Simpson Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

How far would you go to give

your family a fresh start

after devastating times?

In 2014, the Simpson family were considering leaving the UK behind

to start again on the other side of the world.

Today, we'll discover if it's

the UK or Australia the family now call home.

Three years ago, the Simpson family were about to finally

realise their dream of a new life down under...

We had a great big party and said, "This is it.

"Next year we'll be out in Australia."

..when tragedy struck.

I was frightened to go to sleep every single night in case

she would be dead by the time I woke up.

In 2014, they spent a week in Australia to see

if it could offer a new beginning.

I want this to be a fresh start for my family.

One year on, find out

if the Simpsons have made the life-changing move.

It was like, do we go? Do we not go? What do we do?

Often referred to as "the lucky country"

because of its economy and opportunities, Australia's been

the top destination for Brits seeking to emigrate

for over 25 years.

With its sunny climate and outdoors lifestyle,

it's easy to understand why.

But it takes more than luck to build a new life down under,

and every year 18,000 expats return to the UK

with their ambitions shattered.

In 2014, after the most challenging year of their lives,

the Simpsons were determined to put the past behind them

and move to the other side of the world.

After a week to discover

if Australia could offer the lifestyle they were

longing for, the family would face the biggest decision of their lives.

One year on, today, we'll discover what happened next.

The family's original journey to Melbourne began with more

than 10,000 miles in the air.

As they touched down in Australia

for the very first time,

Michelle's spirits were high.

We are very excited to be here today.

I'm hoping this week is going to be a big changer for us,

that big decision that makes us actually say yes,

and that we want to start a new life and build it here.

But Garry was playing the cautious card.

Yeah, we want to experience as much as we can

just to make sure that the move's right.

So we've got to make sure we tick all of those boxes off.

Having finally reached Australia,

the next week would be key in deciding whether the Simpsons

could get the fresh start they so desperately needed.

In 2014, the Simpsons - Dad, Garry, Mum, Michelle,

Fraja, then aged five, Erinn, who was 14, and Howie, who was 16,

were living on an RAF base in North Yorkshire.

Garry and Michelle had been dreaming of a life down under

for nearly two decades.

Moving to Australia was something that we actually wanted to do

a long time ago,

before we even had the children.

-This has been our dream for so long.

-Yeah, yeah, it has.

But life and Garry's military career had got in the way.

We ended up staying longer and longer and longer,

and it got to the point there, the dream kind of

went out the window for a little while.

Two years previously, Garry had become eligible for his RAF pension.

With the extra financial security that brought, at long last,

a move to Australia was back on.

Plans were made and the family started to say their goodbyes.

We sat here on the New Year's Eve, had a great big party and said,

"This is it. Next year we'll be out in Australia."

But the joy was short-lived.

Devastating news brought Garry and Michelle's plans to

an abrupt halt, when four-year-old Fraja was diagnosed with cancer.

Garry and Michelle spent months by Fraja's bedside,

as their daughter fought for her life.

As a family you go through everything, you know. The why us?

Why Fraja? And, yeah, it's really devastating.

It's been so horrific, so many ups and downs.

Many times we weren't even sure she was going to make it through.

Fraja's neuroblastoma cancer saw her undergo intensive surgery

and chemotherapy, but her body began to fight back on its own.

And after just 12 months...

Fraja's on the mend. She's doing exceptionally well.

Erm, she's rewritten some of the books.

Fraja's cancer had gone into remission.

But that didn't mean it would never return.

The cancer that she has is one that reoccurs.

And if it does reoccur, then we know that these children don't

actually have much opportunity or chance to actually survive.

Only two places in the world offered pioneering treatment

should Fraja's cancer come back - America and Australia,

but it would come at a cost.

With the help of friends and family,

the Simpsons had raised almost £200,000

towards possible health care costs.

They were determined to put

the harrowing last 12 months behind them,

and give all three children the fresh start they needed.

The laughter in our house, it's not there any more

and I want to get that laughter back.

I want to hear my kids giggle, I long for that.

