Williamson Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

Moving to the other side of the world can be a

massive undertaking for anyone.

But how would you cope if the search for a better life meant

potentially splitting your family up for good?

That was the dilemma facing Wendie and Peter Williamson one year ago.

Today, we'll find out where they now call home.

In 2013, Wendie Williamson was on a mission to move down under.

I've wanted to go to Australia for such a long time. It is my dream.

But it was a dream her son didn't share...

Not all of me mates have a spare £700 for a flight, do they?

You're not going to be with all your friends forever, are you?

I'm not saying that.

Without Sonny on board, the dream was in real jeopardy.

This could be a big decision, a big moment in our life really,

where we either stay together as a family

or we leave Sonny behind in the UK.

One year later - find out where the Williamsons now call home -

and if Sonny's still with them.

I definitely think I made the right decision.

Australia's the top destination for Brits seeking a new life abroad.

With winter temperatures often reaching 27 degrees centigrade,

and a year-round outdoor lifestyle, it's easy to understand why.

But moving thousands of miles across the globe can turn the strongest

dreams into the toughest challenges - and many return to their

lives in the UK with their ambitions in tatters.

In 2013, the Williamsons faced some huge decisions

as they spent a trial week in Australia.

While experiencing the reality of Aussie living,

Wendie had to convince her son he would have a better life

down under, otherwise she risked splitting her family up for good.

One year on, we'll find out on which side of the world the family

are living and if they're still together.

The Williamsons' trial week in Perth started with a 10,000-mile journey

from home and they'd had plenty of time

to contemplate the week ahead.

We just need to go and see a bit of the country now.

See what Australia has to offer.

I hope I'm going to like it. I should like it.

I should.

I'm going to. I'm going to like it.

But the family's decision would depend on eldest child Sonny

being persuaded.

I hoping that I'll make up my mind by the end of the week...

whether to decide to come here or not.

What if it's 50/50?

Then...I don't know

Then you'll come.

There was tension in the air as the Williamsons

set out on the most important week of their lives.

When it was over they'd have to decide not only

where their future lay but whether they'd spend it together.

Peter, Wendie, Sonny

and Reece were living in Hartlepool in the north-east of England.

Wendie was just 19 when she first began to consider

the benefits of Australia.

Warm, sunny, less populated than the UK.

She believed it could offer a better quality of life for her family.

I want to provide a better life for my children.

I want to give them better opportunities

and I don't think I can do that in this country.

After some reluctance, husband Peter had bought into Wendie's dream.

Initially it was because I had such a good relationship

with my father and my parents and the rest of my family.

And then his dad passed away. And since that happened, I think

his perspective's changed slightly about going to Australia.

Now I'm thinking it could be a possibility.

But the couple's 19-year-old son, Sonny,

didn't want to leave his life in the UK.

There's nothing in my life that I'm not happy about,

apart from my mum and dad wanting to move to Australia.

That would just upset everything really.

He's got a great social life, great set of friends, good job...

-Girlfriend.

-Enjoys his job. A girlfriend.

Me and Jen have been together two years.

We've got quite a strong relationship.

We know each other pretty much inside out.

Wendie was desperate to move down under,

but the thought of leaving Sonny behind was tearing the family apart.

I couldn't leave him here without anywhere to live.

I couldn't... That just wouldn't be an option. I would have to say...

I would probably say...

I don't know what I would say. It's very difficult.

I don't think Wendie is prepared for going to Australia without Sonny.

I'm kind of keeping that balance. I'm the one who's

keeping that topic of conversation going, so to speak.

For the sake of the family, Sonny had decided to keep an open mind.

I would like to give it a go cos if you rule out something before you

even try it, then I think you're in a no-win situation really.

But if he didn't like what he saw,

the Williamsons could be split for good.

If they had to move to Australia and I was to stay here it would

probably be the most upsetting thing ever to happen in my life so far.

I just want him to be with us. And that's it.

I just want Sonny with us.

The Williamsons were at a crossroad.

Wendie had just one week to persuade Sonny to make the move,

or the family would end up living on opposite sides of the world.

I'm not quite ready to leave Sonny - I am fully aware of that,

and I think he is - we all are.

The Williamsons spent their trial week in Perth -

one of Australia's sunniest cities and a favourite

destination for families seeking a new life down under.

Home for the week was a modern, three-bedroom town house.

Very nice. Nice big television.

They'd just arrived, but Wendie was already

thinking about what she wanted from the next few days.

