Power Family Wanted Down Under Revisited

If living in the UK had you feeling the pinch,

how far would you go to give your family

the life you felt they deserved?

In 2014, Liz Power was considering a move to the other

side of the world, one which would mean potentially splitting

her close family up for good.

12 months on, we'll discover how and where her family are now.

Back in 2014, single mum Liz Power was struggling

to make ends meet.

I had to ask the school to give Mo a new blazer

and they very kindly gave her one, cos I couldn't buy her one.

But trial week in Australia showed a different way of life.

Oh, my God!

-It's so beautiful!

-Look at the house!

But Liz was torn at the prospect of splitting up her family.

Right now, this second,

I don't know if I could move to Australia without Alice.

So, 12 months on, where do the Powers call home?

If you could write a tick list of what I wanted out of Australia,

I'm ticking almost all of the boxes.

30 times bigger than the UK but with around a third of the population,

Australia promises a laid-back lifestyle in the sunshine.

Every year, enough British residents to fill more than 60 jumbo jets

pack away their umbrellas and fly off

in pursuit of a sun-soaked life down under.

But the grass isn't always greener -

of those that make the move, around a half return home.

In 2014, Liz Power was desperate for a fresh start

and believed Australia could be the solution.

But with oldest daughter Alice set to start art college in the UK,

any move would mean breaking up her close-knit family.

Liz had one week in Australia

to see if life there could justify separating the siblings.

Today, we'll find out what happened next.

The trial week started

with 20 hours flying 10,000 miles

from London to Melbourne and when they landed in Australia,

the time in the air had taken a toll on teenage Mo's body clock.

They gave me a lunch and then they gave me a breakfast

-and I got really confused.

-LIZ CHUCKLES

I was like, "Why are you giving this to me?" And she said,

-"Well, it's breakfast time."

-It's morning.

I was like, "No, you're supposed to give me a dinner."

Mum Liz had mixed emotions about making it down under.

I feel really nervous. I feel, really, a bit scared,

but actually a lot more excited than anything.

I'm a little apprehensive because Alice is at home

and this is the first time we've ever been away without her.

Nerves had set in with Jack too.

I'm concerned about when we sit down

and look at the financial side of things,

whether we can actually maintain our life out here.

The week ahead would address everyone's fears

and see if Liz could leave her daughter Alice behind.

It would be much easier if we get here and say,

"Yeah, it's been lovely, but actually it's not for us."

I don't want it to come to that.

I think this is the start of something new

and I don't want it to stop now.

Where the Powers would call home was riding on the next seven days.

In 2014, Mum Liz,

Jack, who was then 16,

and Mo, who was 15, were living in Holbeach, in Lincolnshire,

with Alice, who was 21.

Life for the Powers in this country is all about me working,

them going to school and us standing on the side of a rugby field.

Go on, Jack!

No, not in his face.

Since becoming a single-parent family nine years earlier,

Liz and her three children had developed an unbreakable bond.

As a family, we are very close

because we've been through a lot together

and we've always stuck by each other.

We always call ourselves the Power Pack,

because we are just... We're a herd

and we can't lose a member of the group

because we wouldn't be able to survive.

The break-up had left Liz as a sole breadwinner

and she'd found the transition tough.

One minute you're living a fairly affluent life,

owning a house, having money,

having foreign holidays, having big cars,

to suddenly it all going in an instant.

Nurse Liz was working around the clock to provide for her family

and stretching her salary was a challenge.

It's difficult, it's...it's hard.

And, you know, there isn't any spare.

And we just manage, we just do.

Every month, we... You juggle and hope that you,

you know, get to the end of it before we get to payday again.

And she felt guilty about the impact that had on her children.

I would just really love a better standard of living for them.

I had to ask the school to give Mo a new blazer

and they very kindly gave her one, cos I couldn't buy her one.

Liz was desperate to give her children a more financially

stable future and believed Australia could be the place to do it.

Two years earlier, she had even bought a return plane ticket

to check it out.

Not for herself, but for daughter Alice, who was then only 18.

I sent Alice out to Australia for a month for her to look around,

because of the three of them, she was the one that was,

"Nah, I don't want to do it."

To begin with, she enjoyed it.

But news from home

that her mum had been in a car crash changed everything for Alice.

Knowing that she was dealing with those things on her own,

and it happening so soon into me being away, it was awful.

I spent the entire holiday wanting to go home.

Once back, Alice had made it clear,

if they emigrated she'd be staying home.

By 2014, Liz believed it could be time to make the move, but pursuing

the future she wanted for Mo and Jack meant breaking up the family.

I think, ultimately, I will have to decide between them.

And part of me thinks that's a really bad thing to do.

Alice didn't want them to go

but agreed with her mum that it could be for the best.

I would never ever try and stop them from going.

Because I still believe Australia's where they're meant to be.

Tired of financial struggles,

Liz believed Australia could give Jack and Mo a better life.

But leaving Alice would mean the end of the road

for the close-knit family unit.

I'll miss her terribly.

She's my dolly.

For their first taste of Australian living,

the family visited Melbourne, the country's second-largest city.

Previously voted the most liveable city in the world, it could

have been the perfect place for the fresh start Liz was craving.

Their temporary base for the week

was the family-friendly suburb of Yarraville,

just a few miles west of the city centre.

And they were impressed straight away.

Oh, my goodness! Look at this.

-It's so open.

-Yeah.

It seemed to have all they required.

Big, open-plan, one big room.

Kitchen, living, dining, everything. All in one.

Happy with the house, the week was off to a good start.