I really long for that.

Australia could have offered the care

and new beginning the family needed.

But Garry knew the move would be a risky one.

He'd spent all his working life with the RAF.

I can't come back and get my job back.

It's not like I'm a carpenter or a builder that

I could just come back and slot back into. No, that's it.

When I've left, the door is 100% shut.

And the job wasn't the only thing Garry would be saying goodbye to.

Both his parents were waging their own battles with cancer,

and Michelle and Garry worried about leaving them behind.

Knowing what we've potentially got ahead, you can't get that time back.

So that's really, really the hardest thing.

Can we do that? Does this make us heartless if we go now?

If we don't go now, will we ever get this opportunity again?

It's a huge question,

and I'm not sure at this stage if we actually know the answer to that.

The Simpsons spent their trial week in Melbourne.

Their temporary home was a modern four-bedroom townhouse,

and first impressions were good.

-It's nice. Absolutely perfect.

-Oh, wow, this is nice.

Fraja was already feeling at home.

I think Australia is a wonderful place cos it's getting warmer.

After years of longing,

it had been exactly the start Michelle had hoped for.

Do you know, I actually can see myself

living in Australia in a property like this.

It's beautiful.

But both she and Garry were well aware of what was

riding on the week ahead.

I am nervous, because I think I have set myself high targets

on what I'm expecting to see and what I want to see.

This week in Australia is absolutely massive for all of us,

assuming and hoping that Fraja, you know,

remains well and nothing ever changes on that.

We do, at some point, need to draw the line and try and move on.

I want this to be a fresh start for my family.

We need to draw a line at some point in our lives

and tell cancer it's not going to rule us.

Back in the UK the Simpsons were living in army accommodation.

A house down under would be their first property purchase.

They'd set themselves a budget of £300,000 and knew just what

they wanted from an Australian home.

I love space, I love windows, I love glass,

so very modern for me, I'd say.

I love large, family living areas.

You have an idea in your head what you want. You always do have.

In fact, if you're willing to adapt and change it a little bit,

that's OK. If I have to adapt and change it completely,

I may not be so sure.

We showed the Simpsons three houses in Melbourne, two

based on what they could afford, and one which could be their dream home.

The search began in the suburb of Epping,

40 miles north-east of Melbourne city centre.

With a good range of schools, shops and parks,

it should have been perfect for family living.

Did this spacious four-bedroom home get the day off to

a good start?

-Wow. Yeah.

-This is nice.

-This is absolutely beautiful, yeah.

-It's very spacious, very, very light.

-And very posh.

Another thumbs up from Fraja.

This is lovely, isn't it? It's nice and big.

Walk-in wardrobe.

This is a really big bathroom.

This is exactly what I think

we envisioned when we were back at home.

There was plenty of room in the kitchen too.

Garry, look at the size of this. This is huge.

-Oh, this is.

-Wow.

And the outside area lived up to all expectations.

I'm actually lost for words, the fact that

it has managed to tick everything that we've asked for.

-It has. Absolutely fantastic.

-And on the very first property.

-Yeah.

Look at the view. You can see Melbourne city.

Isn't that beautiful?

This house had wowed the Simpsons.

But was it on the right side of their £300,000 budget?

Are you ready?

That was £3,000 under budget.

-Wow.

-I didn't expect that.

-No.

-That's well within our budget.

Ticked all the boxes. About hit the nail on the head with the price.

Erm, fantastic.

Their day was off to a great start.

Next stop was Eltham,

a suburb with a country feel just 12 miles from the city centre.

This four-bedroom house had a large garden

perfect for a spot of socialising, but did the inside impress?

Oh, this is a nice-sized bedroom, Garry. Big windows. I like this.

First impressions were positive,

but it wasn't long before things took a turn for the worse.

I have to say, for me,

I'm not feeling that family feeling in this house for me.

Luckily, the kitchen fared better.

-This is...

-This is nice.

-..a change, isn't it?

Oh, I... That's pretty, isn't it?

Definitely see potential in here, without a doubt.

