Baum Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

If you and your partner needed a fresh start in life,

how far would you go to achieve it?

Could you give up everything you had at home to move

to the other side of the world?

Two years ago, Andrea and Stan Baum faced just that decision.

Today, we'll find out what happened next.

Andrea and Stan had always dreamt of moving to Australia

but in 2011, everything changed.

Stan had an accident

and that basically blew our whole world into pieces.

Desperate for a new beginning, in 2013,

the couple spent an emotional trial week in Brisbane.

You know, to have this opportunity would be amazing.

So, two years later, is it the UK or Australia Stan and Andrea call home?

This is where we need to be at this stage right now in our life.

Over 30 times the size of the UK and with breathtaking beaches,

amazing architecture and a rich and diverse culture,

Australia has been referred to as the biggest playground in the world.

And with a population of just 23 million people,

there's plenty of space for new arrivals.

But for many, the move is far from straightforward.

In 2013, after an incredibly challenging few years,

Andrea and Stan Baum spent a week in Brisbane discovering

if Australia really could offer them a second chance at life.

Today, two years on, we'll discover where in the world

Andrea and Stan now call home.

The Baums original journey to Brisbane in eastern Australia

began with a gruelling 22.5 hours on a plane.

And when they touched down on Aussie soil,

the distance from the UK had really hit home.

I'm like, "Oh, yeah, it's just Australia, just Australia."

But actually...it's really far!

Having arrived down under for the first time,

the couple were excited about what lay ahead.

Just the anticipation to see if it's viable.

You know, if it's possible to be able to live over here comfortably.

I need to make an informed choice of whether or not

we can financially live the dream that we want to live.

In the UK, Stan, a former motor mechanic

and Andrea, a nurse, were living in Loughborough in Leicestershire.

But Andrea was hoping they wouldn't be there much longer.

The Oz dream is kind of my little baby.

I've wanted to go since I can remember.

She's always said, right from the start, she wants to go to Australia.

We've had our five-year plan and we were working towards it.

But tragedy had struck in 2011

when Stan was involved in a horrific motorbike accident.

Six months after we got married, Stan had an accident.

Um, and that basically blew our whole world into pieces.

The last thing I kind of remember was the start of September 2010,

which was when we got married.

And I barely remember even getting married.

Stan had quite a significant brain injury

and broke pretty much every bone in his body.

Literally from his head down to his toes.

Stan spent six months in a coma.

His loved ones were told to expect the worst but Andrea

and Stan's sister Mel had refused to give up on him.

I don't know what gave me the hope.

Don't know what gave me the strength.

I can't believe that I put my family through this.

I said, "He will come back, I know he will."

And I said, "I don't believe it and I won't believe it." And...he did.

You know, and he came back to us and we've pushed him and motivated him.

Against all odds and with his family's support,

Stan had begun to recover.

The early part of my recovery was quite...

Well, it was painful trying to do the physio.

Even trying to learn to walk again.

Stan can now get himself up, washed, dressed,

tie his own shoelaces, making me cups of tea.

You know, it's having to learn to do everything again.

Stan's rehabilitation was taking time

but the couple were determined to look towards a happier future.

Moving, however, would mean sacrificing relationships

with the family and friends who'd supported them through their ordeal.

The thought of moving without them

is really upsetting and heartbreaking.

I needed their support more than actually I realised

I needed at the time.

So, it meant the world and I'm indebted to them for life.

Despite strong emotional ties, Andrea and Stan were desperate

to put the past behind them and start afresh in Australia.

It's where Andrea definitely wants to be and...

Well, I'm just hoping that it's going to be good for us.

We're literally going to be leaving everything behind

to try and start a new life again and start a new chapter, a new book.

So, it's literally everything. Everything is on the line.

Stan and Andrea had been through incredibly tough times

but were determined to see if Australia could offer them

the opportunities and lifestyle they were dreaming of.

For their trial week,

they stayed in a two-bedroom apartment in Brisbane city centre.

It was their first taste of Aussie-style living

and first impressions were good.

-Look at the view!

-Wow.

Oh, my God!

Height is not one of my specialities but you know what?

-I'll learn to love it.

-Amazing.

-Amazing, absolutely amazing.

Amazing, yeah.

