Randle Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

Moving halfway around the world to start a new life seems drastic,

but if you genuinely believed it was the best option

for your young family, you might be tempted.

In 2013, the Randle family spent a week in Australia

to see if it could offer the life they were desperate for.

Today, we'll find out just what happened next.

Two years ago, the Randles

were struggling to balance work and family life.

We work constantly.

At the minute, we just feel like two single parents

just living under the same roof.

Gemma believed Australia could be the answer,

and a week down under didn't disappoint.

Oh, my God!

I'm absolutely speechless.

But the thought of leaving loved ones left her torn.

We could have an OK life here or we can go over there

and just break people's hearts.

Today, we'll find out where the family are now.

I don't regret anything.

I don't think there's any doubts we've made the right decision.

Thanks to one of the lowest population densities in the world,

it's no surprise so many Brits flock to Australian shores every year

in search of a better life.

Today, the country has over one million UK-born residents,

but it doesn't work out for everyone.

For some, the pull of home is too much

and many return to the UK with their dream in tatters.

Two years ago, the Randles faced a massive dilemma.

While mum Gemma believed Australia could offer her family

the time together they were desperate for,

husband Chris feared abandoning their life in the UK

was too big a risk.

At the end of a week

sampling everything Aussie living had to offer,

the family faced a life-changing decision.

Today, two years later,

we'll discover where the Randles now call home.

The family's original journey to Adelaide

took them 10,000 miles from home.

26 hours in the air had given Gemma plenty of time to think

through the enormity of the choice ahead.

I think it's just made me realise how far we are from home.

-But it hadn't put her off.

-I'm excited.

I just want to get going and see what it's all about

and hope that it's everything that I think it's going to be.

Chris, however, was less enthusiastic.

I'm a bit nervous that Gemma has got real high expectations

and she might find out that it's not quite what we want

or what you think it's going to be, so we'll see.

Gemma had just one week to quell Chris's doubts

or her sunshine dream would be gone forever.

Oh, feel the heat.

In 2013, home for the Randles was Aldridge in the West Midlands.

Dad Chris lived with Maddie, then aged three, wife Gemma,

and Oliver, who was nearly two.

The desire to move down under had been a burning passion

ever since the couple first got together.

When me and Chris met eight years ago

we both said how much we'd love to go to Australia,

and then what started as we'd love to go to Australia

turned into how much we'd love to live in Australia.

Then we got married

and we kind of settled down and we had our children,

and so while they were so small,

we didn't really feel that was the time to be looking into it.

But working all hours to support their young family

was taking its toll.

We don't have time to spend as a family at the moment.

I mean, even to the point of sitting down

and watching a film together,

we just do not have the time to be able

to do anything like that, and it's sad.

We're pushed so much in this country

and driven by goals and targets, rushing here, there, and everywhere

all the time.

For Gemma, Australia was the obvious solution.

They don't seem to have a 100-million-mile-an-hour

pace of life over there.

Everything seems to just be a bit more chilled out,

and that massively appeals to me.

But while Chris agreed things had to change,

he was reluctant to leave the job he loved.

I'm currently working in the biggest school in the UK.

As well as teaching PE,

Chris was head of house to 450 pupils.

I do really enjoy the pastoral side.

That is the biggest part of my job which I do find quite rewarding.

Gemma knew getting him to start again would be a challenge.

For him to give that up and go over there

and not enjoy his job would make me feel awful.

But she felt moving was a sacrifice worth making

if it would allow them to spend more time with the children.

We didn't have children for other people to bring them up.

You know, that's not what we want. We want that family time.

Gaining more time with Maddie and Oliver, though,

would mean taking them away from loving grandparents.

It has caused quite a lot of upset, really.

In particular, Gemma's mum has really took the news really badly

and it has hit her really hard.

We could stay here, we could have a really...you know,

an OK life here and make my mum and dad happy,

or we can go over there and break...

just...

..just break people's hearts, but give the kids a better life.

Gemma was torn.

Getting her dream life would mean upsetting her parents.

It is tough, but they've got to understand

that we're doing it for good reasons.

We want a better life and we want a better life for our kids.

I can't look back in ten years and think,

"What if we'd have given it a go and possibly been able

"to have a better life over there?"

To me, it's worth the risk, giving that a go.

For their trial week, the Randles stayed in Glandore,

a well-established suburb 15 minutes from Adelaide city centre.

