhere, you know?

'We can come back any time.'

'But, for Lee, an extended trial period offers the opportunity

'to put his final concerns to rest.'

The reason we're going to go out for a short period of time,

say, for instance, three plus months,

as opposed to just moving out there permanently is down to me.

Um, it's my fear of going out and then losing everything that's in the

UK, um, home, job, etc, so it's a bit of a safety net for me.

I'm looking at trying to get that real feeling about living

and breathing it, working there, working with Australians, um,

and getting a feel of it,

and also touching in with my emotions as well while I'm out there.

How do I feel about being away from Scotland?

'And while his parents weren't keen on the idea of Lee moving his family

'down under for good, they've also come round to his way of thinking.'

'When speaking to them about the idea of'

dipping the toe in the water and getting more of a feel for it

and living and breathing it and working there, yeah,

they had an understanding that that could be good.

With everyone now on board, both Lee and Lucy have been flat out

for the last year, putting things in place for their trip.

They've both been concentrating on building their career skills

to improve job prospects down under.

Since we've been back in the UK, we've both been working quite hard

at gaining more qualifications and supporting what, you know,

the final journey and, on top of that, it's also been helping us

to earn more money, um, to build towards getting back out there.

Lee was always concerned about being unable to return to his job

with the charity, but they've proved helpful in accommodating

the couple's plans for a full-blown trial run in Oz.

The charity that I work for, uh, they've, uh...allowed me,

basically, to take some time out to go back out to Australia

and they've said that my job will be there

when I get back, which is brilliant.

That's given Lee the safety net he needed to give Australia a go,

but he's also finished some training with another charity which

should come in handy down under.

And the training with the Social Enterprise Academy is complete now

and I'm a fully fledged tutor, so, uh, that again is a great tick

in the box for me professionally and personally, um, it allows me

to earn more money, which is going to

allow me to put more money aside for Australia,

and then the Social Enterprise Academy themselves have now

set up in Australia, which is just quite timely.

Lucy's not been resting on her laurels either.

She started an online diploma in Naturopathy, which could

potentially lead to another route into the country for the family.

I may find I go on to do the degree, which would mean I'd be eligible

for a visa on the skilled workers list,

so that would be wonderful, but I'm not banking on that, you know?

That's just something if it happens it happens,

but I've been working towards, you know, a bit like Lee, you know,

'just developing my skills more

'and earning more money in order to get us there.'

But it's not only on the work front the couple have been getting ready.

I feel we've done a lot of decluttering,

that was another thing we've done over the last year.

We've cleaned the house out more and more,

we're getting through all the junk, you know,

any junk in cupboards and so on, we're just getting rid of stuff

and that's been freeing, and we just feel like we'd like to,

sort of, put stuff into storage, um, and go.

'In the short term, the focus is on getting out to Australia'

and getting that experience of living and breathing it.

-Living it, yeah.

-So, it's saving the money, making sure

the qualifications are all in place on Lucy's side of things, for yours.

-Yeah.

-And making sure that I've got networking and work out there

when we get out there, that is the focus.

'Despite seeing just how tight finances could be on their

'original trip to Australia, Lucy's not letting that get in the way.'

For me, I never let money stop me doing anything.

If it feels right, I do it and that's that, regardless of

whether I have the money or not, cos I always trust the money will come.

-Um, but, I think you felt the same, didn't you?

-Yeah, yeah...

Like, we can make it happen.

As long as the economics add up, I think I'm going

to get over missing my family and I know I can always come back,

so even if we decide to move out there permanently, after

we've done this next trip, and we do, I know that it's not forever.

But it's not just the big trip the couple are saving for,

there's another life-changing event in the works.

Myself and Lucy have been engaged for quite some time now and

I've always been known as a little bit of a lazy boy

when it comes to things like this, so I actually, uh...

We renewed your ring, didn't we? Your engagement ring.

'Lee said, "This is for us to set a date to get married." '

-We'd like to...

-So, we have said,

the idea of the marriage is meant to be months, not years away.

The long-awaited special ceremony could be taking place far from home.

We sort of have this feeling

and idea that it'd be really nice to have maybe a sendoff party here

and then go off to Australia and get married on a nice beach,

or, you know, something lovely like that.

'And, um, and then stay and do what we were going to do,

'so sort of tie it in.

'We love the idea of getting married in Australia cos it would

'just be lovely to be out in a soul place,

'which I feel it's a soul place for all of us.'

The idea of Australia is brilliant for me cos, you know,

we're going out there anyway.

Why not just get married there? So, yeah, that would be perfect.

That would be perfect for me, yeah.

While the future's looking bright, there's still some slight dissent in

the McGrath-Jackson ranks over Aussie plans.

Rosie, Poppy and Jack are still divided on

whether a move is for the best.

Our kids are probably a little bit more, not confused,

but a little bit more torn and split, because they can see that

on one side, Lucy's ready to go...today,

and then, on the other side, I'm a little bit more

cautious about it, so it's probably influenced the kids' thoughts.

Poppy's as keen as ever...

The reason why I'd like to live in Australia is

because it's really sunny and when it rains, it rains really

warmly, and it's just got like a nice feel to it and everything.

But Rosie and Jack still need to be won over.

Rosie and me are the ones that don't really want to go to Australia.

We'll go for like a week, two weeks or three weeks or a month,

but not any more cos we'd miss home, really.

'It would be nice to go out there maybe just for a holiday,

'but I don't know if I could live out there, though.'

Em, it's lovely, but I just don't think I could live there.

It's not my cup of tea, Australia.

I do like the sun and all that, but it's not my cup of tea

living 24 hours away from Scotland or the UK.

Lucy's confident she can address all her family's concerns.

I'm going back out there for, you know,

for a three-month period or so, just to initially have a feel around.

It's perfect for Rosie, Lee and, possibly even Jack.

Poppy's not so concerned, but, you know what I mean?

And just to go and have a feel and see is this right.

And not just sort of jump out of the frying pan

into the fire type feeling, yeah.

She still has high hopes that,

once their feet are on Australian soil again,

the country will begin to work its magic on Rosie, Jack and Lee.

It would be really great if we went out for these three months

to start with, and that turn into a year or two.

'I feel he'll sort of chameleonize with it

'and start to really feel how good that could be.'

And I think Lee's up for that, if it feels right, you know?

We just kind of organically grow it.

Lucy's passion for Australia is burning as bright as ever.

I just really feel that if I'm meant to be there

and it's my soul journey then I feel I'm soul-linked with Lee

and my family, and I feel that it'll all come together, you know?

So, for us all to go, it's quite exciting.

And, wherever they spend it, the family's future looks bright too.

'The goal is just to be happy and if being happy means that'

the family all are out in Australia, then we'll be in Australia.

If the family aren't all happy about being in Australia,

then we might be somewhere else, but the long-term goal is to be happy.

Um...

wherever we are.

The McGrath-Jacksons are set to give Australia another go.

If it goes well, Lucy's dream of life down under may come

true at last, and they could be there as husband and wife.

We wish them all the very best of luck.