France-Brotherton Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

For most people, uprooting your family

for a new start abroad is a once in a lifetime challenge,

but what if you'd already moved halfway around the world

only to discover your dreams were still unfulfilled?

Would you be willing to put your family through that all over again?

In 1998, Craig and Chantelle France-Brotherton

were forced to abandon the life they loved in South Africa.

We had people break into our home

in the very early hours of the morning and we were both shot.

But husband Craig struggled to find a place he could call home.

It gets me down in the UK to stay inside all the time.

Makes me feel claustrophobic.

And in 2012 when he tried to convince his family to move again

the pain involved was almost too much to bear.

Mum, I hate leaving people behind.

I hate leaving people behind too, baby.

One year on, we'll find out where the France-Brothertons are now.

When I said goodbye to Craig I didn't know how long it would be for.

That was hard, that was really hard.

With thousands of miles of pristine beaches and a sunny climate,

Australia is the number one destination for people

moving from the UK.

But the new life they seek doesn't always match up to expectations

and every year over 10,000 Brits return home

to the life they left behind.

The France-Brothertons had just one week to experience

the reality of living in Australia.

After that, they faced a life-changing decision,

whether to stay in the UK or to make the move Down Under a permanent one.

Today we'll find out what happened next.

In 2012, the family's trial week

took them 11,000 miles around the globe to Perth.

But the 24 hours in the air had done little to ease Chantelle's worries.

I'm a little bit nervous, to be honest because...

you don't quite know how things are going to turn out for real.

Australia was Craig's dream but he had a long way to go

if he was to convince his family to emigrate.

The France-Brotherton family are Craig, Chantelle

and their three children, Alison, then 13,

and twins Roxanne and Tristan, then aged five.

For the last 10 years they had lived in Donnington near Birmingham.

Originally from South Africa, a terrifying event left them

unable to face living there any longer.

We had a violent incident on our farm.

We had people break into our home in the very early

hours of the morning and we were both shot

so Craig was in hospital for six months,

on and off for six months, and I was in there for a month and a half.

So we decided there and then that we would be leaving South Africa

mostly because we wanted to give Alison

the opportunity to have a safer and more reliable existence

than we could offer living in South Africa.

The experience definitely changed our outlook on life.

I mean, there's no two ways about it.

To me it's not a case of careers and this,

I think it's a case of living it to the max.

Although they love living in the UK it was a far cry from the life

they had left behind in South Africa.

In South Africa 10 years ago we used to live on a farm

so wide open spaces, 25 acres.

It was huge, you know.

I think the closest house was 300 metres away.

For Craig in particular it had been the ideal lifestyle.

He was outside all the time repairing the roof

and it was like a total cut-off for him.

We came to the UK and he didn't do any of those things anymore.

So I think that he is really after something he's lost.

Chantelle had agreed to give Australia a try to see

if Craig could find what was missing in his life.

Craig agreed to come to the UK on condition that

if he wasn't happy we would consider going somewhere else.

And Australia was always the place that he was talking about.

Craig hoped Australia would provide a better life for his family.

However, having built new friendships

and a successful career in the UK,

Chantelle was torn by the idea of giving it all up.

Family isn't only about those people you're related to,

it's your really, really close friends,

those people that I feel like I've grown up with them

even though I haven't.

Chantelle's mum had followed the family to the UK.

Emigrating to Oz

would mean saying goodbye to her all over again.

The thing is, I probably won't get to see my mum very much

because she likes to go to South Africa

where my gran is and my grandad

when she has time away.

So I don't really know whether she will be able to come visit us.

Or not.

She has made her life in the UK, really.

Craig hasn't really necessarily, I think,

invested...as much in the UK.

But, you know, I hope...

I'm thinking, "Am I going to have to do that all over again in Australia?"

It just takes such a lot of work.

And I'm just not sure I can do it again.

The France-Brothertons spent their trial week in Perth,

a bustling city benefiting from the economic boom in Western Australia.

Spread out along the coast,

national parks and open countryside lie on the city's doorstep.

Which could have been perfect for Craig's love of the great outdoors.

The final leg of their journey brought the family

to their home for the week in the area of Bickley.

Set on the outskirts of Perth,

it gave them a good idea of country living.

Straight away one person was suitably impressed.