But it wasn't enough to convince Michelle.

There's something missing.

I'm not feeling that I could,

this could be somewhere of my choice that I would live.

Outdoors, however, lifted everyone's spirits.

This is pretty, this is nice.

-This is lovely.

-I do like this.

You can hear a lot more birds

than what you could in the other house.

But it wasn't just birdsong Erinn was hearing.

The only thing that I'm not too sure is probably

the sound of the roads, the cars.

Michelle and Erinn couldn't imagine this house as a home.

But with the family's £300,000 budget,

could they have afforded it, anyway?

Three, two, one.

That was £22,000 over budget.

Wow.

That's a lot. I'm genuinely quite surprised with that.

-I'm, I'm very surprised...

-Yeah.

-..purely because of the location...

-I think the noise.

-..the noise.

Yeah, not for us.

Next up was what we thought could have been the family's dream home.

It was situated in Diamond Creek,

an up-and-coming affordable suburb, popular with families.

Would this spacious, modern five-bedroom house

be the perfect fit for the Simpsons?

Oh, wow.

-This has the wow factor.

-This is gorgeous, isn't it?

-I could live here.

-It's a dream house, definitely.

The kitchen had a perfect panorama.

Look at the view! Look at that.

This is absolutely stunning.

This is absolutely stunning.

The house was everything Michelle had dreamed of.

If this house belonged to me, I would be smiling all day.

-Yeah.

-It's just, it's beautiful.

It had an impressive spot for entertaining friends.

-Wow, it's absolutely gorgeous.

-You feel like you're in the countryside.

-Yeah.

-Completely in the countryside

with just...open air and space.

-Downstairs wasn't short on space either.

-A-ha!

-Oh, wow.

-This could be a huge games room.

-Yeah.

Oh, wow.

And it even had a home from home for Garry's mum and dad.

-This would be ideal for them.

-Definitely.

-Absolutely.

While outside was the icing on the cake.

Absolutely awesome.

This is a beautiful family home.

And I could hear

laughter already in this house.

But was it somewhere the family could afford to call home?

The last house. Are you ready to see what the price is?

-Wow.

-Wow.

-That's really good, that is.

It was £91,000 over budget,

but not necessarily out of reach.

The budget didn't include an annexe for my parents.

This includes that.

This is what would make me happy.

-Yes, I know.

-Yeah. It would be perfect.

It had been a day of mixed reactions on the property front.

House number one got

the day off to a great start,

at a price well within budget.

Property number two was

slightly on the small side,

and the noisy traffic didn't help.

But the final house was

the Simpson's dream home.

And although it had a

price to match,

it could have been worth

stretching the budget for.

So, did the family choose properties at home or away?

Based on the three houses that we've seen today,

we've decided to vote for...

-Australia!

-Australia!

-UK!

Why did you vote UK?

Just on the price of the houses.

You know,

is that a dream house we want or do

we want a better work/life balance?

With Garry's vote for the UK,

the family's future down under was looking uncertain.

But, if the couple could get the right jobs, the home

and lifestyle they'd been dreaming of could still have been achievable.

Michelle was the main visa applicant.

Back in the UK, she was a pharmacy technician,

a job she was passionate about.

I really would need to have a very similar role in Australia,

because for me, it's all about patients, and I love it.

If the job does not fit for me,

I think it possibly could be a make-or-break decision.

To find out if she could get a similar job in Melbourne,

we arranged for Michelle to spend time at a local hospital.

Fellow pharmacy technician Sarah Gallier showed her around.

Michelle was keen to know

if she could still have close contact with people in her care.

Sarah, do you find that you get quite attached to your patients,

in regularly, the ones that you see regularly,

or do you not really get to know your patients very well?

I really don't get to know my patients very well at all.

No, definitely not.

That wasn't what Michelle had been hoping to hear.

Meanwhile, across town, Garry was off

to find out about his job prospects.

Back in the UK, he was a communications expert in the RAF,

a career he worried about leaving.

When you serve in the military, you know, you have your house,

your education, the education for the kids,

and of course I'd be giving all of that up.

