Hoe Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

Convincing one of the people you love to move halfway

around the world is a tough enough task,

but, when two members of your family have big

worries about uprooting their lives, it can be a recipe for heartbreak.

Finding himself in just that situation four years ago,

Craig Hoe spent a trial week in Australia hoping to

persuade his family to make the move for good.

Today, we'll discover which side of the world the Hoes now call home.

On their original trial week down under, Craig's wife Lisa

was far from sold.

If this is Australian life, then you can keep it, cos I don't want it.

And the move risked tearing the family apart.

When I know that I'm not going to see you again,

it really tears at my heart.

So, four years on, find out if the Hoes stayed in the UK

or made the move down under.

We both said, "If there's anybody that doesn't want to go, say now."

We all have to agree that we're doing this.

With over 20,000 miles of coastline and a famously sunny climate,

Australia has long been a favourite destination for Brits

dreaming of a new life abroad.

But leaving everything you know behind to start again so far from

home can turn a simple dream into the hardest challenge of your life.

In 2011, the Hoe family faced some big decisions.

After spending a week experiencing everything Australia had to

offer, they faced a life-changing choice,

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

Today, four years on,

we'll catch up with the family to find out what happened next.

The Hoes' original trial week began with a 10,000 mile journey

to Brisbane.

It was the furthest they'd ever been from family in the UK

and on arrival they were excited, if a bit confused.

We set off on Saturday at...

-About one o'clock.

-..one o'clock in the afternoon.

And we're now Monday morning. Are we Monday? I don't know where we are!

The thought of family and friends they'd be leaving behind

was already hitting home.

I was already thinking about what I was leaving behind,

before I'd even set off, before I'd even got in the car.

So, yeah...

It was an emotional start and there were still seven days to go.

In 2011, home for the Hoe family was the village of Hedon, near Hull.

Dad Craig and Mum Lisa were living with Ellie, then 16,

and Libby and Poppy, then aged nine and seven.

Craig ran his own plumbing business

and Lisa worked part-time as a hairdresser.

Providing their family with a comfortable life,

though, came at a high price.

I can leave in the morning, at seven in the morning,

the kids will be in bed and then I can get in after, say nine,

maybe 10 o'clock at night and they're back in bed.

It just seems to be at the point, at the minute,

where we're just living together, but separate lives.

Desperate for a better quality of life with his family,

Craig felt the only solution was to move to Australia.

The reason why we're making the move is, hopefully, to spend more

time and more quality time as a family,

before the girls grow up and I just miss everything.

Cos I've missed so much up to now. I just don't want to miss any more.

While Lisa was happy at home,

Craig had managed to persuade her to investigate emigrating.

It's like trying to fix something that isn't broken.

Why are we doing it, why?

We've got a lovely life, we've got a lovely home, nice lifestyle, the girls...

It's like that itch you can't scratch, you don't know why,

there's just something there that we have to...

It's just a nagging in the background that, kind of,

it's your fault, you put it there.

-Yeah.

-It's all your fault.

But the girls weren't convinced by the idea of a new life down under.

I don't exactly really, really, really, really want to go,

because of our really lovely family.

And there was more pressure on Ellie,

as she'd be leaving her biological father behind.

I'll miss my dad, I'll miss my nana,

I'll miss my best friend so much.

Words can't even describe, like...

I'm crying now. Erm...

I'm not sure, I just... I'd try and make new friends, but

they'd never replace what I've got here.

So...

Lisa also struggled with the thought of leaving loved ones.

I don't even know if I could say goodbye to all those people.

I won't be able to be there if they need me and that'll be really hard.

I just feel like I'm letting them down.

I wish I could just pick them all up

and take them with me,

but it's our dream, it's not theirs.

The Hoes visited Queensland's Gold Coast, to see

if it was the ideal location for a new start.

Australia's sixth largest city, it should have offered

plenty of work, housing and lifestyle possibilities.

But selling it to Lisa and Ellie would be a big ask for Craig.

With this in mind, the Hoes sped off to their base for the week.

They stayed in a four-bedroom house in the area of Pacific Pines,

but did it get the week off to a good start?

Woohoo, it's nice and warm. Have a look.

Very nice.

-Rocking horse!

-Oh, rocking horse!

It certainly looked like there was something for everyone.

-You've got your walk-in wardrobe.