Wow! Cool!

-What's cool, boy?

-This garden!

However, everyone was a lot less excited by the actual house.

And for Chantelle, it raised serious concerns about what

moving to the Australian countryside might mean.

I am concerned that when you move to this kind of area

normally you have to buy an older house

and they don't have as much storage and that kind of stuff

as we need, which means that we would be back to me living

in our DIY project with you and I'm not doing that.

-I love you, but I'm not doing that.

-I'm not too worried.

I like the place. I think it's nice.

I'm more worried about what's around outside, you know.

Land and loads of space. It's great, it's fantastic.

I love the trees and actually I think

it's even better than I imagined.

Really, really stunning, yeah.

HE LAUGHS

I think I'm going to cry.

SHE LAUGHS

Oh!

In the UK the France-Brothertons owned a three-bedroom house

which they had made into a home they loved.

I'm happy here, we've been renovating this house

since we moved in, which is eight years ago.

And we're kind of coming to the culmination of that now.

So if we decided to move to Australia in the near future

that means that all of this work has been for somebody else.

Hurrah!

Having lived a very different life in South Africa,

they had strong ideas of what they wanted from an Aussie property.

We are looking for something where we've got some space around us.

Not really interested in living in suburbia

because I'd like a big enough garden for the kids to be able

to play ball games and to have a pool.

-Five acres.

-Five acres. Yes, love.

We arranged for the family to sample Perth's housing market.

We showed them three options based on their ideal home,

what they could afford

and the reality of property prices Down Under.

After seeing for themselves what was on offer

they'd find out how much each house cost.

The family's first stop was in Ellenbrook

on the outskirts of Perth.

But while it was a rural area close to national parks,

the houses were grouped into estates.

Not exactly what I expected.

-But...

-But we can then choose where we build?

-I believe so, yeah.

Right, OK.

The France-Brothertons went to view a four-bedroom show home.

It was a classic Aussie house, sleek and modern

so just the type of place Chantelle wanted.

Very spacious.

Oh, wow. Craigy, look at this. I love this.

-It's a nice size, yeah.

-I do. I just love it.

I like that it is complete, that you can just move in.

You don't have to do anything to it.

I love the open way that Australian houses are designed

in terms of the kitchen and the living area

because it just suits the way that we want to live anyway, doesn't it?

Chantelle had definitely fallen head over heels for this house

but did the bedrooms keep the romance going?

Oh, Craigy!

-That's nice.

-Look, look, look.

-I love it!

-This is huge!

HE LAUGHS

Storage!

Where are you going to put your clothes?

I'm sure it's big enough.

-Oh, it's gorgeous.

-It is stunning.

It certainly satisfied Chantelle's needs

but did the garden do the same for Craig?

-Lovely, isn't it?

-It is nice.

The only thing is there isn't very much space.

I don't know if the plot of land that you choose is bigger than this.

The house was certainly in their ideal home category

but the garden just wasn't big enough.

The question was, could Craig and Chantelle even afford it

on their £250,000 budget?

Let alone one on a bigger plot.

With the land it'll probably be over, I'd say.

I think so.

Come on.

SHE GASPS

Yeah, so this is 400,000 and that is without the land.

That was right at the top of their budget

leaving no money to buy more land.

So this is what we can't have.

Oh, let's go and find out what we can have.

They could only just afford the house,

so would something similar but with lots of land be out of reach?

Stop two was further from the city in the Wundowie area.

Because it was more than 40 miles from Perth,

it would have meant long commutes for work.

This three-bedroom house came with nearly four acres of land

but it wasn't the pristine show home they had just seen.

Don't mistake the silence for speechless delight.

Oh, dear.

There is definitely work to be done, isn't there?

This house offered the space Chantelle and Craig wanted

but they could both see it needed some serious TLC.

There's loads of work to be done.

Built-in wardrobes of a fashion.

Every room in this house would probably need to be

stripped down and redone.

And this time Chantelle wasn't quite so taken with open-plan living.

I can't see myself living here, Craig.

The house came with four acres of land

but it didn't look as if that would make up for its shortcomings.

-It's definitely big enough, I think.

-Yeah.

It's just a pity about the house. I mean, everything else is...

HE LAUGHS

Everything else we can sort out, but the house...

