Connor/King Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

Starting again on the other side of the world

is many people's idea of heaven,

but how far would you push your relationship

to make the dream come true?

In 2013, Neil Connor had just one week

to persuade partner Christopher to uproot their lives

and move to Australia.

Today we'll find out where the couple are now.

Two years ago, Neil was longing for a better life in Australia.

Earning more money, having a nice house,

not going to work in the frost and the snow.

While their trial week down under

saw partner Christopher sorely tempted...

HE GASPS

No way. No way.

-Amazing.

-I wouldn't mind washing the dishes for that view.

..affording the dream life was another matter.

It's nearly four times what we spend back home.

So, two years on, have the couple made it

to the other side of the world?

I think things are going to work out perfectly well.

Probably better than we anticipated.

With eight out of ten people living within 60 miles of its coast,

Australia has long been a promised land

for British people seeking a better life,

but not everyone finds the dream they were looking for

and around half return to the UK with their hopes dashed.

In 2013, Neil Connor and Christopher King

were facing a life-changing decision.

They had just one week

to experience all Australia had to offer

before having to choose between a future in the UK or down under.

Today, we'll find out if the dream life Neil was chasing

has become reality.

Two years ago, the couple's trial week began

with 20 hours in the air

flying from Scotland to Adelaide.

And just moments after arriving,

Christopher was already having cold feet.

I'm definitely concerned about the travelling,

definitely, for my family.

It's such a long, long journey.

Neil was less worried.

It's just exciting to see what lies ahead in the next few days.

Just to help make Christopher's mind up.

If the sun keeps shining, I think the task will be a lot easier

than we thought it was.

-Aye.

-We'll see.

We'll see.

Both had visited Adelaide before, but this time it was no holiday.

Neil had just one week to persuade Christopher

their future life together lay in Australia.

In the UK, Neil Connor and Christopher King

were living in a two-bedroom apartment near Glasgow city centre.

Neil had recently qualified as a theatre nurse

and Christopher was in banking,

but their busy careers had taken over their lives.

There's times where we just pass each other by.

I work shifts here as well, and sometimes I don't get home late.

Neil starts early,

so we don't see very much of each other during the week.

They both felt something had to change,

and for Neil the answer was obvious.

Australia has always been my dream since I was a wee boy.

A trip to the country years previously

had only furthered his desire to emigrate.

I had the chance to go on holiday to Australia

and I totally fell in love with it the moment I was there.

As the plane landed, I remember looking out thinking,

"It's as if I'm going home,"

when I'd never even set foot in the place.

The couple had been together for five years

and Neil had been clear about his intentions

to move down under from the start.

From the minute we first met,

Neil told me that his dream was Australia,

that I wasn't to go and do anything silly

like fall in love with him.

Obviously, he couldn't keep his end of the bargain,

so now I'm going to Australia and he has to come with me.

Neil passionately believed Australia could offer both him

and Christopher more than the UK.

We do want to have a better quality of life.

We want to have a nice home.

We want to have somewhere

that our friends and family can come and stay,

but the biggest draw of Australia

is the fact that we can come home from work

and get to spend time with each other.

Neil had worked tirelessly to persuade Christopher

to share his dream, but with only limited success.

He's 100% convinced,

and I'm not as high of a percentage, to be honest.

It was 0% in the early days,

but over the years we've been together,

I've been slowly chipping away.

But moving to Australia with Neil

would mean Christopher leaving behind his mother

and a family who relied heavily on his support.

My mum calls me her rock.

I'm the one that drives, so I take Mum to the hospital appointments.

I remind her that she's got them.

It'll be tough for my family to cope with,

not having me here.

I know that it terrifies him to think that we could abandon them,

and then if he's not here to give that support

that he loves to give them every day,

he'd be so wracked with guilt.

If Neil was to persuade Christopher to make the heartbreaking choice

to leave his mum behind,

he knew there was a huge amount to achieve in the week ahead.

I would go live in a tin shed.

If Chris and I weren't together and I was single,

then I would be in Australia yesterday.

There's a huge pressure, a weight on my shoulders.

I hope that I do love it as much as he tells me I'm going to love it.

Just because I know how much he wants to do it

and it's his lifelong dream.

Everything rested on the week ahead.

Could Neil and Christopher find the life they dreamed of

or would the heartache of leaving family behind

be too much to bear?

The couple spent their trial week in Adelaide.