Their temporary home was this three-bedroom cottage

and Gemma's first impressions were positive.

It's a really good size. I love the high ceilings.

There's everything we need.

It's perfect for a week.

They'd only just arrived

and Chris was already concerned about his work prospects.

We've driven past a couple of schools on the way in.

They look very different,

so I'm a little bit nervous about it, really.

But Gemma was looking on the bright side.

The sun's shining and, you know, we can't wait to get to the beach

and have a look around.

And we've only come from the airport to the house

and already I can see the benefits from spending that time together.

I think Gemma is really excited about the week ahead.

I think she's very much certain that it's going to be for us.

However, I'd say I'm a bit more sceptical really at the moment,

a bit more dubious.

It looked like Dad would need some serious convincing

if Australia was to become the family's home for good.

Back in the UK,

the Randles were living in a modern three-bedroom

semidetached house in Aldridge in the West Midlands.

They had set themselves a budget of £300,000

for a home down under,

and one thing was definitely on the wish list.

A fourth bedroom is vitally important

because we want people to come and stay with us.

That definitely is the deal-breaker for me,

if we can't afford that fourth bedroom.

So, the house is a big thing,

and I think if we don't get the right house,

then it would certainly put me off moving. Definitely.

We showed the couple three properties in the Adelaide area

based on what they wanted

and what they could afford.

Their search began in Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills,

a thriving community 23 miles east of Adelaide.

Good transport links to the city

and plenty of nearby facilities for young families

meant it should have been the ideal location for the Randles.

With four bedrooms,

this house could've been perfect for them too,

and Gemma was impressed before she was even out of the car.

GEMMA SQUEALS WITH DELIGHT

Wow!

-This looks nice, doesn't it?

-Oh, wow!

Look at this!

Wow!

Go on, then. You go first.

Oh, my God!

-Oh, my God! This is amazing.

-This is nice, isn't it?

Just come back for a minute, mate.

-KIDS YELL EXCITEDLY

-Wow.

-Oh, my goodness.

Who's...? Oh! It's got a walk-in wardrobe!

Gemma was already sold.

Can we move in now?

Depends on if we can afford I suppose, doesn't it, really?

But Chris had his sensible hat on.

Don't get too excited in case it's...

-Stop being so practical!

-..too expensive.

Yeah, but it's all right, though, isn't it?

I could live in this wardrobe.

Oh, my God. They've got a beauty room.

Is this house just made for us?

Gemma was on a real high with this house.

Oh!

Oh, my God!

I'm absolutely speechless.

-In fact...

-That's what we wanted...

-HE LAUGHS

-What are you getting upset for?

Don't, huh?

I cannot believe that

we could potentially live somewhere like this.

You could do in England if you can afford it.

No!

He may have been playing it safe,

but even Chris was enthused by what lay outside.

Oh, look at this!

-Look, you've got your own bar.

-Yes.

So, I could have my own bar, my own barbecue.

-Jobs a good 'un!

-I love it!

The house had been a massive hit.

I'd move in now.

I would. If...

I'd sell everything and live in this house.

The location's perfect. It's nice and quiet.

I think it's worth moving for this, if you can afford it.

But was it within reach of the couple's £300,000 budget?

OK. Shall we have a look?

Yeah, go on then.

I can't!

That's expensive, isn't it?

It was 45,000 over budget,

but Gemma wasn't giving up just yet.

-This is 345, but that's it.

-Yeah, you're not going to pay any more.

We haven't got to spend any more,

whereas we might get a house that's 100 grand cheaper

but have to spend 50 on it.

The house could have been perfect for the Randles,

but it would've meant stretching their budget.

Property number two was also in Mount Barker.

This relatively new house backed onto a communal area

perfect for spending family time together,

and had the important fourth bedroom,

but did it have the wow factor of the first house?

-You don't like it, do you?

-No, I do!

I am feeling a little bit underwhelmed here,

but if I'd have been here first, this would've been,

"Wow, this is fantastic."

-I think it's more realistic.

-Yes.

-We might be able to afford.

Chris was looking at the positive side,

and it didn't take long for Gemma to come around too.

-No!

-Oh, OK.

-Wow.

-OK. This has the wow factor.

-That's better, isn't it?

-Yes.

Ah, the fourth bedroom. God, this is a big room.

So, it has got four bedrooms then, which is good. Wardrobes.