To find out if his military skills would transfer to a civilian

marketplace down under, Garry met with Robert Fortescue,

general manager of a specialist IT company.

You've been working in the military for 25 years,

you're committed, so it's not like you've job-hopped.

Erm, and now, again, you know, that's a major concern for a lot of

organisations nowadays.

-And I would see that as an advantage.

-Excellent.

It was sounding positive for Garry.

Back at Alfred Hospital, Michelle met with

Diane Walters, Deputy Director of Pharmacy, to find out

if work existed for her, and how much she could earn.

We would certainly be considering you for, easily,

for a grade two position.

What sort of salary are we looking at for myself?

Around 48,000 a year.

Once you move into a grade three technician, you're then

looking at somewhere between 50,000 and 54,000.

That is a lot higher than what I expected.

In fact, it was over a third more than Michelle earned at home.

She also took the opportunity to ask about the care Fraja could

receive in Australia, if she needed it.

The health care system here is world-class,

and certainly the specialist centres would offer the very new

and the very pioneering treatments relatively easily.

Thank you very much for today.

You've given me so much to think about. Thank you.

Knowing Fraja would get the care she needed

if they made the move down under was a huge relief for Michelle.

But having to forego close contact with patients was disappointing.

Were Garry's work prospects more encouraging?

Do you see any potential opportunities

for myself in Australia?

Where the market's going, you know, it's on a good trajectory so,

so by the time you've actually made the commitment,

and you're moving to Australia,

then there should be, should be opportunities available for you.

And what about the all-important question of money?

Salary-wise, somebody of your skills, say,

you're probably looking around about 100, 120K a month.

That was £66,000 a year way beyond what Garry had been expecting.

That's fantastic, Rob. Thank you.

No, I appreciate you coming in.

-Thank you.

-Thanks, Garry.

The couple had discovered they could be much

better off working in Australia.

But the day had been about much more than just money.

Knowing that Fraja is, can be looked after, in safe hands,

I mean, that just, for us, that is the biggest thing of all.

It is. It's above everything.

The dreams that we want have got more chance of being reality now,

more than ever, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Which is great.

-Now you can kiss me.

-All right, thank you.

SHE CHUCKLES

-Excellent. Really pleased.

-Yeah.

It had been an encouraging day for the couple.

So did they choose work in Australia or the UK?

-Australia.

-UK.

Never.

Wow.

-Honest?

-Yeah.

I'm shocked with that.

Even with the increased wages?

I like what I do. I like what I've achieved so far.

I enjoy my job well as I do and I think that

I'm not going to get that opportunity straightaway here.

It's going to take me some time to build that back up.

Yeah, fair enough.

-See what tomorrow brings.

-OK.

With Michelle's vote for the UK,

where the Simpsons' future lay was still far from certain.

A move for the family was all about a new start after traumatic times,

so would a day experiencing Australia's lifestyle

prove the perfect tonic?

What's funny?

The way you look!

The family spent the day horse riding -

an activity they all enjoyed in the UK.

It was one of Fraja's favourite hobbies.

It's been lovely seeing Fraja on a horse today

because she's well, I'm seeing her actually enjoy herself

and she's healthy.

The last time she was in the saddle,

Fraja had been undergoing treatment and Michelle was amazed

at just how far her daughter had come

in the space of just one year.

She wasn't speaking then

and she obviously still had the nose tube and everything in.

And she had no hair then as well.

But the smile on her face,

she just sat there the whole time with a huge grin, a smile...

so I knew this activity today was going to be the one for her.

I really did, you know.

So, yeah, this beats the beach, this beats anything, any day.

This is just absolutely amazing.

And it wasn't just Fraja who'd seen benefits from the day.

It's been a really long time since I've been on a horse, and...

if we did move to Australia,

I would want to do this on a regular basis.

All right, guys. Do you want to come and get something to eat?

The day had brought home for everyone how much a move

could transform family life.

When you've been through an experience

like Fraja has or we all have as a family,

you tend to look at things completely different.