Having been ranked the most liveable city in Australia

for the last three years,

it was the perfect place for the lifestyle they were seeking.

Home for the week was a modern two-bedroom apartment

in the heart of the city centre.

-Wow.

-Very nice.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

It's ginormous compared to what you think it would be outside.

It's actually identical to how we would probably have it.

It's very much to our taste, isn't it?

It looked like both Neil and Christopher were ready to move in.

-Oh!

-Oh, my God.

It's like a beautiful hotel bedroom, isn't it?

It's just like what we would've done.

Like, it is actually perfect.

They've got the lifestyle pad for the week,

but already Neil's thoughts were turning to what was at stake

over the next few days.

It's all about convincing Christopher that

we can afford to make the move.

The house is key for family to come over

and being able to afford the house.

There's a lot of weight on his shoulders.

As much as I just say, "Yeah, we're going to live in Adelaide,"

he's the one that has to do the thinking.

This is the week we'll decide

whether we want to eventually move to Australia or not.

This is the deal-breaker, so it's so important to get it right

and find out exactly what we need to find out.

In the UK, Christopher and Neil

were living in a two-bedroom flat in Glasgow,

but when it came to the home down under,

they both knew exactly what they wanted.

We do want a three-bedroom to four-bedroom house.

Big enough for family to come over and big enough

so we don't fall on top of each other

when family do come and visit.

Quite modern. Not too much outdoor space.

We'll just have to cut the grass,

and if it's covered in monoblocks or slabs or slate,

then that's perfect, with the occasional aloe vera plant.

Yes.

We showed Neil and Christopher three properties

based on what they thought they could afford,

what they'd ideally like, and one in between.

The first house was in the established

beach-side suburb of Marino,

around 12 miles southwest of Adelaide city centre.

So, did this recently-renovated two-bedroom house

get the day off to a flying start?

It does look lovely,

-but it's just I don't think I'd like it out here.

-No.

-Too many creepy-crawlies.

-Too much, yeah.

It did have the aloe vera plant, though.

-Oh, good-sized room.

-Oh, God, it's lovely.

It's really bright. Oh, that's a bedroom.

-I thought that'd be the living room. That's very nice.

-Oh, it's lovely.

It's just like how our bedroom would be at home.

Green. My favourite colour.

Yeah, you're green-crazy.

Built in the '60s, the house's layout was traditional,

but the interior design did meet with approval.

-It's a good-sized kitchen.

-Oh, it's lovely.

-It's very nice.

-I like the worktop.

-The breakfast bar.

-Uh-huh.

-It's perfect.

-So far, so good.

Things were going well.

-There's rooms everywhere.

-Oh, really?

-Ah, bathroom.

-This looks nice.

-Yeah.

-Mm-hm.

Shower and bath. That's cool.

Is this just another bedroom? That's an OK size.

-But this means there's only two rooms then.

-Yeah.

Oh, dear.

With only two bedrooms, the house seemed to be losing its appeal.

If this is the only other bedroom there is, it'd be difficult.

But perhaps with some forward planning...

Just means we'd need to be strict with the calendar for visits.

"No, you can't come in January."

Outside, the covered decking area was ideal for socialising.

-This is lovely.

-Fantastic, isn't it?

-Mm-hm.

-You can see the sea view.

-Sea view? Perfect.

-You can just imagine sat out here at night-time.

-Yeah.

-It'd be perfect.

-No, this is lovely.

It was all going so well until...

I don't know too much about seeing other people's roofs.

I don't think there'll be ever anyone on their roofs.

And things went downhill from there.

Got too much there. Oh, I didn't realise that was all round there.

Imagine sitting out here at night when it gets dark

and the mozzies come out. No, thanks.

The house had fallen short of Christopher's high expectations,

but with a budget of £300,000,

was it somewhere they could afford anyway?

-Right, OK. Are you ready to flip?

-Will I flip?

-You do it.

Ooh.

So, over 300 but less than 310, so that's within our budget.

I think this house confirms to me that this is doable.

But Christopher wasn't convinced.

It doesn't have enough space for people to visit.

It's got two bedrooms just now with a dressing room

which would easily be a temporary third bedroom.

At the moment, people could stay for one night,

but over here people would be coming out for months.

So, can you imagine working full-time

and tripping over visitors?

-Hmm. I think it's perfect.

-OK.

It looked like Neil had a battle on his hands.

If he was to keep Christopher on side,

the next house needed to offer more.

Much more.