-Yeah, but they're four double bedrooms.

-Yeah.

That meant plenty of room for all the family

and overseas visitors,

and the outside area went down well too.

I do like having a deck.

-This is lovely.

-This is nice.

Despite the shaky start, Gemma had really warmed to this house.

Coming here now, I think this is more of an us house,

-a more realistic house.

-Family home, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's nice.

It looked like Maddie and Oliver had already settled in,

but was this somewhere the Randles could afford to call home

with their £300,000 budget?

I still think it's the top end of our budget,

but I think it might just be within budget.

-Really?

-Yeah.

It'll be interesting to see.

-Oh!

-Ah.

That was well within budget.

-That's more realistic.

-Yeah.

-And that's a big difference.

-Yeah.

And it's got that fourth bedroom.

Yeah.

-I like...

-So, that's promising.

-Yes.

It was a great result

and there was still one property to go.

The final house was in Littlehampton,

a small family-friendly village with a country feel

just a 10-minute drive away from the larger shops

and facilities of Mount Barker.

This spacious house had the required fourth bedroom,

but what did Gemma make of its more traditional feel?

It's quite old-fashioned, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

-Quite dated.

Just got to decide if we want to take on that challenge,

cos this is a big house.

It's very grand.

It's a grand house and it could be beautiful,

this house could.

But for now, the decor left a lot to be desired.

Oh, God, no!

Oh, this is just the most hideous room, isn't it?

-Oh.

-The room is nice, it's just...

-It's the furniture, isn't it?

-Who would have furniture like this?

Surely this was gone in the '80s!

And outdoors, things didn't get any better.

I feel a bit isolated up here.

-It's a bit further out, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Not what we want for the kids.

-Yeah.

I think with a three and a one-year-old

and the fact that we're going to have so much upheaval moving here,

the last thing that we need

-is a house that needs work doing to it.

-A lot of work, yeah.

Neither Gemma nor Chris fancied this house as a home,

but did the price increase its appeal?

Their budget was £300,000.

Obviously completely different, isn't it, to the last two?

-Do you want to look?

-Yeah, go on then, if you're ready.

What?!

Oh, my God.

I would not pay that for this house.

No, that's really shocked me, actually.

-We don't want a house to do up.

-Yeah.

We want to come and have it done for us already. Modern.

It's confirmed what we wanted in the first place.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

It looked like this house was a definite no.

The day had started well

with a home which wowed both Gemma and Chris,

but had a price tag to match.

Property number two was a slow starter,

but they soon warmed to it and it was within budget.

Neither of them were sold on the final house,

and the price left them stunned.

So, when it came to property,

did they vote for Australia or the UK?

Based on the houses that we've seen in Australia,

our vote goes to...

-ALL:

-Australia.

I think the first two houses just showed me that

we really could have what I dream of in Australia for us.

-We're very happy.

-I was surprised, actually.

-Yeah.

I wasn't sure if you would as well. Come here. Shocked me.

Just have to get the job now.

A yes vote for Oz was a great start

for Gemma's dream of a new life down under,

but she still had a lot of work to do

if she was to get Chris over his worries about work prospects.

Would an Aussie-style day out

remind Chris of what the move was all about -

spending more time together as a family?

The Randles spent the day at Gorge Wildlife Park.

We just don't get the time to do anything like this at home.

We might have the odd Sunday together, you know, one day,

two days every month.

I don't think you can compare the life here

that you can back in the UK.

You know, it's a different world and I just think this is what

I wanted for my children.

While the day was a reminder for Gemma as to just how desperate

she was for more time with her family,

Chris still had concerns.

It's just whether again we can afford

to provide a good lifestyle over here for the children.

A lot is kind of riding just a little bit on convincing me

in terms of whether it's actually going to be worthwhile

moving over here financially.

Chris and Gemma met up with the Corbetts,

a British family who'd emigrated to Australia two years previously,

and were keen to ask how their life had changed down under.

We talk about living back in Britain as basically like a half-life.

You get such an extra amount of living time

because the weather is so much better.

We'd be on the beach until six, half six or whatever,

and then, you know, go home and you've had that family time.

It's just a completely different way of life, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Sorry.

Sorry.

Just that is like everything that we want as well for our family.

Sorry!

Gemma was overcome with the thought of how much better

their lives could be in Australia.