We would have to start from scratch.

Craig and the children might have loved the outdoor space

but they realised this house wasn't going to win Mum over.

She likes everything to be clean and easy to clean

and it doesn't look like it's going to be easy to clean.

She likes lots of storage, as you've probably gathered.

-But we like the space, don't we?

-Yeah, we like that space, don't we?

But did the price turn this house into a contender?

The right figure would have meant money left over to renovate.

Shall we find out?

You can turn it over if you like, Roxanne.

Ah! How many is that?

2-7-0-0-0-0.

That was £20,000 over budget.

This house costs more than the house that we just saw last in suburbia.

It was a huge setback to Craig's dream.

The house had the land he wanted

but Chantelle had been far from impressed.

If he was ever going to convince her,

everything would ride on the final property of the day.

The Mundaring area 20 miles east of Perth

was halfway between urban and rural,

possibly offering the France-Brothertons an affordable

house with a large garden close to facilities and the countryside.

This three-bedroom property had the modern look that the family

all liked but would it live up to the first house

that everyone had fallen in love with?

OK.

-This is nice.

-Yeah.

Nice enough size.

I mean, this is nice.

It's nice enough.

-Oh, this is really nice, Craigy.

-Yeah, nice stove.

It might have been a nice house but it was safe to say

this wasn't love at first sight.

Did the garden elicit a different response?

-This is very nice.

-Maybe not.

It was a good-sized garden, but it wasn't what Craig had hoped for.

It's a little compromise.

It actually all depends on the price, really.

Yeah, it does.

So, did the house fall within their £250,000 budget

and lift everyone's spirits?

Right, Roxy, let your brother do it this time.

Turn it over.

That was £50,000 over budget and a massive blow to Craig's dream.

I can't see that that's the price.

-If it was 100,000...

-Well, that's what it costs.

100,000 cheaper, yeah, maybe. Not at 460,000.

House-hunting around Perth had been a real eye-opener for the family.

Everybody had fallen for the first modern show home,

especially if they could afford more land to put it on.

The second property had the land Craig wanted

but the house was a no-no and over budget.

And the final house, although perfectly nice,

showed that affording the property and the land they wanted

could be beyond their means.

So had these homes convinced anyone

that leaving the UK would be worth the upheaval?

I think we're going to vote for...

..undecided!

Australia! You two said Australia!

Do you like Australian houses?

-Well we're going to have to use your piggy bank money then.

-Yeah!

It doesn't look like we can afford what we really want in terms

of land and the home that we have on it in Australia or in the UK.

That is why I have voted undecided.

I voted undecided because if I want the land,

there's going to be a lot more research to be done.

In the UK, Craig worked as a telecom technician

and Chantelle was a human resources manager in the NHS.

While the children were looked after by a childminder, we arranged for

both of them to find out just what working in Australia could mean.

My job is really important to me

and I've worked really hard over the last 10 years.

I'm worried that if I come to Australia

I'll have to start all over again.

I don't want to have to do that.

To try and address her concerns,

Chantelle met with recruitment consultant Kiera Benton

who had moved to Perth from the UK.

As the main visa applicant, Craig met with

communications company director Doug Butcher.

And he got straight down to business.

I just wanted to ask you about the working hours

which I'm quite interested in.

Well, like any technical position,

you should be aware there will be some unsociable hours

but it's really not that bad.

Across town Chantelle was talking figures.

So what kind of salary do you think we're looking at?

For learning and development role

you'd probably look at a starting salary

of about 100,000-120,000 per annum.

Would that be sort of within what you were expecting?

Yeah, that sounds really good.

I think, long term, if you were to look

at senior strategic learning and development roles,

then you could head towards the 150-200,000 salary marks.

Excellent, that's brilliant news for me, isn't it?

Even the starting salary of £60,000 was £20,000 more than

Chantelle was earning in the UK.

But what about Craig?

Well, your CV looks pretty good. Obviously you're quite experienced.

In terms of what sort of pay you can expect,

in Perth, typically, an apprentice or a new, qualified tech

will take home somewhere around about the 45,000-50,000 mark.

A more experienced tech like yourself would probably be

looking at somewhere between 55,000 to maybe 70,000.

The figures sounded good

but was there any work for a man of Craig's experience?