Slightly closer to the city,

this modern four-bedroom bungalow was in Hove -

a popular and lively area the couple had previously looked at online.

But was the reality enough for Christopher?

-Big double garbage.

-Big double garbage, yeah.

-Mm-hm.

-And not with too much grass.

-Yeah.

-And only a few plants.

-That's ideal.

-Yeah.

It was a better start than the last house.

-Bedroom.

-A massive bedroom straightaway.

-Yeah.

Is that a walk-in wardrobe?

-Yes.

-That's a good size.

Cos the last house, there was no wardrobes...

-Doesn't have any storage...

-Yeah.

-..in the en-suite.

-Funky cool.

-Mm.

-Yeah.

-This is beautiful.

Yeah, it's perfect.

And things kept getting better.

This is the houses we've seen.

Like, open-plan living,

just having all this in one big room.

-It's such a big size.

-Yeah. It's super.

-Imagine having people over, that big breakfast bar.

-Yeah.

Yeah, it'd be perfect.

The house was ticking all the right boxes, until...

-The only thing that is that road.

-TRAFFIC NOISE

That's really loud.

But I suppose we're, what, five minutes from the beach?

That's Brighton Road. It's going to be busy.

-We're going to hear traffic.

-Very busy, though.

I know what you mean. It is annoying.

At home, they'd whiled away hours looking at Aussie properties

on the internet,

but the day had been a reminder that nothing beat on-the-ground research.

The house did have the space for visitors the couple wanted,

but Neil and Christopher suspected

it was way over their £300,000 budget.

-I'd say £450,000.

-No.

I'd say 400.

-400?

-Yeah.

-OK.

The big reveal.

-Ah.

-404.

-That is £100,000...

-Over budget.

-Yeah.

-A little disappointed.

It's disappointing cos this is where I thought

-would be ideal to stay.

-Mm-hm.

I just didn't realise how busy that road was going to be.

With two properties down,

Neil's chances of convincing Christopher to make the move

to Adelaide weren't looking good.

Would the final property save the day?

The couple's last stop was a newly-built five-bedroom house

in Port Noarlunga.

Located 45 minutes from the city centre,

it had the potential to offer more value for money,

but would it be up to spec?

-Oh, my God.

-It is beautiful.

-Oh, my God.

It was a good start.

-Oh, it's a bedroom!

-Oh, it's a bedroom.

-It's a good size.

-It's beautiful.

-Mm-hm.

-It really is.

It's just amazing. Like, it is actually amazing.

-It's gorgeous.

-It's like a five-star hotel.

It's obviously brand-new.

-It's just beautiful.

-It's beautiful.

Neil was chasing his dream in Australia,

but was this house getting Christopher carried away too?

HE GASPS

-Look at the view.

-No way. No way.

THEY LAUGH

-This is beautiful.

-It's amazing.

I wouldn't mind washing the dishes for that view.

-That's breathtaking.

-It's beyond words.

Like, it is actually beyond words.

It's perfect.

I'm actually getting a bit choked up with how beautiful it is.

I was teary-eyed at the kitchen.

It was the reaction Neil had been hoping for.

Outside was perfect for entertaining.

That's amazing, isn't it?

It just opens this space right up out to here...

-It...

-..by bringing the outdoors in.

And there wasn't a creepy-crawly in sight.

-Oh, my God.

-Built-in barbie.

Before we even look at the view we're like, "Barbecue."

Oh, that's spectacular.

When people say houses have the wow factor,

-this definitely has it.

-Yeah.

With five bedrooms,

the house also had plenty of space for visiting family.

Oh, is this the master bedroom?

Look at that walk-in wardrobe. That's bigger than our spare room.

Now I've seen this I don't want to live in any other house.

-I want to stay here.

-I know.

-Just makes the other houses look horrible, doesn't it?

-Mm-hm.

It appeared Neil and Christopher had found their dream house,

but could they afford it?

Their budget was £300,000.

Well over half a million pounds.

I'd say more than 500,000.

I think more 450, just because how far away it is.

Are you doing the honours?

No way.

421.

So, that's £17,000 more than the house at Hove.

So it is.

It was £121,000 over budget,

but the couple were quick to consider a larger mortgage.

Over 30 years, that's so doable.

Is it worth it?

Yeah.

Does it give us the dream? Is it the dream house?

Yeah.

If we bought a house like this, we wouldn't need to move ever again.

-And this is just left field.

-This is just blowing us away.

Hmm.