-Yay! Ye-hey!

Craig and Lisa also seemed to have found what they were looking for.

-LISA GASPS

-Look at that view!

Wow.

It is like living the dream, isn't it?

It's better than I imagined.

The house was a great start to their Australian adventure,

but Ellie was aware her decision would affect everyone else's future.

Mum's been talking to me about it a lot, asking if I'd want to go,

but I don't know.

I'm just scared of making the wrong decision.

With much to deal with over the coming week,

difficult decisions for everyone lay ahead.

In the UK, the Hoes were living in a new, four-bedroom

detached house near Hull that they'd made into a home they loved.

And, for Lisa, to give it up for a house in Australia, there was

one feature she'd have to have.

If there was a choice, pool or walk-in wardrobe,

we'd be having the walk-in wardrobe.

We'll go to the beach.

To help find them their ideal home,

we gave the Hoes a taste of the Australian property market.

We showed them three different houses,

ranging from their dream home to what they could afford.

After seeing what was on offer, we revealed the price of each house.

First up was a property in the area of Upper Coomera.

It was in a convenient location, being a short drive to the

beaches, Brisbane and close to parks and shopping centres.

It could have had everything the Hoes wanted from a house,

but was it to be to their taste?

Nice, isn't it?

No, not really.

Lisa wasn't impressed.

Let's have a look at the rest.

I just don't like the layout.

It's dark.

It was a terrible start.

But, at least it did have a walk-in wardrobe.

That isn't a walk-in wardrobe. I don't like it.

OK.

And the style wasn't quite to Lisa's taste either.

It's old-fashioned, it's like a nana's house.

Clearly this house wasn't what they wanted from their dream home.

Even Craig was struggling with this property.

The pool's not helping.

It's not the Australian dream, it's more the nightmare, this house, isn't it?

It was a bad start for Craig.

This house wasn't to their taste, but did the price make a difference?

Was this all they could afford on their £250,000 budget

or could their ideal home still be within their reach?

Now what it's worth.

Do you want to have a guess what you think? Just open it?

Just open it.

So, £247,000, that's similar to...

-£250,000? 250 grand for this?

-Yeah.

-I couldn't spend another minute in it, let alone a lifetime. No.

-No.

No way.

That was a blow, this house cost nearly as much as their UK home.

If this was what their budget could achieve,

was the right home going to be out of reach?

The next house was in the area of Coombabah.

It was close to the beach

and had plenty of outdoor space for the Aussie lifestyle Craig wanted.

After the disappointment of the first property,

did this house lift their spirits?

A lot smaller than the other one, isn't it?

It isn't on par with what we've got at home.

Oh, dear. Again, another disappointing start.

And the bedrooms didn't help.

-I can't believe how small the bedrooms are.

-Yeah.

I wouldn't be able to have a bedroom this size.

-But all the bedrooms are this size.

-Yeah.

If this is Australian life then you can keep it, cos I don't want it.

Was there any chance of the price helping?

With everyone so disheartened by the size of this house,

was Craig's dream over?

It was time to find out what it was worth.

-BOTH:

-272.

It was £22,000 over what they'd hoped to

get for their home in the UK.

When I think of what I could buy at home for that,

it's just a no-brainer.

I wouldn't feel happy living here.

I would... I would be on the first plane back home.

With disappointment so far, Craig needed to find a house

that his family could see themselves living in, and fast.

Everything hinged on the last property.

Returning to where they'd started,

the last house was also in the Upper Coomera area.

However, it was quite a different proposition from the first one.

It was a new-build, on a new development

and it was Craig's last chance of convincing the family.

This is what I expected.

Yes!

-Oh!

-Oh!

Now you're talking. Wow.

It seemed the Hoes had finally arrived.

THEY GASP

-Oh, my goodness.

-This is amazing, isn't it?

LISA SIGHS

With four bedrooms and two receptions,

it sounded like this house was right up their street.

-I love it. This is the Aussie dream.

-Yeah.

-This is what we were thinking.

Defo.

Upstairs, things got even better.

Oh! This is my room!

And Lisa found just what she'd always wanted.

-LISA GASPS

-Walk-in wardrobe.

-THEY LAUGH

-I am happy now.

This is the dream house.

Suddenly, it seemed things were looking up.

Woohoo, look at this.

Had the Hoes finally found their dream house?