Well, yes, this all looks good, Craig.

I think you've got excellent chances of employment here.

And yeah, I think, when you get back you should probably give us a call.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

That was just what Craig needed to hear.

With the chance of work on the horizon

his dream was feeling closer.

The couple had positive news to share when they met up.

-How did it go?

-Really well.

-Yeah?

-And yours?

-Very good, actually.

Really impressed.

So had they been swayed by the possibility of working in Australia?

It was time to vote.

Australia!

Oh, hasn't it been a better day than yesterday?

A much better day than yesterday.

And actually, yesterday might have been improved

if we'd had today first.

Yeah, I think so. Maybe we have to go and do yesterday again.

Yeah, can we do yesterday again?

The France-Brothertons took a trip to the Perth Hills to get

a true taste of what the Aussie outdoor lifestyle could offer.

For the family it was a rare chance to spend time together

in beautiful surroundings, but things soon turned ugly.

THEY SHOUT AND SCREAM

THEY LAUGH

You've got to admit it was fun, though. No it wasn't! I'm freezing!

Time outdoors was exactly why Craig wanted to emigrate.

Luckily, the family were all on board.

He's like a big kid, isn't he?

He loves doing stuff like this.

He loves going hiking and canoeing

and he just thinks it's really cool that we can all do it as a family.

The day had reminded Craig just why he was

so desperate to move Down Under.

It just feels so great to be able to get out.

It's a real stress relief, I feel.

It gets me down in the UK to stay inside all the time.

It makes me feel claustrophobic.

There's nothing wrong with the UK, but for me, all my life as a child

I'd been able to get outside and have the outdoor life all the time.

For Chantelle, however, enjoying time with her family was also

a painful reminder of what she stood to lose all over again.

Well, I know that I was very lonely when I first went to England,

when I left all my friends and family in South Africa

and, yes, you keep in contact and, yes, you talk, but it's not the same,

it's not the same having people

thousands and thousands of miles away.

They still care about you

but they are thousands and thousands of miles away.

And I know that I will be lonely when I first come here.

If we choose to come.

So, when it came to a decision,

did the family choose a lifestyle in Australia or the UK?

We spent a lovely day in the Perth Hills in the great outdoors

and now we're going to vote.

And...vote.

-Australia.

-Australia.

Oh, everyone's going to Australia!

I don't see how I could have voted otherwise.

It's great.

Craig and Chantelle had bought their house in the UK

for just over £100,000, but they hoped Craig's DIY efforts

would help secure a higher sale price.

We sent round two local estate agents

to give the family up-to-date valuations.

Oh, he cleaned his feet. Good boy.

Lovely blinds. Very stylish fire.

Good-sized room. Open plan, leading off the lounge.

Open plan.

Patio doors. Plenty of lighting. Lovely.

Downstairs bathroom looks like it could be nice when it's finished.

He's just going to finish it!

Dad, you're never going to finish that!

He will finish it. It's almost finished now.

Oh, he's wearing his shoes up my stairs!

They'll be in big trouble, won't they?

I will. I'm going to hunt them down, Tito.

Nice, pleasantly decorated, cosy room.

Bedroom three. Good-sized third bedroom.

That's fairly clean.

OK, very nice contemporary bathroom.

Very stylish and I think people would love this.

-Oh, well done. Well done.

-Told you.

Here we have a very good-sized, 3/4, flexible, semi-detached property.

If you were going to put the property on the market now,

I'd recommend an asking price of £105,000.

If you wanted to sell it quickly,

I would keep the price under £100,000 and set it at £99,950.

This is a nicely decorated, partially modernised,

three-bedroom semi-detached house

and I would value it at approximately £115,000.

For a quick sale, I would value the property at £105,000.

I think what they've failed to notice there -

I mean, now that most of the work is finished anyway -

is that it's a four-bedroom house and not a three-bedroom house.

Um, you're going to have difficulty finding

a four-bedroom house for £120,000.

Under £120,000, let's put it that way.

Craig disagreed about how much his DIY skills

had added to the value of their home,

but could he argue with the price of living Down Under?

While the children enjoyed the sunshine,

Mum and Dad compared expenses in the UK with those in Australia.

Would this mean another blow for Craig's dream?