House-hunting had given the couple plenty of food for thought.

Property one was within their price range

but not big enough to accommodate their needs.

The second house had been nearly perfect,

although £100,000 over budget and too close to a busy road.

And property three had been everything

Neil had been dreaming of, but with a price to match.

So, based on everything they've seen,

did Christopher and Neil choose property in the UK or Australia?

Based on the houses we've seen today,

our vote is going to be...

-BOTH:

-Australia.

Did you think I was going to go Australia?

Yeah. After seeing this house, I knew Australia was the way to go.

-Yeah.

-It's just...

-I was the same.

This is the place to be.

-That's it. No need to go home. This is the house for us.

-Yeah.

Christopher's vote for Australia was great news for Neil's hopes

of a better life down under,

but it was based on a dream home and lifestyle

that would require substantial funding,

so it was now more important than ever

to secure good jobs in Adelaide.

Back in the UK, the couple had worked incredibly hard

to pay for the lifestyle they enjoyed.

Neil was a theatre nurse at Glasgow's Royal Infirmary.

Because I'm the main visa applicant,

it would be my job that we'd be looking at as a priority.

Hopefully, I'd look for an identical post.

If that's not the case, the fact is I've got a degree in nursing,

so I should be a nurse anywhere.

And if it means taking any job,

as long as it was a nurse I'd be happy.

And if it pays the bills, Christopher will be happy too.

Christopher had spent five years working his way up through the ranks

to become team manager in a large bank's contact centre.

I really enjoy my job here. I've put a lot of time and effort in it

and really put myself out of my comfort zone at times

to get where I am and what I've achieved.

So, I think given that, it will be tough

because I'll need to start fresh and start from the beginning again.

To find out if Adelaide could offer

the earning power the boys needed to afford their dream house,

they headed off to explore the local job market.

Christopher met with Cheryl Gaston,

a senior manager at one of Australia's biggest banks,

to find out if he could get a job at his current level.

We've currently got an external role at the moment,

but it isn't team manager. It's what we call a lending manager,

so it's probably one of our senior lending roles.

Over at Flinders Medical Centre,

Neil met with Lydia Dennett, the chief nurse of South Australia,

to find out if job opportunities existed for him.

At the moment, we don't have an acute shortage,

and so really it's quite competitive in terms of seeking

and obtaining a position.

It wasn't great news,

but Neil's theatre skills appeared to improve his chances

of securing work.

In relation to your field of work and your area of specialisation,

that being theatre nursing

and in particular orthopaedic procedural nursing,

does give you an advantage in terms of that competition

that there might be at the moment for positions.

-That's very good.

-Mm.

That was much more positive,

and Neil had just one more all-important question.

What kind of salary could I expect at my current level of training?

-About 55,000.

-OK.

That's a base salary and that would rise through an annual increment

to just under 75,000 at year ten.

That sounds absolutely fabulous, Lydia. That's great.

That was over £10,000 more than Neil currently was earning in the UK,

but only if - and it was a big if - he could actually find a job.

Back at the bank,

Christopher was hoping for positive news

on a senior manager job.

It is quite rare that we do recruit externally for those roles.

We really try to progress people through their career within.

It wasn't what Christopher wanted to hear.

Promoting from within the company meant

he may initially have to take a step back in his career

in Australia.

I think that was my main concern.

Would it be the same position I'd go into

or would I start down at a consultant level

and work my way up again.

But...

We do have a scale, and you would come in with experience,

so I would think you would probably already start

-at around the 62 to 67 mark...

-OK.

-..would be the salary range that would be available.

-OK.

And then they would put super on top of that.

Even with a step back,

Christopher could earn almost £20,000 more than at home.

So, having heard everything on offer,

was their combined news enough for the couple

to green-light the dream?

Based on today's work experience, we are going to vote...

-Australia.

-Undecided.

Undecided means it might have been bad.

Although I'd be doing a job similar, I wouldn't be a team manager.

And I think that just...

Although in the past we've spoke about it

and I've said I don't know if I would mind going back,

I don't think I could.

-No?

-No.

-Hmm.

So, we need to find you a different job.

-Yeah, we'll look at other banks, possibly.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-That's fine.

-That's doable.

-Yeah.

With an undecided vote from Christopher,

Neil's dream of a future in Australia

looked like it was in serious trouble.

Any move down under had always been about the lifestyle

the country could offer,

so did a day exploring those opportunities

help get the dream back on track?