You know, all of us have come here with our own apprehensions,

our own worries.

It's definitely a massive risk

and it's definitely a massive gamble.

We are going to sacrifice an awful lot to come out here.

I'm hoping it's going to be worth it.

It's one way of closing a door on the past

and stepping forward into the future.

I feel very positive towards Australia,

but I still have a lot to think about.

Michelle and Garry still had concerns

about whether they could make the move down under a reality.

But based on lifestyle, which country did the family choose?

-ALL EXCEPT HOWIE:

-Australia!

It was almost a clean sweep.

I liked when we rided the horses and when we had a picnic

and when we feeded the horses.

-So, you like Australia, do you?

-Yeah.

The Simpsons' day out had shown them

what a new life down under could offer,

but the finances would have to be right

if they were to afford it.

-OK, are you ready?

-Yeah.

To help Garry and Michelle do the sums,

we prepared a comparison of costs between the UK and Australia.

They started with the weekly shopping bill.

-Wow. What's that for?

-Dishwasher tablets.

-What's the difference?

-24.26.

£24.26. That's on a weekly shop.

Yeah. That is a huge difference.

£100 more on food each month meant the figures

weren't off to the best of starts.

How did the bigger outgoings shape up?

Based on property number one,

our mortgage would be £1,006.31 per month.

Wow.

Despite having no mortgage in the UK,

the family had found it hard to balance the books.

UK income, based on our outgoings,

actually leaves us with an average deficit of £248.67 a month.

We're spending over what we have coming in.

Mm.

That's quite a bit.

In Australia, the family's outgoings would be even higher

as they'd be paying a mortgage for the first time.

But the couple's potential earnings down under

combined with Garry's military pension

could add up to £160,000 a year, which was a considerable sum.

So, where did that leave them overall?

So, we'd be better off by £2,782.49.

-A month.

-A month.

That's £33,390.

-Better off.

-Better off in one year.

-Wow.

-I am so stunned.

-That's a huge amount.

-Pack your suitcases.

I'm so happy.

I'm so happy and I'm very excited.

It was time to put the figures to the vote.

-BOTH:

-Australia.

I have been absolutely surprised and shocked at those figures.

I think we've got some exciting times ahead.

It looked like Garry and Michelle's dream of a fresh start in Australia

was finally within grasp,

but starting again on the other side of the world

would mean breaking close bonds in the UK.

The family decided to watch messages from home together.

Would the thought of leaving those close to them in the UK

prove too much to bear?

Best family you could ever have.

I'm not just saying it, but they really, really are.

Michelle is fun-loving. She's very bubbly.

She's the life and soul of the party with a naughty streak to her.

-Definitely.

-THEY LAUGH

Howie is the loving one. He's the one that does the worrying.

-He's very sensitive.

-Yeah.

But Erinn is the same. She really is.

She's very thoughtful.

-Giggly.

-Giggly. Oh, she is.

-She's a little troublemaker.

-I think Erinn causes her trouble.

My best friend is Fraja.

We play hide-and-seek.

Sometimes Fraja always finds me.

She's just a marvellous, marvellous child.

Really, really brave. Yeah. We're so proud of her.

We really are.

I think it will be very hard to leave Ann and Terry,

especially with what Ann and Terry are going through with their cancer.

We want them to go knowing that it's what we want for them.

Just remember, we love yous and we'll miss yous no matter what.

We know you'll do the right thing.

We'll always be here for you. You know that.

And just we'll see you when you get home.

It's horrible watching them, like, isn't it?

It is, because fact is right now your mum and dad, they need us.

Can we leave your mum and dad at such a time in their lives

when they actually need us?

As much as they've helped us,

they need, yeah, looking after themselves, don't they?

What you thinking, Fraja?

How do you feel?

How do you feel after seeing your friends on TV?

A little bit sad.

Why do you feel sad?

Cos I might not see them again.

I think we've got lots to think about, haven't we?

Whether this is going to be the right decision for us.

Heartfelt messages from the UK had hit hard.