-It's gorgeous.

-Poppy, don't climb.

-Look at the view.

-This is just, it's like another world.

-It is like another world.

This house had everyone singing to a very different

tune from the first two, but could they afford it?

If it was out of their reach,

Craig's hope of emigrating could have been over.

It was time to find out the price.

I don't want to look.

THEY GASP

That was more than £70,000 over budget.

-I thought it would be a lot more than that, to be fair.

-I did.

A lot more.

Despite appearing to be out of reach,

the Hoes were convinced this was the house for them.

You always want to do better in life and the other houses weren't

doing better, it was a step back, not a step forward.

-I'd move here tomorrow.

-Me too.

-I don't want to leave.

It was a huge relief for Craig and a big comeback for his dream.

I'm off the ropes, coming back fighting now.

I'm happy.

See you soon, house.

HE CHUCKLES

The first house was a bad start for everyone, even though

it had a walk-in wardrobe.

The second fared no better and didn't lift their spirits.

But the third house was a completely different story and gave

everyone fresh hope, although it could've been a struggle to afford.

Was Craig's hope of emigrating in with a fighting chance?

It was time to find out.

My vote goes to...

-ALL:

-Australia.

It had been a great start for Craig,

but his dream would come with a serious price tag if Ellie

and Lisa wouldn't consider Australia without a dream house.

And that meant Craig and Lisa had to find decent work prospects

and salaries.

Being a self-employed plumber, Craig worked long hours, missing

out on family life, something he was desperate to avoid in Australia.

If it's the same amount of hours that I'm working back home,

that's not going to give me the family time that I want.

It's just geography, it's not going to make a better lifestyle for us.

We arranged for Craig to work with Stuart, who had a similar

business on the Gold Coast.

It was a day of getting back to basics.

It's like the good old days, fetching and carrying.

-Lackey, eh?

-Yeah, haven't been one of them for a while, it'll be good.

-Unreal.

It was fine doing this for a day,

but Craig was concerned about the long-term prospects.

If I did make the move over, would the job opportunities be there?

At the moment, the way things are, I'd say it'll be pretty tough.

Once the housing picks up again, not a problem.

That didn't sound great.

In the UK, Lisa was a self-employed hairdresser.

After her disappointment with property,

what she could have earned could've made all the difference.

Yeah, I would put in the extra hours,

just to have that walk-in wardrobe.

Lisa had a tryout at a large salon in a mall.

-Hi.

-Hello.

It was quite different to what she was used to.

So, Lisa, have you ever worked in a big chain before?

No, I rent a chair in a salon.

So I just pay rent and then whatever I earn is, you know, mine.

The different working style also meant a difference in pay.

-Is the wage pretty good?

-Yeah, definitely.

You know, from your first years, to your seniors,

definitely between 15 to 20, I think, an hour.

That was £10-12 an hour, a lot less than Lisa brought home in the UK.

However, there was a silver lining.

Price-wise, if you were to do a semi, how much would you charge?

For that, you're probably looking at 99.95.

In England, I would charge £45 for that,

so it's like a £20 difference.

-OK.

-So earning potential is obviously going to be more here.

-Definitely.

-Which is good.

Thank you very much.

That sounded more encouraging for Lisa.

Across town, Craig was finding out about his earning potential.

Salary-wise, do you know, roughly, what...?

If... You'd probably get work, if you work for someone, you're

probably looking at around 60 grand a year, something like that.

That was around £37,000.

More than Craig took home in the UK, but would it mean

an end to the gruelling hours that came with being self-employed?

If you want quality time with your wife and kids, probably

-work for someone.

-Yeah.

And you'll probably start at seven, knock off at three, four o'clock.

-Yeah.

-Your weekends are yours, your after-hours are yours.

That was just what Craig wanted to hear.

-There she goes.

-Lovely.

First bit of Aussie plumbing.

Oh, sensational!

So a good day for Craig, but how did Lisa vote after her first

experience of work in Australia?

Based on the salon I was in today,

I would go with...

..UK.

The wages are a bit rubbish, really, compared to the UK.

I prefer my salon.

It was a setback for Craig's hopes of convincing Lisa to emigrate.

How did he feel about working in Australia?

Based on what I found out today, I'm voting for...

Australia.

For me to be able to finish work and have a happy medium with

the family, it's just not possible at home.