Wow! Look at the difference there. Hallelujah!

I'm going to have to kick my coffee habit!

Look how much more expensive potatoes are, Craigy.

-Ow! Ow, ow, ow.

-That is quite expensive.

Everyday expenses worked out £220 higher each month

and that was before they'd taken a bigger mortgage into account.

So, are you ready for the next lot? Brace yourself, boy.

-I'm a bit worried now!

-Brace yourself.

They decided to base their calculations

on the third most expensive house they'd seen.

-Oh, my God!

-That's triple what we're paying at home, isn't it?

Yeah, that's three times our current mortgage payment.

That was an extra £1,100 a month just on mortgage payments.

Was there any chance their Australian salaries

would make up for the huge outgoings?

So, it looks like our after-tax monthly income in the UK

was £2,900-odd.

Yes.

And in Australia,

it looks like our monthly income would be about 5,938 after tax.

That was great news.

With their income more than doubled in Australia,

a move could be back on.

I'm a little bit happier now.

-You are very much happy, I can see!

-Very much.

With such good figures,

their next vote seemed like a foregone conclusion.

BOTH: Australia.

-It's a no-brainer, really, isn't it?

-Yeah!

The finances were another step towards achieving Craig's dream,

but Chantelle still had to face messages from loved ones.

The whole family decided to watch them together.

Hi, Craig. Hi, Chantelle. Hi, children.

I hope you're having a fantastic time.

Hi, guys. The France-Brothertons - are they unique!

They're very unique. Wonderful people.

Chantelle is my absolute best friend in the whole wide world.

She's the sister I never had.

Alison is one of the coolest kids I know.

Roxy is a little miss.

And Tristan is away with the fairies.

And obviously, I really like him very well

because we are very similar.

I'm missing you a hell of a lot and...

..I'm very happy for you

and I hope that you know that wherever I am,

there will always be a home for you.

I don't want to think about it, even.

I can't think about it without crying.

The kids.

It's the kids I'm going to miss terribly.

I'll miss them as well, of course - the whole family - but...

..it's quite wrenching, actually.

Chantelle, I'll miss you.

I can't imagine how much I would miss you,

but I know now already

that you are going to leave a big, big hole in my life.

I know that you and Craig are doing the right thing

and you're going to be really happy and you'll make it work,

but just never forget how much we love you.

I know you guys are looking to fulfil a dream.

It's one that is going to break my heart when you go...

..but I understand why you need to go.

I'm going to miss you with every fibre of my being.

Love you lots, guys. All of you.

For me, it's the worst bit. It's worse than anything.

And I love all these people.

Very, very much.

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do without them.

Mum, I hate leaving people behind.

I hate leaving people behind too, baby. I do too.

Hearing messages from friends and family brought home

just how painful emigrating could be.

Their first move from South Africa was under terrible circumstances,

but this move seemed harder to face.

The decision this time is nothing like the decision was last time

because it's almost as if we didn't have much choice last time

and the decision was made for us

and all we really were doing was prepping towards the move.

This time, I feel like I have a choice.

It's much harder cos it's me doing it this time

instead of it happening to me.

So, when it came to the final vote, had the family seen enough

to convince them uprooting again was worthwhile?

Based on everything we found out this week,

we're going to give it one final vote

as to where we think holds the best future for us.

And we are going to vote for...

ALL: Australia!

Australia.

I'm very happy that everybody voted Australia.

This is fantastic.

It's a whole new life now.

We've got to start from the beginning again

and build a new life there in Australia.

OK, do you want me to change my vote now?

It had taken just one week,

but Craig's family were convinced Australia could give them back

the lifestyle they'd been forced to abandon.

Their week in Oz had sold the family on a life Down Under.

Just a few weeks after they returned,

I heard they had exciting news so went to catch up with them.

Well, it's all systems go.

We stayed on for an extra couple of weeks in Australia.

Craig applied for a job.

He got offered it the day after we got back.

Oh, my goodness! Things have really moved on.

-So, when does he go to Australia?

-He's leaving the day after tomorrow.

He's going without us.

The kids and I are staying probably until the end of July,

after the school year's finished and until the house is sold.

But yeah, it's all systems go.

Now, you mentioned there's always work to be done on this house.

Obviously, that is Craig's domain.