In the UK, the couple's lives outside work

revolved around entertaining at home,

so we arranged two activities they could enjoy

on a regular weekend.

First up was a visit to a farmers market

in the historic town of Willunga.

-A bucket of flowers.

-It's only

-8. Really?

-Yeah.

-8. That's great.

-Cheers, man.

So we've got Funky Goat, which is a French-style goat's cheese.

-Why is it funky?

-It gets this funky rind,

and as it ages it gets some really funky flavours.

-Oh, really?

-I couldn't come up with any other name.

-As long as it's good.

-It'd be a right song and dance.

Next stop was the nearby region of McLaren Vale,

where the self-confessed foodies

joined one of David Arbon's mozzarella-making classes.

Now you need to glove up.

If it's hot, pick it up.

If your hands get too hot, hand it on to your partner

-and put your hands in that cold water there.

-OK.

It's like The Generation Game. It's so hot!

Neil felt confident the day was going his way.

I think Christopher has thoroughly enjoyed today.

I think it all contributes to tricking him

into coming to live in Australia with me, so, yeah,

he's had a ball as much as I have,

and I'm sure that he can see himself coming here again

and spending time in the sunshine.

Cooking done, he took the chance to do some soft selling.

Can you imagine if we were having people over on that deck

on the house in Port Noarlunga, having made pizza and haloumi...

-Cooking the halloumi on the barbecue.

-On the barbecue outside.

-Yeah. It would just all fall into place.

-It would.

-Could get a stone oven put it...

-A stone oven.

-..to cook pizza.

-Yeah.

The day had been made to order for the boys,

but had it in good enough to convince Christopher

the Aussie lifestyle was worth leaving the UK for?

Based on today, we're going to vote for...

-Australia.

-Australia.

That's a good decision.

I think we've had a fabulous day out today.

It's so much more relaxed over here.

I can see us coming out on a Saturday morning,

getting things in for a party, having people over at night.

It's textbook for what I'd look to be doing every weekend

here in Adelaide.

Christopher seemed to be closer to committing to Australia,

but could the couple afford the lifestyle they wanted?

They sat down to compare costs in Australia and the UK,

starting with the weekly shopping bill.

£5 for apples.

OK, we'll stop eating apples.

-I can live happily with that.

-Yeah.

-What about lamb? What is lamb?

-Lamb is more expensive.

-More expensive as well.

So, we have to give up apples from our diet,

choose between lamb or beef.

Tough decisions for a pair of food lovers.

So, how did their overall food bill add up?

-That's £220 a month more on food. That's quite a lot.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

And that's before going out to eat or anything like that.

Over £2,500 more each year on food alone

was a significant hike.

Basing their figures on the dream property,

the bigger costs of living didn't look promising either.

-Mortgage payment, property three, would be £2,600...

-Pounds.

..which is almost 2,500 more than what we pay at the moment.

It was an enormous hike in mortgage repayments,

but the couple's income was potentially

nearly £30,000 higher in Australia.

So, did their extra earnings mean they could afford the house

and lifestyle they craved?

So, in Australia per month, we're worse off by £584.

-That's a big deal.

-Mm-hm.

It was a devastating result,

but was it a deal-breaker as they chose between finances

in Australia and the UK?

So, based on working out the figures for living in Australia,

our vote is going to be...

-BOTH:

-Undecided.

-You're undecided?

-Yeah.

-All right.

-It's a big deal.

-Mm-hm.

I got a bit carried away with the dream house.

-Mm.

-So, it's...it's not nice.

-No, it was a reality check, wasn't it?

-Mm.

Yeah.

The harsh reality of living costs had put Neil's dream in real danger,

and for Christopher there was still one more hurdle to overcome -

the thought of leaving his mum who relied on him so much.

Would watching messages from friends and family in the UK

be too much for him and put a halt to any plans

for a future life in Australia?

-BOTH:

-Hi, Christopher and Neil.

Hope you've had a good time in Australia. We've missed you.

Neil is the best guy ever.

He would do anything for you and totally looks out for you.

Neil is very close to us because we brought him up

and he takes us as his own parents.

And he loves us and we love him as much as he loves us.

And we miss him.

Christopher has been a real rock

and he knows exactly when I'm up and when I'm down.

And he'll come and say, "Come on, we'll go to this, we'll do this."

He takes care of her, especially when she's feeling down.

He'll come over and maybe just make her feel like herself again.

You know I'll miss you so much. I just hope you have a good life.