At the end of the day, it's going to be worth it.

The lure of more time with his family had persuaded Craig

that Australia was the place to be,

but he still had to convince Lisa.

The promise of a better work-life balance had won Craig over,

but Lisa's doubts were growing.

She and Ellie both had concerns about a move.

They decided to chat with others that had faced the same issues.

The family set off to see the Wilsons, old friends who'd

emigrated to Australia two years previously.

They had laid on a traditional British welcome,

with an Aussie twist.

Tea and cakes by the pool.

Thoughts soon turned to being so far from loved ones.

My dad came over and I had to go to work the day he left, cos I

could see in his eyes he was getting upset and I was, I just had to go.

I can't imagine, like, you've left them and that would be really hard,

then you get them back for a bit, and then they've got to go again.

I just can't imagine.

By the pool, Ellie shared her worries with Ruby.

I'm just worried that I won't make friends if I do come here.

I thought the same thing, like,

"Oh, I'm never going to make any friends."

-Yeah.

-But I did and they're really nice.

At the table, Lisa's doubts were growing.

You just do feel guilty, you do feel like...

You'll have weeks where you'll be really good

and you're on a bit of a high and then you'll go downhill.

You're putting too much pressure on yourself

and life is for living, at the end of the day.

This is what it's all about.

The visit to close friends had shown them the ups

and downs of moving so far from home.

But whether it had helped or hindered Craig's dream wasn't clear.

-See you soon.

-Yeah, see you soon. See you, Craig.

-Yeah, see you soon.

As Lisa missed home,

some quality time together could've been the perfect remedy.

For the family,

moving to Australia was about finding a better quality of life.

If the Gold Coast delivered the lifestyle they wanted,

it could've been a big step forward.

Come on, kids.

They visited Corrumbin animal park, to see

if Australia could give them the time together they desired.

For the girls, it was a rare treat, not just because of the wildlife.

DIDGERIDOO PLAYS WEAKLY

It's really nice having time to spend with Dad,

because we don't really get to do that.

It seemed Craig's plan had worked, the day out won everyone over.

To be here and to see all this

and to see Craig with the girls has just been fantastic.

I think I'd want to live in Australia.

However, there were still worries about one member of the family.

Ellie feels like she would be quashing our dreams, really.

My dream is that we're all together and happy

and we wouldn't be if one of us was at the other side of the world.

Ellie's doubts reminded the couple just how big a price

they might have to pay if they did choose to make the move for good.

Australia.

-ALL:

-Australia.

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

You're just embarrassing, I knew you were going to do something.

LISA CHANTS

Even though she'd voted for the Australian lifestyle,

Ellie still felt the weight of the decision riding on her shoulders.

I feel a bit under pressure that it's about me.

If I want to move, then they'll go, but if I don't want to,

then they won't.

It's a bit...daunting.

Experiencing the benefits of the Gold Coast lifestyle had

given the Hoes' spirits a much-needed boost.

It had given them a glimpse of a future

they could've enjoyed as a family.

However, Ellie's worries remained

and there was another obstacle in their path.

The Hoes' house in the UK was a modern, four-bedroom

detached property they'd lovingly extended

and believed to be worth around £250,000.

They needed to get every penny to be able to afford

the kind of house they wanted in Australia.

Two estate agents gave the family a professional valuation.

Lovely, remodelled kitchen, very clean lines.

Modern and contemporary.

This is a very nice modern living space.

The feature fire really sets the room off.

Very nice, elegant bedroom, lovely decor.

Wow, now this is a bathroom, absolutely fantastic.

A lovely place to stretch out, fabulous.

All my hard work there, look.

I'd put it on the market for £195,000.

And for a quick sale, I'd be looking between £180,000 and £185,000.

It was over £50,000 less than they were hoping for.

That's a shock, isn't it?

In the current market place, I'd suggest an asking

price of about £220,000,

with for sale value, probably 210.

I thought when we got it done before it was miles more than that?

-It was.

-It was but the house prices have dropped.

-Oh, that's rubbish.

The low value of their house was a real blow for the Hoes.

Craig's dream life in Australia was left hanging in the balance.

To see if there was any way of affording the move,

we'd prepared a breakdown of living costs.

There's nothing on here that is anywhere near the price,

it's all at least double, if not triple.

It's ridiculous.