He's done a huge amount of work over the last three weeks.

-He has worked his little socks off, let me tell you.

-Has he?

-He has.

He had to finish the bathroom - the downstairs bathroom -

which has been an ongoing, long-term project.

He's done an absolutely super job.

He's in the back there at the moment,

sorting out all his tools that he's got to take with him.

Look at him hard at work.

So, it's all rather exciting, isn't it?

-You got what you wanted.

-Yeah.

But you're going to be working hard in Australia,

getting everything ready for when they come out?

-Yes, baby.

-Yes.

-The answer's yes.

-The answer's yes, believe you me.

We're absolutely delighted that you're going to make the move.

I don't think we quite expected it to be this soon.

So, Craig, all the best with the new job next week when you start.

Exciting times.

And Chantelle, you've got an awful lot of work to do here in the UK,

haven't you, before you get on that plane?

And one last thing - Craig, please don't move again!

The France-Brothertons certainly know how to move fast,

but emigrating for a second time was never going to be easy.

In the face of upheaval, separation and a great deal of heartache,

have they finally made the move?

It's 2013 and the France-Brothertons are living in...

Australia.

The family are together now,

but it was a difficult start to their new life.

Craig moved on his own to take up his new job,

while Chantelle stayed behind to settle their affairs.

When I said goodbye to Craig, I didn't know how long it would be for.

That was hard. It was really hard.

Saying goodbye when you don't know

when you're going to see each other again,

it's not something I'd like to do again in a hurry.

I wasn't really sure when they would actually join me.

We weren't sure whether it was going to be a month

or whether it would be six months.

I wouldn't do it again. I wouldn't do it again.

If we ever decided to move anywhere else,

it would be as a family unit straightaway.

When Craig first arrived in Australia,

the impact of the move really hit home.

Quite overwhelmed by everything, you know,

actually getting off the plane and it was real.

While he got used to life in Oz, back in the UK,

Chantelle was facing the difficulties

of packing up their life without the support of her husband.

Selling the house, getting it all ready to be sold,

making decisions about selling the vehicles

and which accounts to close and which to keep open -

all that kind of stuff is really, really difficult on your own.

And also going through my own kind of emotions about the move...

..made it even more difficult, I guess.

Besides the practical logistics, Chantelle was also struggling

to leave family and friends behind, especially her mum.

We had spoken about it over the years before that,

but when I told her that we were actually going, she was,

I mean, understandably upset about it.

It was really hard to leave her.

It was three months before the family

were finally reunited in Australia.

But Chantelle saw an immediate difference.

I can see a change in Craig and it's fantastic.

It's wonderful to see him so much happier and relaxed and...

I don't know. It was absolutely the right thing for him.

The fact that I feel happier has got a lot to do with, you know,

not having the work stresses that we had in the UK

working such long hours.

I'm able to see the kids go to school.

In the UK, there's a lot of times

where you'd get up before they get up

and you wouldn't see them

and you'd get home after they'd gone to bed already.

So, you know, there's definitely a lot more family interaction.

I know it sounds really corny,

but it just feels like he's got his zest for life back.

Like, he's interested in doing things

and he's going out and making things happen,

which is how he always was,

but kind of has got lost over the last five years or so, I think.

But while Craig has fitted in straightaway,

Chantelle's found settling more difficult.

I actually think the reason I'm struggling at the moment

is because I haven't got a job that I love.

I need a fulfilling job.

I think that's probably the greatest reason

because work is really important to me.

I don't think I'm going to be really happy until I've got that sorted out.

Chantelle was forced to take a temporary job,

but the long hours didn't fit her hopes for family life.

I'm not afraid to work hard,

but I would like to have time to spend with my family as well

so hopefully the next position that I get

is one which allows me to have a better work/life balance.

Currently out of work,

she's making the most of her time with the children

and looking forward to new opportunities.

And I have every confidence that something right will come along.

I work in HR. HR's all over the place.

We're like a plague!

So, I guess there will be a job for me somewhere.

Somewhere, there will be one and it'll be the right one

and it'll be the one which is even better

than anything I've ever done in the UK ever before.

It'll be there. It has to.

The family are currently renting a three-bedroom house

in the Perth suburb of Padbury.