My ideal outcome for the week would be that we're all

voting for Australia.

Simple answer but that's it.

But for Sonny, it was much more complicated.

Cos it's my mum's dream I kind of do feel a little bit under

pressure because she goes on about it so much, she thinks

she can make me go which sort of makes me want to rebel a bit.

The whole family was feeling the pressure.

If the family decision is split at the end of the week,

I'm not sure what Wendie would think about it.

He said to me that he knows he going to like it but he knows

that he doesn't want to move as well.

The possibility of a life down under without her eldest son

was something Wendie couldn't bear to think about.

I don't think I've prepared myself for that, if I'm honest.

I've just got it in my head that we're all going to move out here

and everything's going to be really, really happy and somehow I've not

prepared myself for that. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Back in the UK, home for the Williamson's was a red-brick,

three-bedroom semidetached house in the centre of Hartlepool.

The family planned to rent initially in Australia.

They'd set themselves a budget of £1,500 a month -

and Wendie knew exactly what she was looking for.

Ideally, it would have four bedrooms.

I'd like to live near the beach.

Having a sea view's not that important as long as I know

I could get there within five or ten minutes.

I want it all open-plan and I want a nice pool with a nice garden.

And nice neighbours. That's it. That's what I want.

To give the Williamsons an idea of what the Perth rental market

could offer, we showed them three properties,

ranging from what they could afford to their dream home.

The search began in Port Kennedy -

a suburb 30 miles south of Perth city centre.

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom family home was a short

stroll from the beach, so was it what Wendie was looking for?

-No furniture.

-No furniture.

Seems quite small.

I don't think I'm too excited about this property.

It definitely wasn't love at first sight,

but Wendie was keen to know what Sonny thought.

Would you make the move from Hartlepool to Oz for this?

-No.

-You wouldn't?

-No.

He wasn't exactly bubbling over with enthusiasm

and things soon went from bad to worse.

DOG BARKING

I couldn't live next door to that, no. I would be forever saying...

(Shut up!)

Some extra space upstairs did get a more positive reaction.

Could be a little bedsit for you, couldn't it?

Could be, yeah. I like it. I'd live here.

Things were looking up but the view was a big let-down.

I'm just not too keen on looking out on that, are you?

And remember the dog?

DOG BARKS AGAIN

You'd have to be barking mad to live here.

The setting and soundtrack weren't perfect, but was the house within

the family's monthly 2,400 budget?

For monthly rental for this,

-I would say no more than 2,000 Australian dollars.

-Yeah.

Do you want to turn it over, Reece?

2,400.

-600 a week.

-Yeah...

Which is our budget.

It is our budget.

-And I wouldn't pay 2,400 for this one.

-No.

It wasn't the best of starts for Wendie's dream.

Would the next property get things back on track?

It was in the suburb of Lake Coogee - 14 miles south of Perth.

So did this three-bedroom Art Deco home

meet with the Williamsons' approval?

I don't want to look too excited but I really love this.

Wow, what a huge, amazing space. It is good.

I love it. I actually do love it. We probably can't afford this.

Outdoors was equally impressive -

with a family-sized pool and stunning outdoor living area.

But was it somewhere Sonny could see himself?

-Yeah, course I would.

-You would?

-Be stupid not to really.

-Course you would.

It was just what Wendie needed to hear,

but it wasn't long before old tensions rose up.

I would still be unsure.

Your friends could come over for a visit. They're all young enough.

My mates are 19 and don't have a spare 700 quid

for a flight, do they?

You're not going to be with all your friends forever, are you?

I'm not saying that.

With his thoughts never far from home,

it was clearly going to take more than a big house with a pool

to win Sonny over.

With a rental budget of £1,500, was this house a home

they could afford - even if he did come on board?

Shall we turn over and find out? ALL: Yeah.

2,100!

-Is that like 150 more...

-A week.

But I'd be paying rent if I do come.

You'd be paying rent?

Sonny's contribution could have made the house affordable.

-Could be. Maybe.

-Yeah.

And Wendie seized upon the opportunity.

If you actually come with us and start contributing

-maybe we could afford something a little better.

-Maybe.

Perhaps all was not yet lost.

The final house was in Secret Harbour -

a 50-minute drive south of Perth.

Did this modern family home keep up the positive vibe?

-I like it.

-I do, definitely. Do you like that staircase?

I do like the staircase.

One feature rubbed Wendie and Peter up the right way.