The day-to-day costs came in higher than back home.

Craig would've earned more in Australia,

but how did the figures add up?

-Shall I press it?

-Yeah.

£1,670.58 overdrawn.

Doing the maths had highlighted just how difficult a move would be.

Could Lisa and Craig afford to live in Australia?

It was time to vote on the cost of living.

Our vote goes to...

..UK.

UK.

I couldn't say Australia, because it doesn't make financial sense.

Yeah.

Seeing their living costs in black

and white had shaken even Craig's confidence about making

the move, but the biggest challenge facing the Hoes lay ahead,

dealing with the pain of leaving loved ones behind.

Lisa and Craig understood seeing messages from home could be

a painful experience for the children,

but they've decided to watch them together, as a family.

-Hi!

-Hi, guys.

-Hope you're having a fantastic time.

Hi, guys, hope you're having the best ever time.

Ellie, the first-born, is just...

I'm so proud of her, she's just... She's amazing.

And Libby, she's just a miniature Lisa, loves adventure.

I couldn't wish for three more beautiful grandchildren.

I was gutted to hear that they may be going to Australia to live.

Obviously, I don't want them to. They're my world.

I'll miss them loads and loads.

For my own reasons, you know I don't want you to go.

I'll miss you all like crazy.

-I love you all so much.

-Love you all. Love you all lots.

Hey, bro, come back to England, mate.

She's like my best friend.

When I know that I'm not going to see you again,

it really tears at my heart.

Well, Nana's just being silly again, as usual.

I do love you all so much.

I can't go on.

ELLIE CRIES

THEY SNIFF

Hearing from loved ones had been a harrowing reminder of all

the Hoes stood to lose, if they chose to move.

With their future in the balance,

the family faced their final decision.

It'd been a challenging week for everyone.

Craig and Lisa had fallen for the lifestyle

they could lead in Australia.

But, as their final vote approached,

were they certain where their future lay?

For Craig, it was all about a better family life.

I feel guilty that, when we're back in the UK, I don't get to

spend as much quality time with them that I'd like.

But Ellie was afraid of leaving behind the people she loved.

It's not just round the corner, it's the other side of the world.

I don't really know what I'd do without my friends that I've got now.

And Lisa felt stuck in the middle.

I do feel really torn between the UK and Oz.

You know, Craig really wants this,

but I feel torn between Australia and the life I've got.

So, after a week of tough choices,

when it came to the final decision, which way did they vote?

We've had a brilliant week. We've had our highs, we've had our lows.

So, on that, I'm voting for...

Australia.

-POPPY AND LIBBY:

-Australia.

Australia.

Australia.

-What's the matter?

-I just feel really bad.

Why?

I don't know, I just feel really torn.

I'm surprised with your vote, obviously,

but I'm glad you're willing to give it a try.

And I love you.

Lisa and Craig seemed united in their thoughts about what was

best for their girls.

Four years on, it's time to find out

whether they actually went ahead with the move.

It's May 2015 and the Hoes are living in...

..Australia!

Craig was delighted when his family voted in favour of making

his long-held dream finally come true.

It was a bit of a relief, really,

cos I'd dragged everybody to the other side of the world.

It was my dream

and I was expecting everybody else to jump on board with it.

Arriving home from their trial week,

before they committed to spending money on a visa, the family

sat down to make sure everyone really was on the same page.

We said, "If we're doing this,

"we all have to agree that we're doing this."

We said, "If there's anybody that doesn't want to go, say now."

And everybody said they wanted to go.

Unbeknown to Craig, Lisa was harbouring doubts,

but went ahead, knowing how passionate he was about the move.

You know, I just kept going forward and thinking, "It's something

"Craig wants to do, it'd be good for the girls, it's a good opportunity.

"Let's just try."

The only way I could get through it was to say in my head,

"I'm going for two years.

"I'll give it two years and I'll see how I get on."

The couple set about selling their family home.

For Lisa, it was a diversion from her worries about emigrating.

The challenge of selling your home, packing it all up into a box,

you know, all that then kicked in and I went into that

mode of keeping busy and organising this for my family.

With their move just weeks away,

the family moved in with Craig's mum, Elaine.

But tragic news was to delay their departure.

And then we got the call to say that the cancer had come with Elaine.

It was like someone pulled the rug from under your feet.