There are plenty of amenities nearby,

but their home isn't everything they dreamed of.

I wouldn't buy a house this small. I would buy something bigger.

We need something a bit bigger when we have our own home, eventually.

The house does not give me enough outdoor space.

I would like, you know, probably about twice as much land,

as a minimum.

Despite their experiences in their trial week,

the family were still shocked by how expensive houses were in Australia.

I think that there's absolutely no doubt

that we were surprised at the cost of property.

I think what surprised me even more

is that Craig and I did some calculations the other day

about what would be feasible in terms of a spend on a house

and actually we're still miles better off renting at the moment

than we are buying a property.

Their hope for a home on its own plot of land is still a dream.

I think to make moving to Australia complete for me and the family

would be to be able to own the land that we've talked about in the past.

You know, a bigger plot. I think that would probably...

..be the cherry on the top, really.

But the children seem happy where they are.

And this, my friends, is my dad's hammock.

We love the hammock!

My brother and sister are really, really weird.

This, my friends, is my big body.

A two-headed body!

While Craig doesn't yet have the home of his dreams,

Australia has given him the lifestyle he longed for.

It does alter your outlook on life, I feel.

The fact that, you know, we do more things as a family now.

I think moving out to Australia has definitely helped

with obtaining more of an outdoor lifestyle.

Definitely. There's no doubt about it.

You know, we spend so much more time outdoors

than we did ever in the UK.

I think that, overall, our lifestyle

is definitely better in Australia because...

..the kids just can get out all the time.

They're on their bikes, they're running around, riding around.

Alison rides her bike to school every day and back again.

Um, I can get out and run most mornings, which is great.

Craig, what do you do, love? You mow the lawn.

Always out in the back yard!

-But at least you're doing that.

-Yeah.

Tito and Roxy are thriving.

BOTH: I voted for Australia...

Because...?

There's loads of animals.

You can find them everywhere

and you never know when they're going to pop out or not.

The children have adapted to life in Australia.

They absolutely love it. It's fantastic for them.

It's more fun because you get...

I get to play with my friends more

and that's what I like about Australia.

It's just wonderful that the kids can also learn, you know,

about the important things in life.

As you say, it's not important for them

to have a mobile phone all the time.

And eldest daughter Alison has also adapted to Aussie life well.

I have enjoyed spending time outdoors with my friends

cos in England, it was always the same thing over and over

and here, I can go camping and invite my friends

and just do stuff that we couldn't have done before.

It's just better because every time it's new and different

and something better to do

than just walk around a shopping centre.

For the family, the move's brought plenty of positives,

but for Chantelle, leaving behind loved ones has been heartbreaking.

I've never made any secret of the fact that, actually,

I would be devastated to leave them behind

and I have been and I find it difficult without them.

Thanks to Craig's relatives in Perth, though,

Chantelle has managed to secure what she worried about most -

a close network of friends and loved ones.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

-Not coming in, then?

-No, we're actually quite enjoying it out here.

I think having family around has helped a lot

to make the transition much, much easier

than it would have been otherwise.

I'm not sure how I would have coped if they hadn't been around.

So, yeah, it's really, really good.

I love having a house full of people and children

and I love that they're all family and connected to us.

It's absolutely fantastic.

My children value having their cousins around

and it's one of the most positive things, I guess,

that's come out of this process for us

is that they do have all their cousins around

that helps to make them feel like they belong.

There may have been teething problems,

but Chantelle and Craig are adamant the move was the right thing to do.

If we had the opportunity again to vote,

I think the vote would be the same.

Yeah, definitely Australia.

Yeah, I think it's a good place

for my children to grow up at this point in time.

-It's not all a bed of roses.

-No, but we didn't expect it to be.

Talk for yourself. I did!

-I'm very disappointed I didn't get a bed of roses.

-No, no, no.

The thing is, we did not expect it to be a bed of roses.

We knew when we were coming out that you've still got to live.

You've still got to do the same things that you've done before.

You know, you're still going to have good times and bad times.

Yeah, I agree. I do agree.

The France-Brothertons have been on an emotional rollercoaster

in the last year.

They might not have everything on their wish list,

but their new life is really starting to come together

and thanks to their determination to pursue their dreams,

something tells me this family's future Down Under

will be a resounding success.