Double shower. I would love to have a double shower in a property.

Of course.

SHE LAUGHS

I'm just a man. Just a man.

Children are around.

Cringe.

Spirits were high and Sonny could see some appeal.

-I like this room.

-Would you like it? You've got your own bathroom.

There is like room like for desk or something

so I can do some drawing and stuff.

The outdoor space was perfect for Aussie living.

This is exactly what I had in mind.

It's the ideal house to move to.

And things just kept getting better.

-Oh, my God.

-You can see the sea.

-Sea view.

-Wow!

This is definitely going to be out of our price range, isn't it?

The house seemed perfect for the whole family,

but was it within reach of their 2,400 monthly rental budget?

Shall we turn over and find out?

That was substantially over budget.

Our budget was at 600. This is 900 a week.

It may have been beyond their means,

but Wendie wasn't giving up on it just yet.

This house is worth putting in a little bit more hard work, I think.

-Definitely.

-Do you think so?

-Yeah, I'd contribute.

-You would?

-Yeah.

And if Peter's salary increased down under,

the dream house could possibly have been within reach.

Coming home from work to this?

Of course, if I could make it doable I would, yeah.

It had been an interesting day on the property front.

House number one was on budget but the noisy four-legged neighbour

had put them off.

Property number two had ticked a lot of boxes

with its family-sized pool and stunning outdoor living area.

But the final house was the dream home - and although it had

a price to match, it could have been worth stretching the budget for.

So when it came to properties - was it home or away?

Based on the properties we have seen today we are voting for...

-WENDY, SONNY AND REECE: Australia.

-Undecided.

Why undecided?

We've been shown three properties and only one of them within budget.

And we didn't like it.

-Fair dos.

-That's understandable.

-And you voted Australia.

-Yeah.

-Why have you voted Australia?

Well, I wouldn't mind living in a massive house with an en-suite

-and a pool, would I?

-Right. OK. How about you, Reece?

I think the houses look better than what we live in now.

Why did you vote Australia, Mum?

I've seen my dream home. My dream home.

I know it is out of reach financially but I'm prepared to

make sacrifices in order to find a dream property

where you can come and live with us too.

Wendie may have been prepared to go the extra mile to keep Sonny

on board, but Peter was sticking to his guns - and his budget.

If Wendie's hopes were to stay alive, it was vital Perth

could offer good work prospects for the whole family.

In the UK, Peter enjoyed his job as Assistant Manager

for a petrochemical company.

If I could move my job to Australia and continue doing what I'm

doing with the same company, that would make me very happy.

Wendie was a care worker

specialising in drug and alcohol problems.

Where I was brought up, on a council estate, it seemed like many people

were taking drugs and drugs become a big thing in people's lives really.

And I thought that I could perhaps get into helping them stay

off it and maybe steer them on the right road, basically.

Having studied art at college,

Sonny was serving an apprenticeship as a tattooist.

Finding the right work opportunity would be

crucial in persuading him to emigrate.

If he could get work out there, I think that would maybe

persuade him a little bit more to come.

But as the main breadwinner, it was essential Peter found the right job.

If I love it in Australia and I can't find the right job,

then I can't see how we can make the move.

It would be game over.

If he can't find the right employment, we might have to consider

staying in the UK, which fills me with dread.

With so much riding on the day,

the family set out to explore what work options Perth had to offer.

First, Peter set off to get the lowdown on potential jobs

in the petrochemical industry

from Recruitment Manager Stuart Marsh.

There's plenty of opportunity at the moment, OK.

There's quite a few terminals near Perth or if you're really looking to

live in Perth and work a bit more remotely,

there's certainly opportunities further afield.

It was a great start for Peter.

Across town, Wendie was touring a rehabilitation centre

with Manageress Wendy Shannon. Were her prospects as encouraging?

Are there job opportunities?

I think there is. I think what you offer

and your experience would actually suit a senior role.

It was positive news

but a move would hang on Peter's earning potential.

I'm comfortable you could achieve a salary of around

100,000 plus benefits.

Really? 100,000? That equates to about 65...£65,000.

I'd say that's right, yeah.

OK. That's £20,000 more than what my current salary is. Wow.

Fantastic news for Peter. Were Wendie's figures as optimistic?

-Between about 68,000 to 74,000 Australian.

-OK.

That was between 40 to £45,000 a year.

How would that fit with the work?

That's very good actually, that sort of doubles my salary.