In the last three days,

me and Chris have seen each other more than we have since Christmas,

which is ridiculous.

It is, you know, the four of us.

This is what we want from Australia.

This is why we want to move here so that we can be a family.

It had been a day of simple pleasures

but one which had driven home just why Gemma desperately wanted

to move her young family to Australia.

When it came to the vote, though, did Chris agree?

-ALL:

-Australia.

Yes, Oliver chose it too.

Maddie, why did you choose Australia?

Kangaroos.

-The kangaroos!

-Kangaroos!

I think that it is definitely what we want

out of our life in Australia.

It's been a great day together as a family,

which we don't get the chance to do back in the UK.

Chris's second vote for Oz

was another step in the right direction for Gemma,

but if they were to make the move, it was crucial his job concerns

were put to rest.

Chris was the main visa applicant.

Back in the UK, he was a teacher

and head of house in a large inner-city school in Birmingham.

It was a career he'd worked hard to build.

It's taken me eight years to get to that position that I'm in now.

I think if we did go and we came back again,

I don't think I'd walk into a job which is the equivalent

of what I've got now.

Gemma knew Chris getting the right job down under would be key

to keeping her dream on track.

I'm hoping that he will find an equally enjoyable job

and that he will realise that it was the right thing to do.

To find out if his career concerns could be laid to rest,

we arranged for Chris to visit Westminster Private School

in Adelaide where he met principle Steve Bousfield.

Would my qualifications from England

transfer straight over directly to Australia?

-They may do. They chances are they would.

-Right.

We have a large number of teachers who've arrived here from the UK

and we brought them directly,

so we have a number of people who have moved straight in here.

Well, that sounded promising,

but would Chris be able to continue with the pastoral role he loved?

In the private schools

we put a great emphasis upon the pastoral care,

so we do expect the heads of house to have a really close relationship

with those students.

Would it be a case that I could move straight over here

-and apply for a head of house job or is...

-Probably not.

-We would tend to appoint our heads of houses from within...

-OK.

..because we get to know them and we know the sort of students

they're able to work with and be most effective with.

It wasn't great news,

but could his potential salary lessen the blow

of losing a head of house position?

What kind of salary would I be looking at earning over here?

Would be in the region of around £62,000 per year.

It's a bit more than what I thought.

In fact, that was almost £20,000 more

than Chris was earning in the UK.

A job in Australia may have meant putting his pastoral role on hold,

but that could have meant more time at home.

So, had he heard enough to give up

the position he'd worked so hard for?

Based on my work experience today, I've decided to vote for...

Australia.

It was time to share the good news with Gemma.

-It was really good, different.

-Good different?

Yeah. Really interesting.

What did they say about your pastoral stuff?

-I wouldn't be able to go straight into a job with that.

-Mm.

But the positive was that

-I'd probably earn more money as well over here.

-Ooh!

Oh, I'm really pleased.

It was...

It was really good.

If there was a job there, I'd apply for that straightaway.

-Really?

-Yeah, yeah.

Chris's earning prospects meant a new life in Australia

for the family could've been a step closer,

but for the finances to work down under,

it was crucial they got the right price

for their home in the UK.

Chris believed their house was worth £210,000,

but did two local estate agents agree?

It's a nice bright room. Contemporary colours.

Nice modern fireplace.

-He's looking in my room first. He is!

-He has gone in your room!

It's a nice, bright, modern room. Good for a child.

Also get a double bed in here as a second bedroom.

Family bathroom. Fully tiled with a white suite.

That's a nice, light, bright master bedroom

and a nice view of the back garden. Excellent.

All in all, a very saleable property.

My evaluation out in market, 190,000. For a quick sale, 180,000.

I would value the property at around about £200,000.

If we were looking for a quick sale,

probably 185 to 190 is probably nearer the mark.

Hmm.

That's quite a lot less really than what I was hoping for.

-It's massively less.

-Mm.

An evaluation of £20,000 less than they'd hoped for

was a huge blow and it put a move in real jeopardy.

Gemma and Chris needed to figure out if there was any way the finances

could work down under.

To help, we provided a comparison of costs

between the UK and Australia.

They started with the weekly shop.

I cannot believe the shampoo and conditioner.

-That's a massive difference, isn't it?

-It's more than double.

So, £73, £74 extra a week, yeah,

than...back in the UK,

which is quite a big difference.