If this was what we could afford, I'd suffer in silence.

Ha-ha!

Which would make a change.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Yeah, big change.

Back in the UK, home for Stan and Andrea

was a three-bedroom detached house in Loughborough.

So what kind of Australian home were they looking for?

Just something relatively modern, very simplistic.

-You don't want people overlooking it.

-Two toilets, pretty please.

Whether that's two bathrooms or just two toilets, I am not fussy.

We showed the couple three houses,

based on what they thought they could afford,

what they ideally wanted, and one in between.

First up was a four-bedroom bungalow in the suburb of Springfield Lakes,

an up-and-coming area just 35 minutes drive

from Brisbane city centre,

which could offer good value for money.

-There's the garage.

-That looks amazing.

-Yeah.

-SHE GASPS

-Oh, sorry.

It's all right.

-Look how scary you are.

-I'm just testing.

Ex-mechanic Stan had caught sight of the garage from the road.

-But what did he make of it inside?

-Beautiful.

-This is...

-I've found my room.

-Yeah!

Next up, the kitchen. How did that compare?

Our kitchen back home is...a little bit bigger.

But it's all kind of closed in. So, this feels bigger.

With four bedrooms and two bathrooms,

the house should have ticked all the boxes.

But not everything was quite to their taste.

Some of the tiles and some of the decor is a little bit...

-Just the colours.

-Yeah, a little bit dated.

-Luckily, the garden fared better.

-Love the garden.

-Love, love, love the garden.

-Lovely size.

-Yeah.

It was a good note to end on

but was the house within the couple's budget of around £250,000?

I don't want to know.

-Do you want me to turn?

-Yeah.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-That's actually quite surprising.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, that is. I thought it'd be actually over.

-Yeah, I did.

It was an encouraging start for Stan and Andrea.

But with two more properties to view,

they weren't committing to anything.

Staying in Springfield Lakes,

property two was one of the area's most populous streets.

With lakes, parks and sporting facilities on the doorstep,

it could have been a great base for Stan's rehabilitation.

But did it offer the space they wanted?

It...looks a bit...

squished.

-It's got this flat driveway.

-I know.

-So, you won't fall.

First impressions? Not bad.

-And inside...

-Yeah.

-Doesn't look so much size at all from the front.

-Yeah.

But it's actually quite spacious in there.

The house had the two bathrooms Andrea wanted.

-Very nice. Good size.

-Look at the shower.

-New, user-friendly.

-I really like this.

-Wow, yeah!

-Look at the design.

-Yeah.

-Beautiful.

-It flows.

And I think that's the beauty of this house. It just...flows.

Every room flows from one to the other.

-It's brilliant for Stan's mobility.

-The property scored well.

And with four bedrooms, it also had plenty of room for visitors.

Really nice. Ooh, got a walk-in wardrobe!

I reckon it's going to be way over our budget. But, you know...

..the dream. It's something to work towards.

Andrea was already thinking of ways to make it work

but the garden proved a disappointment.

It's quite overlooked, actually.

-Yeah.

-I must admit I'm not a fan of the garden.

The property had promised so much

but the lack of outside space was a big letdown.

Was the price enough to make the couple reconsider?

OK. Ready?

£260,000.

-Yeah.

-You used to be able to get a lot more for your money.

And with the current exchange rate and everything else,

it makes things a lot tighter.

At £10,000 over budget,

the house didn't appear to be worth the stretch.

Last property of the day was a four-bedroom house in Redland Bay,

a laid-back suburb just over 30 miles south-east of Brisbane.

The property promised modern interiors

but would it offer better value for money?

-We can't afford this.

-No!

-I think...

-This is going to be the carrot and the stick.

-Way out of our budget.

-Yeah.

They've been shocked by the cost of the properties so far,

but this house had an immediate impact.

-I'm speechless.

-Without words.

-Yes.

-Without words.

For the first time, I'm actually...

-Yeah.

-..speechless.

And the best was yet to come.

The property had access to facilities

that could help Stan's recovery.

Oh, my God! Stan, it's a gym!

And a fitness centre! It's got a tennis court down there.

Oh, my God! Oh, my God.

Oh, my... I don't know what to say.

-OK?

-Yeah! I'm OK.