Both Peter and Wendie had discovered their earning power would

significantly increase in Australia, but before they could

share their great news there was an unexpected turn of events.

The couple discovered Sonny couldn't be included on the family visa

as he was over 18 and a wage earner.

With her dream potentially in tatters,

Wendie and Sonny sought urgent advice from a migrant official

to find out if Sonny could register for a visa of his own.

If you want to apply at some later stage to come over

and live in Australia, then tattoo artist is not

on the Schedule of Occupations List.

Wendie was stunned. If Sonny wasn't eligible for his own visa

it could have meant her dream was over.

But there was a glimmer of hope.

If it was possible for you to be dependent,

which means basically you'd have to be studying and not

earning money of your own and you're dependent on your parents,

then you could be included.

Wendie's dream suddenly rested on Sonny's willingness to give up

the job he loved to become a student again.

I don't really feel that keen on going back to college.

It wasn't what Wendie wanted to hear.

But if I did like this country enough then it would be worth it

cos it's only six months out of my life...to go back to college.

So if I did look about Australia a bit more and I did feel like I

did want to move here

-then it would be something I would consider, yeah.

-OK.

A move was perhaps still a possibility.

With a huge sigh of relief,

Wendie and Peter met to vote on working in Australia.

BOTH: Australia.

After a day of intense highs and lows, Wendie's face said it all.

But now the pressure was really on to persuade Sonny that

emigrating down under would be the best move for him.

For Wendie, the move was about a better life.

So did a day out Aussie-style

draw Sonny closer to the idea of emigrating?

The Williamsons spent the day at Lancelin,

one of the biggest sand dunes in Western Australia.

It was a chance to spend quality time together -

and to gather their thoughts.

It's a special moment really for us to spend time together.

Having this opportunity to see Australia as a family unit is

very special for me. It could be our last time together as a family.

Sonny had enjoyed the day.

Today has been unreal and I've really, really enjoyed it.

So I do have a kind of a battle going on in my mind what

I want to do at this moment in time.

I think today has opened Sonny's eyes in terms of the type

of activities and the kind of lifestyle we could have

if we moved to Australia, but on saying that,

I think Sonny still has unfinished business in the UK.

It's his life, at the end of the day, and I don't want to take that

away from him. All I can do is show him what Australia...

How lovely Australia is and hope

that he makes the decision to come with us.

So had Sonny seen enough to keep his mum's dream alive?

Based on our lifestyle activities today we are voting for...

ALL: Australia.

It was a clean sweep. Despite his doubts,

Sonny had given the thumbs up to the Aussie lifestyle.

Wendie's dream lived another day.

A unanimous vote for the Australian lifestyle was great news for Wendie.

But now it was time to find out if they could actually afford it.

We prepared a comparison of costs between Australia and the UK -

starting with the weekly shopping bill.

-Leg of lamb - £15...

-In the UK.

£9 here. That's surprising, isn't it?

-Do we really eat all this in a week?

-Yes, we do.

£85.73 per week worse off in Australia.

And that was just for food. Next up were the bigger costs.

The couple based their sums on the second property they saw.

Rent here, monthly, would be £1,980. That sounds a lot, doesn't it?

£1,980 a month.

Doesn't it?

-Yes. It does sound a lot.

-That sounds crazy.

It was a huge amount of money but in Australia their combined

salaries after tax would provide an increase of almost

£21,000 a year, so did that help balance the books?

-That would leave us with £3,028.

-There you go.

-So we're better off by £24.

-There you go.

It wasn't much, but it was enough for Wendie.

You haven't calculated it wrong. You've done it right.

We're going to be better off in Australia.

So were the figures enough to convince Peter?

BOTH: Australia.

We're going to be better off financially here.

Even though it costs more to live here, our wages cover it, yeah.

-We are £24...

-Better off a month.

-..better off a month.

And I'm sure we'll put that to good use.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure we will.

With the finances just in the black, Wendie's dream was still on course.

But she wasn't home and dry just yet.

Sonny had made it clear that leaving the UK would be an enormous

wrench, so would watching messages from home be the family's

toughest challenge yet?

BOTH: Hi, guys.

Hi, Wendie. Hi, Peter, Sonny and Reece.

-BOTH:

-Hi, Peter, Wendie, Sonny and Reece.

Hi, Sonny.

Wendie is extremely friendly.

She makes coming to work quite pleasurable really.