In fact, it was a difference

of almost £4,000 a year on food shopping alone,

and that wasn't the only shock.

Basing their figures on the cheapest property they saw,

their monthly mortgage in Australia would've been £1,700.

That is a lot more than we pay at the minute on our mortgage.

Well, it's about three times more.

It's a big difference in price.

Chris could earn more in Australia than the UK, though.

It's a different of £10,795.

But would it be enough to make the dream life affordable?

What's the difference?

The difference would be...

£1,704.

So, we're £1,704 worse off a year in Australia.

Yeah.

Gemma was devastated by the figures,

but there was still a glimmer of hope as Chris spotted

some potential savings.

You know, just from the few days we spent over here so far,

I think we could cut back so much easier.

I know we've put car loans and things in

-and bits and pieces, but...

-We're hoping to have paid those off.

-..we'd have had them paid off before we come.

-Yeah.

So, that makes a big difference straightaway. £500.

I was a bit nervous when we first started the calculations

and stuff and were working things out, and, yeah,

it's positive now, isn't it?

Despite not looking good on paper,

some tightening of belts could mean the figures

weren't as bad as they'd feared.

So, when it came to finances,

did the couple choose the UK or Australia?

Our vote goes to...

-50-50.

-I'm going to say Australia.

I'm really surprised that we went that way around.

I thought that I'd vote for Australia

-and you'd be the 50-50.

-I was really close to 50-50, I was.

I'm convinced we can make massive cutbacks

and make it feasible to move over here.

-I do. I really do.

-Yeah.

I'm very pleased.

With a third vote for Oz,

it looked like Chris was still on board with Gemma's dream,

but she wasn't home and dry just yet.

Her biggest fear had always been separating

the children from loved ones back in the UK.

With Maddie and Oliver looked after by a childminder,

Chris and Gemma settled down to watch messages from home.

Would hearing from loved ones prove too heartbreaking to bear?

They're a really cute family.

Gemma and Chris are brilliant together.

They really work.

And the kids are just adorable.

I always said that if I could pick anybody for my Gemma,

it would be Chris.

He seems to be the perfect husband for her.

She's just a real diamond. She's a fantastic mum. She just...

She does everything for everybody.

It would leave a big hole in our lives

if they decide to move to Australia,

and that will be a hard thing to fill.

Missing the kids growing up is going to be gut-wrenching.

They're cutting them out of our lives but, you know,

cutting us out of theirs as well.

I'll be coming out to see you when I can.

I just think it'll...

It'll just be mad you won't be there.

Sorry.

All you need to know is whatever you decide to do, we'll support you.

We're right behind you, 100%.

I hope you make the right decision.

And whatever you decide...

I can't. Sorry. I can't...

I feel at the moment like my heart is being wrenched out...

..but as a family, they have to do what's right for them.

-Oh, your poor mum.

-I know.

She couldn't even speak, could she?

It is a long way, isn't it?

The couple faced a heartbreaking choice.

While Australia could offer plenty of gains,

it would mean causing upset at home.

If we were to move over here, it would be really tough, you know.

We'd be completely on her own, very isolated.

No family, no support, no friends.

Our future could potentially be amazing for the four of us,

but the fact that we wouldn't have anybody

to share it with would be hard.

The week has been really positive,

but there's still massive risks, I think, of moving over here.

That's what we've got to sort of work out.

What's right, really.

Whether it's worth making that big risk

to have the environment and the lifestyle that's, you know,

calling over here or whether it's better to be safe, you know,

and just stay where you are.

It was time to face the final vote.

Had the trial week been enough to convince Chris

to put aside his doubts about a move

and would the prospect of a new life down under

be enough for Gemma

to sacrifice everything she knew and loved in the UK?

-BOTH:

-Australia!

Australia!

Yay!

-It's surprised me.

-I'm so pleased.

It's shocked me, but the more I do think about it,

the more I think, "Yeah, let's give it a go."

Just don't want to look back in ten years

and wish we'd have done it...

-I think we'll regret it if we don't.

-Yeah.

After an emotional whirlwind of a week for the Randles,

they came out the other side convinced Australia

was the right place to bring up their family

and achieve the time together they desperately wanted.

So, two years on, have the Randles made it

to the other side of the world?

It's May, 2015, and the Randles are living in...

the UK.

Their time in Australia two years ago

brought home to both Gemma and Chris

just how difficult life had become in the UK.