Now the family faced their final decision.

Their week in Australia had reassured Michelle

the country could help put the past behind them.

This 12 months has been so hard on the family,

so the emotions the whole family were having to feel

while Fraja was going through treatment,

you could never describe it.

I was frightened to go to sleep every single night...

..not knowing if she was going to be there the next morning.

We needed this.

We needed to know that, "You know what?

"We can rebuild ourselves."

This week has meant so much to us to finally see Fraja so healthy,

enjoy life and feel that we can turn the corner,

move forward and get on with our lives.

But the week had also been a reminder

of what they stood to lose.

Friends. I don't want to leave them behind.

And Garry was still struggling with the thought of leaving his parents.

You know, you feel an element of guilt to be honest with you

because they have been there, you know,

through a really difficult time.

It's certainly going to be hard no matter what.

So, with their final turn of the cards,

where did the Simpsons decide their future lay?

Based on our week this week, we've decided to vote for...

-FRAJA:

-UK!

-HOWIE:

-Both!

-OTHERS:

-Australia!

Fraja, why did you choose the UK?

Because of my friends.

Cos of your friends. Aw!

That's fair enough.

I probably want to move to Australia.

The only thing that's holding me back is family.

Pleased we both voted the same way. Makes the decision a lot easier.

I think we can actually start living our life

rather than living a dream.

-Yeah.

-Let's go for it.

HE LAUGHS

It had been an emotional week for the Simpsons,

but it appeared Garry and Michelle were convinced

Australia could give their family the fresh start they needed.

Five months since we last saw them, the Simpsons are living in...

Durham in the UK, but not for long.

-We are going in four days.

-Yeah.

We'll be flying over to Melbourne

and it's going to be a whole new adventure.

Their week down under convinced Garry and Michelle

they should go ahead with the move.

It gave us the confidence to go,

"Yeah, it's 100% right for us," and that was it.

-We went for it.

-Yeah.

Decision made,

the family haven't wasted any time preparing to emigrate.

The hard bit was waiting for the visa to be approved.

Once we heard back that they had been granted and approved,

that was it.

We could start planning from there.

But battling through the bureaucracy of a move

hasn't been easy.

Doing all the documentation, all the paperwork, you know,

removals, insurance -

yeah, it is a huge amount to organise.

And just two weeks ago,

it looked like history was about to repeat itself

when Fraja attended hospital for her final scan.

They thought they'd found something, didn't they?

So, literally everything was potentially thrown into jeopardy,

so that week was just an absolute nightmare.

It completely threw our lives upside down again,

and it was like, "Do we go? Do we not go? What do we do?"

Thankfully, it was a false alarm and Fraja was given the all-clear.

It left Garry and Michelle in no doubt

Australia was the place for the family to be.

Over there we know that there is treatment available.

In the UK, there is no more real treatment.

There's nothing more she can have,

so, yes, it's made us more determined,

if anything, to go.

Garry's already landed a job down under.

Put the feelers out to see what was available

and one opportunity came back very quickly.

And it offered us a great three-year contract,

so literally jumped at the opportunity.

Michelle, meanwhile, is planning to take some time off

to settle the family when they arrive,

but leaving her job in the UK was a wrench.

The hospital itself was amazing. It really was.

It's going to be hard pushed to find somewhere

that's going to match what I've just left.

All that remains is to say their goodbyes,

and for Garry, leaving his parents will be tough.

I think deep down they would love to come with us,

and maybe, you never know, one day might.

-It could happen, maybe happen.

-I hope so.

But certainly the want is there from them as well, I think.

-Yeah.

-I think once they come across to visit, then who knows?

But the family are itching to jet off for their new life.

We're ready for the move now. Definitely.

Enjoy life as a family.

I'm like a nervous schoolgirl. I can't wait to go.

Fast-forward eight months, it's May, 2015,

and the Simpsons are living in...

Melbourne, Australia.

The family's dream has at last become reality.

It's the most amazing experience. I'm loving it.

I'm embracing this new life.