Pete is a real hard worker and he's always got a story to tell,

he's always a good laugh, isn't he?

They're just a lovely family really.

Sonny and Reece, beautiful.

They're very family oriented. They do a lot together as a family.

Sonny is an interesting person.

He's got a very interesting personality.

He just does anything for you. He never puts himself first

-and he just...

-He's funny like,

-everything he says has to be a joke.

-He's got no shame.

He just does outrageous things.

THEY LAUGH

She's always talked about going to Australia,

from when she was young, from as long as I can remember.

I'd be really sad to see Wendie go, I really will,

but happy on the other hand

because I know it's something she really wants.

If the whole family go, they'll be deeply missed.

Obviously we'll miss them, we'll miss seeing the boys, Peter.

We'll miss coming up to visit, because we won't be

-able to get to Australia...

-So often.

-Yeah.

To lose him would be...heartbreaking for any of us

cos he's such a close friend.

I'd be devastated, don't know what I'd do really.

I'm getting a bit...

I've a lump in me throat.

It's too far away, it's quite upsetting really to think about.

I know this is a difficult decision for you to make,

we're going to love you no matter what. Take care. God bless.

If you decide to stay here, we're all really happy, but then again,

if Australia's the right thing for you to do,

then you should go for it.

Don't let us stop you. In fact, we won't stop you.

We love you so much. So live your dream.

I don't want you to go at all but I know that if you do go,

it's the right decision for you to make. And...

I miss you and I love you and can't wait for you to come back.

I didn't think I'd be upset.

I know how upset she would be if you did come

and for us to ask you to make that decision...

We're forcing that upon you in one respect.

It's up to me what I want to do.

I can stay if I want to stay. I can come if I want to come.

This is going to be difficult for us, Sonny, as parents to actually say

goodbye to you if you do decide to stay in the UK.

Yeah, I know but you're not saying goodbye forever.

You're going to stay, aren't you?

Mm, yeah. Made my decision, yeah.

Have you?

-I think he has.

-Yeah.

-I'm 19 now, 20 next year...

-Yeah.

I can't be living at home all my life.

Can I?

Messages from loved ones back home had pushed

Sonny into a decision - Wendie's worst fear had become a reality.

As the final vote approached, she faced a heart-breaking decision.

Would she still choose to chase her dream of a better

life down under, or would the pain of leaving her eldest

son behind be too much to bear?

I think I've realised that Sonny does want to stay in the UK.

I'm having to think a little bit more about that now.

I just think, I know the distance...

If he needed me in an emergency, it would be a 26-hour flight.

I think she thinks she's been a bit selfish maybe in the past

because she's been saying to me, "You're coming to Australia,

"I'm not leaving you here."

But after watching the friends and family video,

I think she kind of realised what I'd have to leave behind.

Sonny's decision had deeply affected everyone.

I was upset, like my brother, that he didn't want to come over here.

Because my mum and dad do, so it's quite upsetting.

I'm considering all aspects of what I've got in the UK.

What possibly could be out here for me.

And I'm continuously flicking from one side to the other.

But it seemed Wendie had finally made up her mind.

I think I have come to a decision on which way I'm going to vote.

It was time for the Williamsons' to decide where their future lay.

-PETER, WENDY AND REECE: Australia.

-England.

UK, yeah? You're not coming, then?

No. I've got too much to lose in England.

Do you think that seeing that friends and family DVD

brought it home to you?

I've always thought that anyway but, yeah, that obviously...

-Made it clearer.

-Yeah.

So you're not saying never, never though?

I'm not saying never, no.

It had been a hugely emotional week for the Williamsons.

Australia had lived up to all of Wendie's expectations,

but it looked like Sonny and the family were facing new

futures on opposite sides of the globe.

One year on...

It's January, 2014, and the Williamsons are in the UK.

But some of them are preparing to make a move.

Their week down under persuaded Peter and Wendie

Australia should be their future home.

Australia was everything I hoped it would be.

When I came away, it made me want to go back and experience more.

Having that week in Australia really motivated us, I think.

It did but I don't think any of us expected to

be moving as quickly as this.

On their return to the UK, the couple wasted little time

getting ready to emigrate down under.

We came back at the end of May.

We reduced the asking price of our house in June, it sold in July.

We moved in here, into the rented accommodation, in July.

And then started the process of applying for my visa.

We got all that done and by the September,

we had all the paperwork that we needed,

and we got granted in October. So, all in all, that was pretty quick.