It was an emotional moment as the couple realised

just what this could mean for Stan.

Just having that access.

It would make his life easier.

As well.

It has been like...

It has been two years since...while I've been like this.

And...what I've had to put through with the family and everybody.

But they've all been so supportive.

I won't need to convert the house.

We won't have to pay for gym equipment, we could just...

Yeah. It would just help him out.

He worked really hard.

-TEARFULLY:

-He did work really hard to get better and it would just...

I feel like an idiot, sorry. Could you hold on?

SHE SOBS

Yeah, it does.

When you've heard the doctors and they didn't even think

I'd wake up, let alone be able to walk, you know, and use this arm.

You know, so... Everything has been a challenge but it's been worth it.

You know, and... You know, to have this opportunity would be amazing.

Andrea knew if they could afford a property like this,

any move would be life-changing.

If I could, I would work...

..till my bones ache to provide it.

With so much resting on it, the pair were reluctant to see

how close the property was to their £250,000 budget.

Part of me doesn't actually want to know what that says.

-You ready?

-No.

SHE LAUGHS

Well...

It was over budget but by just £17,000.

So depending on job prospects, it could still have been within reach.

Where do we sign on?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Yeah! Yeah!

It had been an emotional day of house-hunting for the Baums.

The first property was smaller than they wanted

but they had loved the garden.

Property two had more space but the overlooked garden left them cold.

Property three wasn't just a dream house, it offered Stan access

to potentially life-changing facilities.

So, based on what they'd seen of Australian homes...

It is time for us to vote.

Did the couple choose property in the UK or Australia?

-Australia.

-Australia.

Finding a house with a gym, that is, you know,

an unbelievable, you know, option for us to try.

It was literally like we'd won the lottery when we saw the gym.

Because I just thought of all the things that Stan could do

to progress and that was really...really special.

As the sole earner and with her heart set on a house

that could change Stan's life,

Andrea was now feeling the pressure to find a job with a decent salary.

Back home, she was a deputy sister in the A & E department

at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Finding something similar in Australia was pivotal.

The job's got to be right. Not just from the financial point of view.

I mean, that has definitely got to be right.

Former mechanic Stan wanted to return to work

and had been taking steps to make that happen.

I've been told that I can't be a mechanic.

So, I've thought about pushing myself to be a teacher of mechanics.

To get an idea of her work prospects and shift patterns,

Andrea got a tour of a private hospital

by fellow emergency room nurse and expat Dana Brown.

-What hours do you work?

-Do a 38-hour week. We have 12-hour shifts here.

You can do eight-hour shifts.

Stan meanwhile met a teacher at a further education college

to find out if teaching mechanics was a realistic option.

It's been nice being back here because it kind of reminds me

of, like, when I was a mechanic.

As he got reacquainted with the smell of diesel,

Andrea met with the hospital's

director of learning and development, Donna Bonney,

to find out if work existed in Brisbane

and how much she could earn.

At the moment, probably wouldn't be

as many employer-sponsored visas in the big cities.

Maybe a better option is to go with a recruitment agency.

Given your years of experience,

you'd be bringing home an average of 85,000.

-This is about double my wage.

-Yes.

Wow! I'm absolutely gobsmacked.

It was a brilliant result for Andrea.

But were Stan's qualifications transferable?

To start, you're at least going to need your Certificate IV

in training and assessment.

-At the moment, I'm classed as disabled.

-Mm-hm.

-Would that affect me being able to work?

-Definitely not.

There's teachers here already with disabilities

and loving it, it's great.

How much would you think I'll be able to earn as a teacher?

As a fully qualified teacher,

you should be looking at around 85,000 a year.

Yeah, that is really good.

-Excellent, sounds like something up your alley then.

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

That was a real incentive for Stan to get back into employment.

It had been an encouraging day for the couple

but was that enough to choose work in Australia?

-Australia.

-Australia.

-You want to stay here?

-Yes, I do.

It's exciting. Nerve-racking.

I didn't think I would like it as much as I did.

The facilities for training was beyond what I expected,

beyond what I had when I was at school.

And the wages as well, amazing.

And it would make a big difference to us, me working as well.

It seemed like Stan and Andrea

could earn enough to afford their dream house.