Starting again on the other side of the world

hasn't been without its challenges.

It was relentless when we arrived and it hasn't stopped.

We've been here several months now and we are still photocopying,

scanning, sending things off.

It really does take a lot of time.

And money.

Getting your driver's license, that was 500.

Everything seems to add up. Started the kids in school. Books.

You've got to buy books for the kids, so, I mean,

that's another 1,000 just for their school books each.

It is a massive outlay to start with.

But a stiff upper lip has seen them through the testing times.

You have to hit each change with a positive outlook

and just accept it for what it is.

Australia and the UK are two very different countries.

They're very similar but they're very, very different,

and you have to embrace the difference.

The family settled into a rental property in the suburb of Yallambie

when they first arrived with no immediate plans

to buy a property until fate intervened.

We just thought we'd start doing some initial looking.

-No intentions to buy.

-Yeah, with not a great deal of intention.

-We just wanted to understand...

-Yeah.

..how Australia sell and buy homes.

And then this property came along quite by chance, and yeah,

it ticked, I think, nine out of the ten boxes, pretty much,

so we thought, "Yeah, let's go for it,"

and luckily, it paid off.

Home for the Simpsons is now a detached four-bedroom house

in a location the family were already familiar with.

We loved Diamond Creek when we first walked around here.

The area was where the Simpsons viewed their potential dream house

during their trial week.

It came out of the blue to find that after buying this property that

that house that we fell in love with is just behind this one,

so we know it's definitely the area we want to be in.

Relocating to Diamond Creek from Yallambie

meant another upheaval for the children.

Having to change schools twice in a matter of six months

has definitely put a lot of pressure on them,

and they really, on the whole, have coped remarkably well.

A place to call their own has helped everyone

settle into their new life down under.

Having a house gives us the feeling of permanence.

It makes us feel like we're creating a family home,

somewhere to live for a long, long time.

Having spent their entire married life

in army accommodation,

Garry and Michelle are delighted with their first ever venture

into the property market.

When I walked through the door,

it gave me a real warm feeling in my tummy, and yeah,

absolutely fell in love with it.

Spacious family living was top of the wish list

for a home down under, and this house has buckets of it.

I love the houses in Australia.

The open living, the way that it flows room from each room.

Going from one living area to three is quite a significant increase,

but it's great.

This is the lounge-dining-kitchen area.

It's a great big family space and we spend lots of time in here.

We're going to change the windows and the doors here at the back

cos we want it to be so that you can open it up

completely onto the decking.

It's one of the real big things that we wanted in Australia,

that outdoor living brought inside as well.

The couple love their new garden

and have already been entertaining some of the neighbours.

We had a kangaroo here the other evening

just sitting there staring at us.

This is what we come to Australia for.

The wildlife is absolutely beautiful.

The kids absolutely love it.

Usually on an evening,

we'll have 20 parrots in the garden all feeding,

and it's absolutely fantastic, isn't it?

The whole family agree it's the perfect setting

for their new life.

Got a great view of the garden. A fantastic view outside.

This is my room. I've got a nice view as well.

I love the view from our windows,

and I sit with the dog looking out the windows quite often, don't I?

You can sit in the bath

and you've got a great view out of the window.

It's fantastic, that.

Yeah. This is my room. I like it.

You can see outside that window, actually.

Out of my window, you normally see some kangaroos.

And also, if you're very, very cool,

you might see parrots.

Like, there's a parrot on my parrot thingy in the garden.

After an initial adjustment period, the children have settled well.

Aussie schooling has got the seal of approval

from Howie and Erinn.

I think the main difference between Australia and England in schools

is how relaxed they are.

You call the teachers by their first names

and they feel a lot more approachable.

My new school is awesome.

I've got loads of friends there.

I enjoy hanging around with them all and stuff.

And taking up Aussie rules football means Howie has found his feet

outside the classroom too.

He's the one I thought would struggle, but he hasn't.

He's made some great friends, and yeah,

he's really embracing Australia.

I think he's enjoying it.