It was just devastating. It's the worst thing someone could tell you.

Craig's mum had suffered from cancer for years,

but, with her condition worsening, the family

stayed on for another four months, until she was given the all-clear.

That was hard as well, when we left.

Leaving her, knowing what she'd been through.

It was just horrible, wasn't it?

-LISA SIGHS

-Driving off the drive and just...

CRAIG SIGHS

Not everyone was excited at the prospect of their new life, though.

I just got cold feet, in a way,

because I didn't think it would be so soon.

Ellie was torn, but went along with the move to keep her dad happy.

Moving to Australia was my dad's dream and I respected that

and that's why I wanted to give it a try.

Part of me did, part of me

still wanted to be in the UK with my family and my friends,

but I knew that it was something I had to do.

Finally, in April 2013,

the family jetted off to start their new life on Queensland's Gold Coast.

The harsh reality of starting from scratch soon hit home.

To arrive in a country with no job, no house,

-no furniture.

-No car.

So it was like, "Right, what do we do?"

The first thing we needed to get sorted, really,

was Craig's licence and for him to get out to work as soon as possible.

You literally start haemorrhaging money from the minute you

touch down.

Securing a job for Craig wasn't as easy as the couple hoped.

Finding out that he couldn't have a full plumbing licence and

that he needed to go on restricted was another...a blow, yeah.

Plumbers are on the skills shortage list,

but, then when you get here, they won't give you the licence to work.

You just keep banging your head on different walls.

Craig did find work on a casual basis,

but, though it was close to home, the pay was low.

I was working for a plumber, I was doing quite a lot of the local

coffee shops and new petrol stations and the like.

It helped settle in.

The family's first five weeks were spent staying with friends.

But, with limited space, tensions ran high and Ellie,

in particular, suffered from homesickness.

It seemed to be like we were arguing a lot,

because it was, kind of, on top of each other.

It takes a lot to do it, to move here. It's so hard.

It was so hard.

When they finally found a house to rent,

the family couldn't wait to settle.

We were so excited about getting this house and moving in.

This was when, you know, this was it.

It was going to all be good from then on.

So, yeah, that was a massive relief, once we'd found our own place.

But, on the night they moved in, Ellie dropped a bombshell.

Ellie just said, "You know what? I don't even want to be here.

"I want to go back."

And, virtually, begged us.

I just knew how I felt and I knew that I had to go back.

It was just something I had to do.

And then the next day is when she flew back to the UK.

Waving goodbye to her daughter was hard for Lisa.

I drove her to the airport.

I don't know how I drove her there

and I certainly don't know how I got back in one piece.

I cried the whole way back.

She was 18, but she was still our baby, you know.

It was almost like you were grieving, she was gone.

It was like she'd died, it was awful.

# When that hurt gets thrown

# Don't you know this life... #

With Ellie gone, it was a tough time

and their furniture being delayed on its way from the UK didn't help.

We had to buy all outdoor furniture,

which we were using as indoor furniture.

10 weeks on an airbed, all of us.

We were literally camping inside of this lovely house.

You're waking up at two o'clock in the morning, the airbed's gone flat.

You're waiting for your furniture to come, you're just,

"What are we doing? What are we doing here?"

Soon, Lisa's own doubts and anxieties came to the surface

once more.

I literally went to the doctor's, I was having pains in my chest.

I thought I was having a heart attack

and apparently it was a panic attack, I'd never had one,

I'd never experienced anything like that before.

But worse was to come.

While out in their new car, Lisa met the full force of Australia's

sometimes savage weather.

I'd just picked the children up from school,

-the sky just went dark and green.

-It just went bright green.

Everyone starts to run for cover and these hailstones,

the size of a golf ball, started to come down.

There was people's windscreens smashing.

This brand-new car that we'd just spent a lot of money on was

just getting smashed to pieces.

I got back and I rang the insurance and started crying!

Every time we said, "It can't get any worse", it usually did.

And things went from bad to worse.

Just two months after arriving,

Craig received the devastating news his mum's cancer had worsened.

It's just horrific.

One of the most important people in your life and then to turn round

and say that they're ill and you're at the other side of the world.

It's just heartbreaking.

Quietly, I could see he was freaking out, you know.

I think even he was ready to throw in the towel, at this point.

Craig and Lisa made the journey back to the UK to say their farewells.