But with Stan's rehabilitation a priority, it was important

to discover if the Aussie lifestyle would meet their needs.

It's absolutely fab.

After exploring the city, the couple met Joe,

a local physiotherapist,

to see if Brisbane could offer Stan

the same level of support he had at home.

Our life is wrapped pretty much around Stan, his physio

-and getting him back to as good as he's ever going to get.

-Yeah, good.

-There's a charity called Headway.

-Headway.

-We have the same in Australia as well.

-Oh, do you?

-Yeah.

-Oh, that's useful.

-They're based at the Gold Coast.

We've got excellent, excellent neuro rehab service in Australia.

It had been an enlightening day.

So did the couple believe Australia could give Stan

the lifestyle he needed?

-Australia.

-Australia.

So the whole point about us moving

this far away from friends and family is for Stan

and what rehabilitation we've got an offer.

And just a general lifestyle that Australia could offer both of us.

Before Stan's accident, biking had been a real passion for the couple.

-And it was a hobby they were raring to get back to.

-Hi, Stan.

-I'm Jason, how are you going?

-Hello, Jason.

-Hi, I'm Anneka.

-Cool.

They met up with a group that rode three-wheeled motorbikes

built for speed and stability, popular with disabled users.

-Looking to getting back on a bike?

-Definitely.

-Good to hear.

It was a big day for Stan.

The first time he had got back on a motorbike since his accident.

Seeing Stan on the bike is fantastic.

-Amazing experience, to be on the bike again.

-It made our day.

-We put a smile on both your faces. What more could we want?

-Yeah!

For Stan and Andrea,

it had been yet another glimpse of the life they could lead down under.

The couple had discovered Australia could potentially give them

everything they'd ever wanted and more.

But they needed to know if they could actually afford to live there.

With Andrea the sole earner,

any increase in bills could have spelled disaster for the move.

Comparing their cost of living in Australia with the UK,

they based their calculations on the dream house.

This is when it comes down to it because...

..on our mortgage per month, we'd be £520 worse.

Because it's...

The Australian property is more expensive than ours.

The electricity here is a lot higher, it's £133 extra per month.

Our total monthly outgoings, we're £1,000 worse off.

But if Andrea found the job she wanted,

she could potentially earn almost £30,000 more than at home.

So, was that enough to deflect the hit?

At the end of the month, we are £496 better off.

-This is just on your wage?

-That's just on my wage.

-That is unbelievable.

-Yeah.

So, had the figures been good enough to swing another vote for Australia?

-I think it's time for a vote. Are you ready?

-I think so.

-OK, go.

-England!

-RECORD SCRATCHES

I'm only joking. Australia!

-You got me by surprise there.

-SHE LAUGHS

-I didn't want to be too predictable.

-We want to start a family together.

You know, I want to progress. I want to get back to work.

And it makes it all so very possible.

It looked like Australia could deliver the fresh start

Andrea and Stan so desperately wanted.

But there was one major obstacle still to overcome

as they faced leaving the friends and family

that had supported them through their darkest times.

-Are you ready for this?

-No, but let's do it.

Hi, guys! How are you doing?

-Hello!

-Hello, Auntie Andrea.

Andrea, she's a... I'd say a very hard-working career girl.

Heart of gold.

Is Auntie Andrea nice? Do you like to play with Auntie Andrea? Yes.

Well, the accident was horrendous. And...

I know, you know, we didn't think Stan was going to pull through.

One day, when they were moving him to the brain injury unit

and I was holding his hand, he had his eyes open.

I said to him, I just went, "Don't be scared." I said, "I know...

"I know where you are, it's dark and you're scared. But don't be scared."

I said, "Just come back to us,"

because I said, "They're giving up on you."

And I said, "I won't give up on you as long as you come back."

Andrea, she just found the inner strength

and carried on and carried on and she was determined

she wasn't going to lose Stan.

To see him progress from not being able to move them arms,

told he would use that arm again.

And to be able to use that arm again, move the arm.

Now he's walking again, he's talking good. It's just amazing.

Touched my heart, he is a legend.

I always say he's a legend but he is a legend.

-MAN:

-I think if they go, it will have an impact on

quite a lot of their family and friends because I think...

they...they're loved by everybody, to be honest.