And if that's what you want, then fair enough.

That's horrible, isn't it?

Oh, yeah. That was tough.

But we always knew that was going to be hard.

We knew that was going to be the toughest part, to see them.

You don't realise how tough it can be, though.

-No. I was like, "I won't cry."

-It's a lot tougher than you think.

Yeah.

-You realise what a big part of their lives we are.

-Mm-hm.

Watching messages from friends and family was hard,

especially for Christopher.

As their trial week drew to a close,

the couple knew exactly what they stood to gain or lose,

making the approaching decision even harder.

It's been a total emotional roller-coaster this week.

I'm still feeling a bit apprehensive and not 100% persuaded to move here.

Neil was having a last-minute crisis of conscience.

Sometimes seeing Christopher upset is the worst aspect of all,

to know that I'm the motivator that's bringing this into his world.

And Christopher was aware of the impact his final decision

could have on Neil.

Definitely worries me that Neil's dreams

could potentially be shattered if, at the end of the day,

I decide that we'd be better staying in the UK.

It's been my dream for so long to come and live here.

From the moment we landed, I felt like I was coming home.

I think I know that this is where I want to spend the rest of my life.

It'll be such a big change, a life-changing decision,

and we just need to make sure it's the right one.

It was a decision that couldn't be put off any longer.

-BOTH:

-Australia.

I sold it.

I thought it was going to be a bit touch-and-go for a moment there.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Seeing my mum and my brother on camera,

although how hard it was, I think my mum looked great

and my brother has obviously been great with her this week, so...

Yeah, without you.

..that kind of reassured me a little bit.

-I think there's been more positives than negatives.

-Oh, definitely.

And I think that's why my final vote's been Australia.

I think it's awesome.

My dream is coming to reality

and having Christopher sharing it with me is just the best news ever.

-I took a leaf out of your book.

-Yeah, I know.

-Take a risk once in a while.

-Throw caution to the wind, yeah.

After years spent trying to persuade Christopher,

their trial week had helped Neil seal the deal.

It looked as if the couple were all set to make the move

to the other side of the world.

So, two years later, are they getting on with things in Glasgow

or adjusting to a new life in Australia?

It's May, 2015,

and Neil and Christopher are living in...

Adelaide, Australia.

When the trial week won Christopher around,

Neil couldn't quite believe the dream he'd had for so long

was on the verge of coming true.

When Christopher voted for Australia at the end of our trial,

I was just ecstatic.

I was shocked cos I think I was even undecided at one point,

-probably after the finances.

-Yeah.

So, yeah, when he turned the card and it was Australia,

it was fantastic.

With their minds made up,

the couple wasted no time getting the ball rolling.

When we returned to the UK after our last time here,

we felt energised to really look into how we could get here,

what visas, and look at jobs and houses again.

It really gave us that extra spark to continue looking, didn't it?

I think we were barely off the plane

when we were downloading our visa applications

and started ticking all the boxes.

But first they had to share the news with their families,

and for Christopher in particular, it was tough.

It was very difficult breaking the news to them.

I just felt like I was ripping the family apart, actually.

I think there was a bit of denial, that it would never actually happen.

It was just a bit of a pipe dream.

People had obviously missed us, and it made us realise

if this is how much our friends and family miss us

for a couple of weeks,

how are they going to cope when we're gone for good?

Already in the throes of a massive life-changing move,

Neil decided to take the plunge with another.

Back in January last year we went on a trip to Paris.

We went on this awesome cruise for dinner.

The boat stopped under the Eiffel Tower.

He was like, "Oh, we've got champagne.

"Why have we got champagne?"

Neil got down on one knee and proposed.

-Which was fabulous, wasn't it?

-It was.

-The Eiffel Tower was sparkling in the background.

-Yeah.

I was just feeling ecstatic.

Shocked as well. I wasn't expecting it.

It turned out to be the best trip

that we've ever taken because he said yes.

I think it just compounded the fact that we were starting

this big new adventure, and to do it as a married couple

-just was the icing on the cake, I think.

-Mm. Definitely.

Their wedding was the last big family gathering

before the couple left for Australia.

It was the most perfect day.

It was absolutely the best day of my life.

-It was.

-All our friends and family really came together.

Everyone at the wedding just had great feelings and thoughts for us.

Although it was the best day of our lives to begin with,

-it had so much more significance that it was our big goodbye.

-Yeah.

Saying their final farewells wasn't as easy as Neil had imagined.