Only seven months after returning from their week in Perth,

the family have already waved goodbye to their belongings,

but they'll soon be saying a tougher farewell.

Sonny has stuck to his guns and decided to stay in the UK.

I didn't want to risk going to the other side of the world

to not be happy.

Their week in Australia helped Wendie realise it was

time for him to forge his own path in life.

I think after the show she kind of realised how I felt

and I think she understood my point of view

and I think she felt quite bad in the end for trying to make me go.

We said to him, "If you don't want to come to Australia,

"you have to go and fend for yourself."

And he did. Soon as we came back, he managed to get himself a house

and he's been paying his own rent, bills, his own shopping,

and he's been doing really well.

-He's actually proved to us he can survive without us.

-Yeah.

We've got a lot closer since I've moved out and stuff.

Especially in the last couple of weeks when we've

been trying to spend more time together before they move.

Although it's been tough for Wendie,

she's come to terms with Sonny's decision.

We just have to keep our fingers crossed

and hope that he misses us so much that he'll come out at a later date.

That's what I'm hoping for.

I am definitely a little bit jealous but

I still think I've made the right decision.

I know I can go over whenever I want to see them and stuff.

So, yeah, I definitely think I made the right decision.

After saying their farewells, it's time for Wendie,

Peter and Reece to set off for their new life.

And they can't wait.

I've got no last-minute jitters whatsoever.

I'm just really looking forward to this experience

and grateful I've been given this opportunity.

I can't wait to get on the plane, to be honest with you.

It's quite sad leaving loads of friends behind

but I know I'll see them in a few years.

Five months later, the family are well and truly settled in Perth,

Western Australia, but Wendie still has to pinch herself to believe

she's made it to the other side of the world.

It felt very strange, if I'm being honest, when I landed,

knowing that I was not going to be returning to the UK.

It all felt surreal.

I couldn't quite take it all in that my dream had finally come true.

Landing in the country without jobs, Wendie and Peter spent their

first few weeks in Perth taking time to adjust to life down under.

We both didn't rush to work right away.

We had enough money to survive, live a nice lifestyle.

Having a month or so off was all part of the plan.

I kept saying to myself and to you, "Does this feel real?

"Can you believe we're not going back home?"

As we were walking up the beach, and it's 30 degrees,

-and you're just absolutely in paradise.

-Yeah.

After living in a rental property for a couple of weeks,

the family have taken out a one year lease on a four-bedroom property

in the suburb of Safety Bay.

It's been the cause of some dissention.

That's probably when reality kicked in for me actually,

when we saw this house and I realised Pete liked it,

I didn't, but we were moving in any way.

For a base, it's a good house. It's a good size, got four bedrooms,

there's massive gardens, there's a double garage,

it's located in a very nice suburb.

There's a lot of positives about this house.

This is our living room.

I'm not a fan of this living room cos it's pretty dark but...

Pete likes it.

Wendie hasn't been won over by the kitchen either.

It's not my ideal kitchen, it's very old-fashioned, as you can see,

but it serves a purpose.

But there is one room that gets the thumbs up.

We had to get a pool table. Every Aussie house seems to have one.

Pete has even got his own space as well.

Which is for his precious decks.

Yeah, this room is...quite a good room.

And it overlooks the garden as well, which is nice.

The only thing missing is the pool.

This is not my dream house.

My dream house would consist of having a pool,

that's what I moved over here for, to live the Australian dream.

It's a good base. The house is big enough.

It hasn't got a pool but so what? We'll get a pool eventually.

It's close to Reece's school, it's close to Wendie's work...

And close to the beach.

Close to the beach, what more do you want?

A pool.

Despite moving to the other side of the world without employment,

Wendie was lucky to land on her feet.

I was very fortunate. I didn't have to go searching for work really.

Contacts made on the family's original trial week proved useful.

They offered me a job as soon as I stepped off the plane, basically.

My new job is absolutely fantastic.

I work on a rehabilitation farm helping clients with addiction.

It's a lot more relaxed than what I was doing back in the UK.

I'm part-time and it's absolutely fantastic.

I'm earning the same money I was earning working full-time back home.

Peter found searching for work a bit trickier though.

The process of looking for a job has been quite difficult.

You apply for quite a lot of jobs and you get a lot of knockbacks.

Although he's now found a job, it's not quite perfect.

Working with a gas processing company on an island 700 miles

from Perth will see him working away from home for three weeks at a time.