It's just very difficult.

You know, she's not just going to be just up the road.

She's going to be miles away.

SHE SOBS

I just want her to be happy and Stan to be happy. But...

You know, I don't want them to go that far away.

That was worse than I thought. Just seeing how much they're hurting.

All because I want to move to the other side of the world

and I feel quite selfish for that.

-Most difficult part was seeing my sister.

-Hmm.

She is so strong, isn't she?

It's just really bad for her, the accident.

Like how all the family and my friends

all pulled together regardless.

You know, it's hard to see that they were upset again.

Hmm. I don't think you fully comprehend

the impact that you'll have.

I don't think you can't...

You can, because if you did, nobody would ever move.

Watching messages from loved ones was a heartbreaking experience

for Andrea and Stan.

But their week in Australia had given the couple a glimpse

of what they could possibly gain.

So, did the final turn of the cards

see them choose life in the UK or Australia?

-Are you ready?

-Ah, yes, I'm ready.

-OK.

-Australia.

-Australia!

This week, I've found... Wow! It's just blown my mind, actually.

Definitely surpassed my expectations.

-The future's bright and sunny.

-Future's looking good, yeah.

-Yeah?

With their trial week in Brisbane convincing Stan and Andrea

they could make the fresh start they'd been hoping for,

it looked like a move to the other side of the world was imminent.

When we caught up with them a year ago,

plans of their new life were being put into place.

Andrea had managed to secure a job in Australia

but unfortunately not in the city she'd fallen in love with.

Finding a job in Brisbane was non-existent. There isn't any.

We've had to look at different areas and have now got a job in Melbourne.

So not quite where we wanted to be originally

but, you know, it's a new place, a new challenge.

It's meant to be the most liveable city in the world.

With the job secured,

all the couple needed was to gain that all-important visa.

And after a three-month wait,

they'd finally been put out of their misery.

All of a sudden, she squealed.

And I went, "Whoa, what's wrong? What's up?" And I just...

I just thought something really bad happened to her,

she'd hurt herself or something.

And she says, "We got the visas!" She was so chuffed!

It was like everything was falling into place.

With their house on the market and flights booked,

all that remained was to get packing.

But for Stan, getting his tools ready was quite a task.

If you think I've been collecting since I was 18 years old.

It's a lot of years, that is.

Get up at 8.00 in the morning

and then I'm in the garage cleaning tools until about...

Well, I get told about 10.00 at night.

It's got to be pretty immaculate, you know.

It's got to look like brand-new before

they'll accept it in Australia.

Stan and Andrea couldn't wait to start their new life down under.

But leaving the friends and family who had supported them

through incredibly tough times was still a daunting prospect.

It's your safety net, if you like.

And then all of a sudden, you're leaving that.

They've been so supportive, you know.

They do everything they can for me.

Part of me feels guilty in the fact that I am pushing this.

We're ripping both of us away from everything

that we've ever known and loved and had.

Maybe I shouldn't be so selfish but it's something that I have to do.

I know this is her dream. And it's become my dream as well.

I'm going to grab it with both horns and go for it.

After the upset and trauma of the past few years,

the couple were finally in a position to look

to their future with hope and anticipation.

Oh, I can't wait! Oh! Can't wait!

I don't care where it is.

As long as we're together, that is all I care about.

It had been a year full of upheaval for Stan and Andrea,

with potential heartache ahead as they prepared to make the move.

So, 12 months later, have the couple finally achieved

a fresh start on the other side of the world?

It's 2015 and the Baums are living in...

Australia!

But the dream life down under got off to a very shaky start.

First couple of weeks were hard. It was really hard.

Um, harder than I thought.

Saying goodbye to family and friends

proved tougher than the couple could ever have imagined.

We've gone through a couple of challenging times.

Um, but that was...

For me, that was the hardest thing I've ever done.

The Baums touched down in Melbourne in May 2014

but Andrea was soon struggling in the city that had never been

her first choice for a move.

Melbourne is meant to be the most liveable city in the world

and it's a very pretty city and there's lots of things for it.

But it just wasn't for me.

The couple's new life on the other side of the world

wasn't off to the best of starts.

Did not feel settled at all.

I'd kind of already got it in my head, you know, we need to...