Although she wasn't fully behind the move,

Fraja has been very grown-up about it all.

I didn't really want to go to Australia,

but then I found out life moves on.

I think Fraja has coped very well with the move, considering.

She has had her moments of ups and downs.

What I don't like about Australia is that there's snakes,

and I've heard in Sydney that a few people

have been getting killed by them.

But snakes aside,

even she's been bitten by the Aussie bug.

I like Australia because it's really nice and hot.

My new friends are, like, pretty good,

but I don't have as many as in England.

While everyone's missing loved ones at home,

the blow has already been softened by a visit from Garry's mum and dad.

They came for seven weeks, which was absolutely fantastic.

They really enjoyed Australia.

If the opportunity ever came up, maybe they'd move themselves.

And his parents gave the move their seal of approval.

I don't think there were two or three days that would go by

without a comment, "You've definitely made the right move."

If Fraja has her way,

Grandma and Grandpa will be back sooner than they expect.

-Grandma.

-Yeah, that's the one.

-When are you coming back?

-OVER LAPTOP:

-We'll just have to wait and see.

Why do you have to wait and see?

It takes a long time to get there, doesn't it?

It only takes about three days.

-How long do you want Grandma to come for next time?

-A year.

-A year.

-That's a lovely thought, isn't it, sweetheart?

You never know, Fraja.

Garry started work shortly after the family landed down under,

and he's had no problems settling.

I'm currently teaching students information systems.

I thought the transition from leaving the air force

was going to be quite difficult, but thoroughly enjoying it.

I'm really enjoying working with a younger lot. It's great.

Though there has been an element of adjusting to his new workmates.

Completely different sense of humour to myself, but you know,

I fit in well with them.

Garry's new work schedule means he has more time with the family.

I'm usually in the house just after four o'clock,

and that really makes a massive difference.

I'm usually arriving not long after the kids

get in from school,

so that extra hour,

we're actually spending that really good quality time.

It just feels like work fits around our lifestyle.

We're having that family time that we never had.

And the Simpsons are making the most of the great Aussie outdoors.

We pretty much have everything in the car.

The chairs are in the car, there's a spare change of clothes,

the towels are in there and we just go off for a drive

and see where we end up.

Extra money in Garry's pay packet

has taken the pressure off Michelle finding a job.

At the moment, there's no urgent need for me to be working.

We're managing very well on Garry's wage alone.

While she's waiting for her UK qualifications to transfer,

Michelle's been pondering becoming a student.

There is some courses coming up at one of the universities

for a pharmacist, so I'm thinking of applying.

You never know. In four years' time,

I could be a fully-qualified pharmacist here in Australia.

The health care support Fraja has been receiving

has been reassuring for the couple.

Since we moved here, Fraja's health has been really good.

She's under a fantastic specialist here.

I couldn't have asked for a better one.

We feel absolutely comfortable with anything he suggests or says.

Yeah, that definitely reinforced that we made the right move...

-Absolutely.

-..from Fraja's case perspective.

You know, we're not out the woods yet,

but certainly with the team down there,

it gives you the confidence that we can be quite positive

for the future.

Life down under has brought the Simpsons closer together,

and Michelle's finally got the missing ingredient

back in her life.

Seeing my kids laughing.

Because back in the UK, I didn't get to see it as often as I wanted to.

Here I'm seeing it so much. I'm seeing it every day.

There's little bits I'm recognising in my children a bit more,

and I love watching them grow.

It's so beautiful to see.

They're less than a year into their new life,

but Garry and Michelle are convinced they've made the right move.

I believe the future of my family definitely lies here in Australia.

It's given us everything that we've wanted so far,

and it's been great.

-It's been for the good.

-Yeah.

We're not trying to be Brits in Australia.

We're trying to be Australian, aren't we?

My future definitely lies in Australia, without a doubt.

I absolutely love the way of life across here,

so, yeah, 100% Australia all away.

It's taken persistence and months of upheaval,

but the Simpsons are now reaping the rewards of all their hard work.

We wish them every success

as they continue their new lives down under.