The week that we spent in Adelaide just proved to us how much time

we hadn't spent together for such a long time.

It really hit us hard really

in terms of how different things were

or how different things could be.

After arriving home from their trial week,

the couple were convinced their families future lay down under.

Of course the answer was yes, and yes,

we chose Australia, you know, at the time.

The country had won their hearts

and they were determined to make the move.

We obviously made that decision.

It was on the show and on the programme.

At the end, we were dead set about moving to Australia,

really looking forward to prospects of moving abroad.

The couple began to put plans in place.

We spoke to a company and you'd gone through all the details

with them of what we needed to do.

But doubts soon surfaced as the cost of the family's dream life mounted.

The visas would've been about £6,000.

We've then got the shipping. That would've been...

-Was it 3,000 or 4,000?

-Pretty much, with everything.

Yeah. The flights were 6,000. Between 5,000 and 6,000.

Then we'd have had to have rented for a little while.

We wanted to put money aside for at least six months, really,

to be able to get by.

The total amount that we were looking at really,

once we added everything together, was between...

It was about £30,000, really, which was obviously a lot of money.

At that point, I think both of us,

without telling each other,

had probably started to think, "Hmm."

You know, there were a few cracks now in what

we were hoping to be a perfect and seamless move.

Gemma and Chris went through an agonising period

debating the pros and cons of a move.

Those first three or four months back after Australia

was really difficult, actually.

Ultimately, we just couldn't make a decision about as to whether

we were going to go or not.

We got the pack out and all the paperwork every week

for about six weeks just to try

to make the figures work and to see if we could

take a bit off here and put a bit here.

We'd be on a high saying,

"We've got the solution. We're definitely going to move."

Then the next day you think, "No, that's probably not going to work."

Their dilemma was all-consuming.

We went backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards.

Every time I woke up, I'd think about it.

Every time I went to sleep, I'd think about it.

It was awful, wasn't it?

It was very stressful.

After months of uncertainty,

the couple knew they needed to decide once and for all

where their future lay.

It got to January when the programme was on.

I think that day we literally watched it about four times,

the programme, and we sat down on the night

and I said to you... Didn't I?

.."That's it. We've got to make a decision."

The paperwork was brought out one last time.

We did up a pros and cons list again, and I think that's when

we came to the decision that actually it was a no.

It was a massive shock, really, I think,

and it was a big disappointment.

It was a very hard decision cos your head is saying one thing

and your heart is saying another thing.

Gemma was dead set, I was dead set about going.

When it kind of hits home that you might not be able to do it,

then it does hit you pretty hard, really.

But with a decision finally made,

Gemma and Chris resolved to transform their lives in the UK.

It was a massive weight off both of her shoulders.

It was a bit of closure on the whole situation, that we could say,

"Right, we can get on with our lives a bit more now."

We could finally start moving forward with everything,

start building a life in the UK

and start implementing changes that were going to make our lives better.

The first thing that needed to change was Gemma's job.

Prior to their trial week down under,

her hectic work schedule had left no time for family life.

Before we went to Australia, my job was a beauty therapist,

which meant I wasn't around a lot.

She was travelling an hour to work and an hour back from work.

The pay wasn't the greatest

so she was having to top up her wages by working from home.

She was doing that on the evenings, so she was doing, you know,

sort of really long hours of a day.

I loved my job, however the restrictions that it brought

to the family and the children meant that I was never able to see them.

You can't put into words how, as a mum, that makes you feel.

Gemma now works as an admin assistant

in a radiotherapy centre -

a career change that's come with countless benefits.

I'm absolutely loving my new job.

Just nine to five, so it means I can get to take the children to school

and I can pick them up afterwards as well, which is really good.

I work with a great team of people as well rather than on my own,

so that's another plus.

I work five minutes down the road.

I'm only working three days a week.

But still being able to bring in the income,

and maybe a little bit more,

allows us to do great things at the weekends together.

To see the change from before Australia to now

and in such a short period of time -

we're only talking about 18 months or so -

the change in her is just immense, really.

While Gemma is enjoying being a mum again,

Chris has also taken steps to spend more time at home.

I'm trying to cut down where I can, you know,

just to make sure I'm back earlier.

I get back now and because Gemma is at home,

she's sorted out all the kids with their dinner

so I get a bit of the quality time, really,

before they go to bed, which is great.

So, from that perspective, things have improved massively as well.