..eventually move up to Queensland.

Stan was a little bit more, "No, let's stick it out, see how we go.

"You might really love it down here."

But I know in my heart of hearts, I wouldn't.

It just didn't feel like home.

I didn't feel the same as Andrea. I was optimistic.

I have to look at things, you know, in a more positive attitude.

And I always look at the better side of life than the worst.

Because we've had the worst already, you know.

So, that's how I can move forward, really.

Despite Stan's optimism,

Andrea felt so low just after two weeks, she was on the phone

begging her dad to book them a flight back to the UK.

I said to my dad, "I need you to book me a flight,

"I need you to get me home. I need you to get me home now.

"I'm unhappy, I don't like it, it doesn't feel right.

"I need to be home now."

Andrea and myself both knew it wasn't right.

But it was an opportunity, it was the first step into Australia.

Andrea's dad talked her into sticking it out.

But when the couple took a trip north to visit a friend,

Andrea was more convinced than ever Queensland was where her heart lay.

I don't know, as soon as I stepped off the plane,

it was a bizarre feeling.

I don't know, I can't explain it.

But it just felt like I was home, this is where I belong,

this is where I need to be.

Determined to make the move work, in his own search for employment,

Stan had also been applying for Brisbane-based jobs

on Andrea's behalf.

She asked me one day just to apply for a few jobs, which I did.

And lo and behold, she got offered a job.

For the second time in a matter of months,

the couple were uprooting once again.

It was the easiest flight I've ever done, ever.

I was literally packed...two days before we flew up.

Everything we packed, everything we loaded in the car the night before

and we were gone.

Now living 20 minutes north of Brisbane,

the couple's home is a rented property in a gated community.

With an on-site gym and communal pool, it's perfect for Stan's needs.

It was a bit of a godsend, to be honest, having the gym.

Because that's the one thing that I was looking at.

We knew that we couldn't afford to buy the equipment.

We actually paid just a fraction extra just to have the facilities.

But they are so worth it.

The house may not be everything Andrea dreamed of...

I don't like the fact that we live in what I would call Legoland,

everything is exactly the same.

I don't like how thin the walls and the glass is

because you can hear everything.

But it does have one important feature.

Having more bathrooms is better.

We have a laundry room.

That's my job.

And then we see a downstairs toilet, which is convenient for...

-Especially with Andrea.

-Hey!

While downstairs is slightly smaller than they'd like,

upstairs has plenty of room and...

We have our communal bathroom.

We've got a shower unit, bath and a sink. Then we've got a toilet.

This is our second toilet.

And yeah. Andrea loves the toilet.

There's also space for visiting friends and family.

This is our spare room. It's got a balcony. Beautiful view out there.

This is our second spare bedroom.

Basically, this is where I do all the ironing.

And finally, we have our room.

We have got our own en-suite as well.

And yes, you guessed it.

Third toilet.

Andrea is going to view that one really well.

What more could a girl want?

Stan's delighted with the new home for his beloveds tools.

We've got our garage which we can keep the car in.

And also all my tools, which really is amazing

considering in the UK, you struggle to even fit your car in.

Although the house is a good fit for the couple, it is remote.

Meaning a trip to the shops can be a challenge for Stan.

I think the first time I tried to do it, it took me two hours.

And the second time, just after a bit of training,

it took me an hour and 40 minutes, wasn't it?

To walk there, literally try and get what we wanted,

which wasn't there, and then walk straight back.

But walking in the Aussie sunshine has worked wonders

for Stan's rehabilitation.

Since we've been over here, my mood, my emotions improve no end.

I'm training quite well.

You know, I think even though

my weight's dropped down to about 10st,

I'm feeling a lot fitter, a lot better.

Making a massive difference.

Andrea has settled in well to her new job.

I'm currently working in a private emergency department in Brisbane.

She's been impressed with the hospital's working practices.

It's the time factor.

You actually have time to care for your patient, which is nice.

And that's not the only plus.

The money is a massive bonus.

I earn double my wage compared to what I did in the UK.

While Andrea is at work, Stan's keeping busy too.

I clean the house, top to bottom,

make sure it's as clean and tidy as possible.

Then I will go to the gym, I'll do my training at the gym.