I'm not too excited about spending 26 days away from my family,

but I need to go and earn some decent money

and that's what this job's going to do for me.

It doesn't exactly fit with Wendie's vision of family life down under,

but it does have some upsides.

We've gone from being a family of four to a family of three,

and now we're going to be a family of two.

I didn't really come to Australia to be on my own.

However, the job that Pete's been offered

has just a substantial amount of money that he can't really refuse.

It's a very well-paid job, it will allow me

to save for the next year. If I did this job for five years,

we could potentially pay our mortgage off.

For Reece, the transition to a new school down under

was daunting at first.

It was like starting all over and I didn't know anyone.

I didn't know anything about them. It was really hard.

But after a few weeks, he discovered some benefits

of Aussie-style schools.

The teachers are quite laid back and not worried about

school uniform or how you dress.

They're not as strict as England, which is good.

Most of the people in my classes welcomed me into school

and it made life a lot easier.

Mum and Dad are proud of how their son has adjusted.

He's coping really well. I think he seems a lot happier in himself.

It's a big thing for any 14-year-old to move to the other

side of the world but he's coped really well with it.

With some family already in Perth,

Wendie hasn't suffered too much from homesickness.

Hello, babe! Did you get lost up the freeway?

-Hi, Reece.

-Hi!

It's been lovely having people here I'm familiar with, yeah.

I think that's a head start, really.

Good to see you again, darlin'.

They absolutely love it here.

There's no way that they would ever go back.

They've got their work, they've made friends, it's great for them.

But five months after the move,

Wendie's still coming to terms with leaving Sonny behind.

I've gained family here but left family back home. I do miss Sonny.

Hiya!

-SONNY:

-'All right, hiya.'

How are you going?

He does miss us as a family, but with the beauty of the internet,

we've managed to stay in touch with him.

So, it's like he is just down the road, really.

Have fun tonight. Have a nice day as well. See ya!

ALL: Bye!

It does feel very strange being just the three of us.

I do miss him.

The couple are pleased with how Sonny's coping having flown

the family nest, but are hopeful one day he will make the move.

He's coping extremely well but I still would love for him

to be here with us. And eventually, he might.

-He will.

-He will.

SHE LAUGHS

While their move went smoothly,

at times Wendie and Peter found things did get strained.

Logistically, the journey's been great.

Emotionally, it's been difficult at times.

It's been difficult on our relationship,

because I think when you move here you lose your identity slightly

because you leave family behind, you leave friends behind.

That has an impact on your relationship because

you rely solely on each other.

-It hasn't been a completely smooth ride...

-No, it hasn't.

-..but overall, it hasn't been too bad.

-No.

The lifestyle opportunities afforded by the move down under

are having a positive effect on everyone.

The best thing about living here is waking up to sunshine every

morning and having parrots flying around in your garden,

walking down to the beach and seeing dolphins.

You don't get one day of sunshine and six days of rain,

you get a whole week of sunshine.

I'm more happy here than I was in the UK because the weather,

you can do more things. My family life has changed a lot

because we go out walking the dog, we do more activities together.

I've been dreaming about coming to Australia since my early twenties,

I think, and now I'm actually living that dream...

..it feels fantastic.

Wendie's always been the driving force behind the move.

There has been a lot of pressure on me to make this work cos

it's something that I've talked about for so many years.

So, almost half a year into their new life down under,

are there any regrets?

I'm 100% sure I've made the right move.

With no doubt whatsoever in my mind.

I definitely know I've made the right move.

And the rest of the family seem to agree.

I think my future lies in Australia.

I've made a new life for myself. It's a lot better than the UK.

The whole move has been worth it. We're not going back to the UK.

I can't see that happening.

Wendie's dream does exist here in Australia, I would say,

and we are striving to achieve it.

I do think our future is going to be great,

I do see us having a wonderful life, a wonderful lifestyle.

There's just one obvious downside.

-We're just missing one thing and that's a family member.

-Yeah.

So once Sonny has lived his social life in the UK

and gets a bit fed up, hopefully he's going to come out and join us.

Eventually - that's the key word here - eventually.

-When it's right for him.

-Yeah. That's right.

Secretly, deep down, I would love for him to be here with us.

For sure.

Within the space of a year, it appears the Williamsons have finally

achieved the lifestyle Wendie and Peter had been dreaming of.

And who knows?

At some point in the future, Sonny may yet join them.

We wish the whole family the very best with their new lives.