The family have packed their new-found free time

with plenty of activities,

which has gone down well with Maddie and Oliver.

Since we've came back from Australia,

I've got to do horse riding.

Oliver got to do football

and I got to do swimming and gymnastics.

And I did.

Yeah.

Coming to watch Maddie as a family

would not have been an option before.

She'll sit on the end of the bed now practising her trotting

and then cantering, so she's really got into it, hasn't she?

Certainly not a cheap hobby to have,

and we can provide that for them now and we don't necessarily have to be

on the other side of the world to be able to do that.

It makes me feel brilliant, really,

that we've just got that much more time together.

It's had a impact on the kids and on us.

It makes us happier as a family. It's fantastic.

And Maddie is on the same page as Mum and Dad.

I'm really happy that I get to stay here

because I get to do lots of things more often

and because I get to see Mummy and Daddy more.

It's not just family life that's improved.

Gemma and Chris have worked hard

to develop their social circle as well.

That was something we didn't really want to do.

In case we were going to go,

we didn't want to have more ties to leave,

but now we really feel part of the community,

got some fantastic friends and life is really good in the UK.

It was definitely the right decision.

Money set aside for a potential move

has now been put towards home improvements.

We've been here...is it six years now?

And we didn't really do anything to the house.

Now we know we're not going, we can really,

really make those roots that we want.

We want to make it more of a home now rather than just the house.

We recently put some French doors in,

so we've made the dining room area a playroom for the kids,

which is brilliant.

We can put all the kids' toys in there now, which is really good.

This will be the next room to be decorated,

so I'm having everything taken out.

So, new settees, new carpets,

so I'm really looking forward to this room being done now.

We've got some pictures up.

We didn't have any pictures up in here before

because we didn't know if we were staying or going,

so it's really nice now that people can walk in

and it actually feels like a home rather than just a house.

We've done so much to the kitchen.

We've had...

Well, we've had everything new, which is so exciting.

I love it in here now.

It's really nice. It's like the hub of the home.

We've got a lot of Australia up there as well,

so it's so nice to have those memories around us.

Just reminds us of how far we've come in the last two years.

Leaving family behind had always been a huge issue

while the couple were contemplating a move down under,

but their decision to stay in the UK

was greeted with some mixed reactions.

In between us going and the show being on the TV,

my mum and dad actually went to Australia themselves

and did some travelling for a month, and they came back and they said,

"I can't believe you're not going."

"You're making the worst decision of your life. You need to go."

That was quite strange, really, and a bit sort of surreal

because I was expecting them to be over the moon with us stopping.

Gemma's mum, though,

saw the family's decision differently.

She was so relieved.

She was almost glad then that we'd gone on the show

because she said, "You've had that experience,

"you've got it out of your system now."

I wouldn't have stopped them, you know.

It would've been nice for them to go and experience it,

but I'm just glad that they have decided to stay.

We've become a lot closer, haven't we?

It's brought us together more.

The experience of going to Australia

and then coming back has made us, I think,

all realise how important family is.

Yes, cos it makes you realise what you're going to lose.

And despite their initial reaction,

Chris knows his parents feel the same.

I think my mum and dad are shocked we haven't gone,

but at the same time, they're really excited that we've stayed.

I am happy that we made our decision to stay in the UK,

and I'm even more happy now looking two years on

that Maddie and Oliver have got those bonds with their grandparents

and that we weren't responsible for breaking those bonds.

Gemma and Chris have no regrets about their week down under.

We did need to go on the show because I think without doing that

I don't think we would've seen the lifestyle we could've had.

Australia showed us the changes that we needed to make.

So, has the Aussie dream bitten the dust forever?

I wouldn't say Australia is 100% off the cards.

I don't think it'll be ever off the cards.

I wouldn't say that we're never going to go,

but for the foreseeable future, our home is going to be in the UK.

We've got lots to look forward to in the future.

We've got a house that we really want.

The children are happy.

I don't regret anything, and I don't think there's any doubts in our mind

we made the right decision to stay now.

I'm not going to say that in ten years' time

I'm not going to regret not going to Australia,

but at the moment we are happier and life is really good.

In the end, Gemma and Chris have decided home is where the heart is,

but they've worked hard to transform their lives

and have finally got the time together they so badly needed

with the added benefit of still having loved ones nearby.

We hope the Randles' future is a very happy one.