After leaving Mum in hospital, saying goodbye to her was...

It was just...

It was just horrendous. I don't know how we did it, to be fair.

And she's sat in a chair and she's saying, "Go, it's OK, you go."

She blew us a kiss and it was like she knew, she said, "I love you."

It was the hardest thing I've ever done.

The hardest thing, by far, leaving,

knowing that we were never ever going to see her again.

A month after returning to Australia,

came the call Craig had been fearing most.

And then I got the phone call to say that my mam had passed away.

We actually got to watch the funeral on a live stream.

Watching your mum's funeral from the other side of the world was...

It was just, again,

one of those days you didn't think would ever happen.

You just want to be there and hug them

and, you know, help out with everything. It just...

That feeling of letting everyone down is awful.

And just when things were at their bleakest came the ultimate

kick in the teeth.

The guy that he was working for lost his contract,

so, when we got back, Craig didn't have a job to come back to.

Craig secured another job,

but the pay wasn't enough to keep the family going.

Lisa hit rock bottom and issued Craig with an ultimatum,

if their financial situation didn't improve in eight weeks,

they'd be flying home.

I, basically, said to Craig,

the run up to this Christmas, "If things aren't better

"by the time the house is up for renewal, we're gone, we're leaving."

I had to start then looking for work.

Still doing the job I was doing, but then looking all the time

to try and find another job.

All the hardship they'd endured, on top of Lisa's homesickness,

became too much to bear.

I felt like it was working for Craig and the girls,

but it wasn't working for me.

And the pull of home was far outweighing

the beauty of Australia.

For me, that was, basically, I think

it was the kick up the backside that I needed, to be fair,

to push and get something better.

Craig was offered a better paid contract,

but it was only short-term.

Though it could have become more permanent, there was no guarantee.

Craig was really worried and said,

"Well, this job that I've got now is long-term."

And I said, "You're not listening. This isn't long-term.

"I'm not going to be here long-term.

"You've only got eight weeks left in this country anyway,

"so give it a go.

"If this job works out and you do end up with something,

"then it's your shot at staying, but, I'm telling you now, I am not

"staying, if nothing's changed in eight weeks' time, we are leaving."

But the job worked out better than Craig had dared hope.

I got there, absolutely loved it.

So then after the eight weeks, they basically turned round

and said, "Look, we want to give you a job, we want to keep you."

And now, well, I've been there since then and it's just been great.

Finally, life down under seemed to be picking up.

Craig's role is with a petrochemical maintenance company

and his shifts mean he's finally got the time together

with his family he wanted so badly.

Every other Monday, I get off.

So we spend the weekends with the girls,

but then Craig and I actually get a day together, just us...

-Yeah.

-..which is really bizarre.

So every other Monday's like our date day, we go out for the day.

And he gets to pick us up from school, it's a lot better.

Yeah, it's a lot better, because when we ask him to come

to places now, he can come.

The girls are also thriving.

Poppy's school captain, she's dancing, she's enjoying her dance.

Libby's school council leader, she's singing.

In 2014, the family moved into a new luxury home, with pool,

in the suburb of Upper Coomera.

Their new life seemed complete, but, without Ellie, there was

always a part of the jigsaw missing.

It did make me feel more settled for a while,

but my home wasn't complete without all my kids in it.

Life without Ellie in the house, you know,

for a long time I put out five dinner plates on an evening.

And then I'd get upset that one was empty.

But more good news was on the horizon.

Just a month ago, Ellie returned to give Australia another go.

Coming back to Australia and being reunited with my mum,

dad and sisters was the best feeling in the world.

It really was, it was just lovely.

When Ellie finally came back, it was brilliant. It felt like...

-It just felt like everything was falling into place, at last.

-Yeah.

Everything was starting to work out

and we could actually start living here.

The last two years have been hard.

When you actually explain to people what's happened, it's like it's

happened to someone else, cos so many bad things have happened.

Really, does that really happen to one family?

But after everything they've been through,

the family are optimistic about their future down under.

It does have its constant highs and lows.

But, eventually, the highs do outweigh the lows.

I'm starting to feel now like it's been worth it, you know.

It's...

It's only just started to feel like it was worth it.

It may have taken a while, but, at long last, the entire Hoe

family are back together and all set to make the most of life down under.

We wish them every continued happiness

and all the best for the future.