In a few days running up to, and especially on,

the actual final morning before we went to the airport,

I was genuinely devastated.

I think it maybe shocked Christopher a tad

at how upset I actually was.

I don't think it had really sunk in for him until that point.

You're saying goodbye, and it could potentially be forever.

It's not just your normal goodbye.

We knew it was going to be a long time before we actually

saw each other face-to-face again.

But for the couple, it was a sacrifice worth making.

Arriving at the airport, knowing that that's it,

we're going to Australia to live forever

is an emotion that we'd obviously never felt before.

The first thing we did was went and got a gin tonic

and sat and just looked at our tickets.

We were in the zone to start our new life.

They've only been in Australia a month,

but Neil and Christopher have already made huge strides.

Our first week in Adelaide was a bit mental.

It didn't feel real. We were here.

And when it came to a home,

they were determined to start living the dream from day one.

I was very keen that we found a house as soon as possible.

We viewed our house that we're in just now two days after we arrived,

and we accepted the lease there and then for 12 months,

so we had the keys in the afternoon.

You said we accepted the lease,

but I don't think I had any much choice in it...

to be honest.

But Neil had set his heart on this house

and what Neil wants, Neil gets, so to make him happy,

I thought, "We'll just sign the lease."

Home is now a three-bedroom detached house in the suburb

of Oaklands Park,

just seven miles south of the city centre.

We absolutely love having two living rooms, extra bedrooms.

Really ideal for people coming to visit.

The size of it, it's huge compared to what we had back in Glasgow.

This is bedroom number two.

It's where we store all of our boxes from everything we've had to unpack.

You have to arrange a specific time to take them to the dump,

and as we're too busy enjoying our new time in Adelaide,

that can wait.

Master bedroom.

The best thing about it is that we've got a super-duper

king-size bed. And then your favourite bit is there.

I just love having a walk-in wardrobe,

and I think about 90% of the clothes in here are mine.

There's so much storage and space for everything.

It's absolutely brilliant.

And then we've got our en-suite bathroom,

which is just awesome to have right next to you.

It's just a different quality of life, to have an en-suite

and a walk-in wardrobe.

-It just looks absolutely beautiful as well.

-Mm-hm.

Their new garden is the ideal spot for enjoying the sunshine.

It's just a fantastic space.

It's really nice just to sit outside -

something we never got the chance to do back home.

Every night we've been coming out and eating our dinner here,

-just because it's such a novelty to have it.

-Yeah.

Never ones for looking after a lawn, although their garden has one,

they've no intention of getting up close and personal with it.

There's a shed over there

where you're supposed to store the lawnmower,

but upon looking inside the shed, it's obviously a place

where unpleasant creepy-crawlies will live.

So, there's a lawn mowing service.

There's a man comes and he brings his own lawnmower

and he cuts the grass for you. So, just looking,

I think we'll need to get him to come quite soon.

Work-wise, Neil was lucky enough to secure a job before the move.

I'd applied for three jobs before I came to Adelaide

and I had three job offers from those three interviews

that I had, which was fantastic.

So, it was just a case of everything was sorted

before we got here.

He's just started as a theatre nurse

at St Andrew's Hospital in Adelaide.

I work in operating theatres assisting the surgeon

to perform orthopaedic surgery,

so whether that's knee replacements, hip replacements.

The role is similar to the one he had at home.

I could take comfort knowing that my job was going to be

the exact same as it was,

and thankfully it's turning out to be just that.

The different environment did take some getting used to.

First day on the job was very nerve-racking.

To go from being a very competent nurse

back in my hospital to being here as the new kid on the block

not knowing anyone or anything, it's a bit unsettling.

But it hasn't taken Neil long to settle in.

Coming here to find that everyone is so lovely and welcoming, it's great.

It's such a relief.

And his new shift pattern's a world away from what he worked at home.

Most of the shifts, I'm starting at 7.00 in the morning

and I'm home by 3.30 in the afternoon.

The whole reason for coming to Oz

was to have a greater work-life balance,

so at the moment it's a win-win situation.

That's not the only balance that's improved either.

It's probably paying me about maybe £20,000 almost more a year

than I got back in the UK,

so that is a significant increase in earnings,

which is a dream come true.

Christopher hasn't had a job offer just yet,

but his prospects are looking positive.

At the moment, I've currently

been through interviews for a job with a bank out here,

so I'm just waiting on a final interview

with the general state manager for a branch manager role out here,

so really excited and fingers crossed for that.