I come back to the house, probably do a little bit more trailing.

So, that takes up a couple of hours in itself. And then I prepare food.

You know, make sure dinner is ready if we're eating that night.

And then finally, apply for jobs.

That is my day.

Though Stan's job hunt for Andrea was a success,

his own search for work has been more frustrating.

I've been applying for so many jobs

and I've been looking mainly at using my skills, you know,

as a mechanic to help me with getting employment elsewhere.

Like a service advisor, parts, something like that.

Something where I can use the skills that I've got.

He's constantly on the phone chasing potential work opportunities.

I'm rehabilitating myself all the time.

No problem at all, thank you very much.

Definitely, will do. Thank you.

Bye.

Yeah, I've even looked into teaching as well.

But at the minute, the problem is

employers only see me as a liability.

You know, a risk for them.

-Shall we have a wander?

-Yes. Where are we going?

You can tell me about it. Come on, then.

It's been eight months of a struggle, yes.

I just feel bad for Stan

because this whole move was about opportunities and things.

And there are lots of opportunities, it's just getting the right one.

But he'll find it. I've got no doubt, he'll find it.

He's having a bit of time off. He's adjusting to Australian lifestyle.

I just feel, you know, it's a challenge.

All of it, everything that I've had to do, it's all a challenge.

Just got to find that right person.

While there's only one wage coming in,

more money in Andrea's pay packet means the couple can afford to

make the most of their new-found free time.

When we were in the UK, we just didn't do anything.

Andrea worked a lot of the time and then because she worked so hard,

when she was home, she just wanted to chill.

So, it is a big change being out here.

I've been trying to save up just to kind of have a bit of a backup.

Because we didn't have hardly any money at all in England

and I've got...

We have a little bit more disposable cash here.

Not a lot but it's enough to put into savings

and pay for a nice holiday.

Really want to go to Fiji.

And it's not just holidays on the to-do list.

Stan and Andrea have kept in touch with the biker group

from their trial week.

They're great, absolutely great.

Stan was such an inspiration to us when we first met him.

Now it's just been awesome to see the way he's handled himself

and got himself up and going.

One of our aims is to try and get him riding a Can-Am Spyder soon.

Once I get working again,

I wanted to look at buying an automatic one

so I can get back to driving again.

-No.

-No, no!

-The couple have found it easy making new friends.

My new work colleagues, they're really friendly as well

and we've gone out a couple of times.

There are groups that you can go, so if you're a movie buff,

there's a movie group.

There's walking groups, there's expat groups, there's...

There's all sorts.

So is there anything Andrea and Stan miss about the UK?

I definitely don't miss the weather.

You know. Um, I don't...

I miss the cars, I suppose.

Miss the rain, don't you?

-That's what you miss about the UK.

-Yeah, the wind and the rain!

The snow, the cold... No. I actually miss my old work.

I don't miss the bitching and moaning

on the way back from your work.

-It's just because I was busy.

-Stress relief.

-Yeah, I moan at you anyway.

Deal with it. You married me.

The move down under may have had its teething problems...

Looking back, the move was stressful, intense.

Took more out of me than I thought it would.

It was tough. I didn't expect it to be an easy move at all.

I expected it to be tough.

And it's been everything that I have expected.

But Andrea and Stan are adamant it was the right thing to do.

I don't regret moving. I did at the time.

I was like, "I'm going home, I just want to be back with my family,

"I want to be back where my comfort zone is."

But now we've been here coming up to a year,

I've got no regrets in moving. I've got no...

This is where we need to be at this stage right now in our life.

I think moving has been the best thing I've done so far.

I mean, it's quite hard missing out on family life.

But in myself, I feel it has been the best move.

So, are the couple living the dream life they've chased for so long?

This is my dream.

A few little tweaks that I need to make but that's just comes in time.

I'm living A dream.

Not my ideal dream because...

I need to be working.

I need to be working back on cars, I need to be riding bikes.

Doing the stuff I loved before.

I've just got to keep getting stronger, getting better

and I will, you know, end up living my dream.

Having overcome many obstacles and hurdles in pursuit of their dream,

Andrea and Stan now look poised to enjoy a very rosy new life

on the other side of the world.

We wish them a happy and well-deserved future together.