That's really my dream job. That's ideally what I'd like to do.

There's plenty of opportunity out here for that, which is great.

While he waits for news,

Christopher's managed to adapt to his new role as househusband.

It's a bit strange, him going out to work and me being home.

That's never really happened since we've been together.

I think, in some senses, he's maybe enjoying

being a gentleman of leisure.

-Yes.

-Yes.

He can go out gallivanting, go to the beach.

But I do know that he's very keen to start work

and to have that confirmation

that we've got a second salary coming in

and we can start paying for things that we really want.

During their trial week,

the couple were shocked at their potential finances down under,

but to date it's not been an issue.

Now that we're here, we're very pleasantly surprised.

Although at the minute we only have one salary,

it's more than enough for us to survive at the minute.

And then obviously when you start work, that's it.

I can maybe drop my hours and start becoming a gentleman of leisure.

I don't think so.

For Neil, the move was all about a better lifestyle, and so far

Australia is living up to expectations.

We've been to a lot of markets.

There's a lot of markets here at the weekend,

especially food markets, which are our favourite.

Going to the beach, eating out,

meeting friends that we made previously

and getting to meet new people.

So, I don't think there is much comparison just now.

It does seem like we're on a big long holiday.

Entertaining friends was a huge part of the boys' life back in the UK.

-Hi!

-How are you?

And they've wasted no time putting their hosting skills

into action down under.

-Go and cook.

-I know.

-I'm starving.

They are just a great couple and they're so much fun

and brighten everything up.

And they're just, yeah, just great to be with.

At one stage, we thought they would never get here.

-That's what I was thinking.

-Because it was like,

"Oh, yes, in June," or, you know, a few months later,

but it's great to see that they've finally got here

and they're happy to be here.

Coming over from Scotland to move here I think is just so brave.

I couldn't do it.

It's just a big move, but they've done really well.

Their short spell in Australia has delivered everything

the couple had hoped for,

but home is never far from their thoughts.

For me, homesickness always kicks in as soon as you hang up the phone

with back home.

As soon as you say your goodbyes, it hits you like a tonne of bricks.

I still have been phoning and speaking to my grandparents

every day, in the same way I would as if I was back home.

It makes it seems less real that we're actually so far away.

The main concern for me is just being so far away from home,

and if anything was to happen back home

and how we'd be able to cope with that and deal with that.

One moment you think,

"Yeah, we're doing great and we've adjusted to being here,"

and then bang, before you know it, you're teary-eyed

and missing silly things like the cats.

The couple re-homed their felines with friends

but are managing to keep in contact.

Our friends keep posting Facebook updates to show,

"Oh, Moet and Jenson are missing you guys,"

and we see their wee photos and we think, "Aw."

I think it's more friends and family can understand,

whereas the cats back home can't.

We miss lots about the UK.

Although we're here starting our new life

and everything is great,

but...it's not home yet.

Ever organised, though,

the couple are forearmed to fend off feelings of isolation.

We've already planned a trip back to Scotland,

so we're going home for two weeks just before Christmas.

It was quite a conscious decision that we made to make sure we go home

for a set period of time just to see everybody

and get over that kind of homesickness.

Yay!

And they won't be able to put off

taking those boxes to the dump for much longer.

Already we have almost a calendar full of people

coming to stay with us here.

So, we're having to strategically place them

and make sure they don't overlap.

The couple can't wait to get family acquainted with their new life.

A house where my mum and dad can stay for months at a time

is absolutely great.

Being able to offer this quality of life

to our loved ones and friends,

for them to come here to share in our dream,

I think seals the deal for us.

It may still be the honeymoon period,

but the outlook down under looks like a sunny one

for Christopher and Neil.

I would 200% say that we have definitely made the right move.

It is very, very early days, we've not been here long at all,

but everything is going better than we expected.

We've put a lot of planning behind this,

and this has been Neil's dream from the get-go.

It feels absolutely great, and long may it continue.

I don't have any concerns at all about our future in Adelaide.

I think things are going to work out perfectly well,

probably better than we anticipated.

At the moment, with the way our lives are,

I think definitely the future is in Australia.

It's difficult to put into words how fabulous I think it is,

and it is so exciting that this is the start of the rest of our lives.

After a life-changing two years for the couple,

it looks like they're well on their way

to achieving their dream lifestyle.

We wish Neil and Christopher all the luck in the world.