But as they made themselves at home, it was clear Liz was still

struggling with the thought of leaving her oldest daughter behind.

Right now, this second,

I don't know if I could move to Australia without Alice.

In 2014, the Powers were renting a three-bedroom bungalow in Holbeach.

I like quirky houses, really. I like Victorian houses.

But I like quirky houses. And this isn't it.

And opinions were divided on the kind of house

they wanted in Australia.

I don't want a big house. I'd like an open-plan living area.

I like kitchen, living, dining rooms all in one.

I would like everybody to have their own bedroom.

But other than that, I'm not that fussed.

-I'd prefer it to be modern.

-I'd prefer it to be old.

-Exactly.

-That's why...

-LIZ LAUGHS

Liz planned to rent in Australia

and had £1,300 to spend per calendar month.

To find out what kind of house they could have,

we showed them three properties.

Two on budget and a third which could have been their dream home.

After seeing each one, they'd discover its value.

The search began six miles north-west of Melbourne city centre

in Aberfeldie.

Offering a village feel with parks, shops, schools,

and a hospital close by,

the area should have been perfect for the youngsters and nurse Liz.

This is light and airy, isn't it?

It's lovely.

Oh! Look at the fireplace!

Things sounded positive.

Until a look at the bathrooms split opinions.

-That's a really nice-sized bath.

-Do you think? I don't.

-I don't think so at all.

-No.

-I think it's tiny.

-Yeah.

-Compared to the rest of the rooms.

-Yeah.

Fortunately the living area with open-plan design

appealed to everyone.

Oh, my goodness, this is huge!

-This is nice.

-Open-plan living.

-This is excellent.

-Look at that kitchen.

And downstairs lay something which took everyone's breath away.

-What?! You're not going to believe it.

-No way!

-What?!

-Oh, my God!

-Oh, my God!

No!

It wasn't on their wish list, but the house had its own pool.

This has got to make Alice want to come out here.

How bizarre. I was just thinking exactly the same thing.

I thought, "This would bring Alice out."

With Alice never far from everyone's thoughts,

the family explored the garden.

Oh, look. You're going to have to get a goat.

But before Liz got carried away, the family needed to find out

if their £1,300 budget would be enough to meet the rent every month.

I don't want to look.

SHE LAUGHS

What?!

What? That can't be right.

That's insane. That's a bang on our budget.

-LAUGHING:

-No.

We can afford a pool in our house.

Oh, my God.

That's amazing.

I'm really, really surprised at that.

It looked like Melbourne's rental market offered more

value for money than the Powers got back home.

And they still had two more properties to view.

The next was in the coastal suburb of Williamstown.

The area's popular with families,

but did the three-bedroom period house please the Powers?

I'd say it's compact but you know what it's like,

they just keep going, don't they?

Beautiful. Victorian seaside.

This is what it looks like in all our seaside towns. This is lovely.

-I like a more modern house.

-It's too old for you, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Whereas I feel completely at home here.

Liz and Jack had conflicting opinions on the decor

and things went from bad to worse in the bathroom.

Oh, my goodness!

-Wow.

-It smells old.

"It smells old."

-I like the bath.

-I love this room!

-But I can feel beside me you absolutely hate it.

-Hate it.

It wasn't the modern look Jack was after.

This is better.

-OK, I'm liking this.

-This is better.

This is nice and modern. I like this.

OK, if we just have this side of the house that will be great.

Yeah, we'll lock this door, keep you that side.

Keep me that side.

Despite first impressions,

a complete tour of the house proved there was something for everyone.

And even in the weather, the gardens looked good too.

It's just another sitting room

cos you could use it whatever the weather.

This house is beautiful.

But could they afford a house that offered something for everyone?

The family's budget was £1,300 per month.

What? No! That can't be...

The last house was beautiful, don't get me wrong.

But I just see myself living in a place like this.

This house had captured Liz's heart,

but there was still one more to consider.

Situated in Kingsville,

one of the city's most affordable inner suburbs, we had found a

Victorian four-bedroom property with plenty of room for Alice to visit.

With old and new interiors,

it should have been everyone's dream house.

This is big.

Split over two levels, the bedrooms were on the ground floor.

It's an artist's house.

-You've got a walk-in wardrobe there.

-Is there?

Yeah.

Wow!

Lovely.

-I like this house cos it's old-fashioned. It's Victorian.

-Yeah.

I'm not too sure about it.

Again, Jack wasn't convinced.

And the kitchen did little to win him over.

LIZ LAUGHS

This is nice.

This is lovely!

I don't like how dark it is throughout the house.

And the garden was an issue too.

I don't know. It feels slightly weird, this garden.

It is very pretty, but feels cramped.

-Given what we've seen before, it feels quite cramped.

-Yeah.

-It's just a very different property.

-Yeah.

Moving upstairs though, the house revealed a potential hidden gem.

Oh, wow!

Look at this.

It's like a studio.

Liz thought it could be a selling point for art student Alice.

If Alice saw this she'd definitely move to Australia, wouldn't she?

And take over the top floor of the house.

But did discovering what the house cost change everything?

I think it's going to be the least of all of them.

I'd be surprised if it's more than the last house.

No!

-Oh, my goodness!

-Really?

£340 over budget made it the dearest property of the day.

-What?!

-Why?

-It must be the area.

-Yeah.

House-hunting had been thought-provoking for the Powers.

Property one was on budget, leaving the family stunned to discover

they could afford a house with a pool.

The interiors of property two caused conflict between Liz and Jack.

But close to budget,

again it showed they could afford a better home down under.

But the dream house didn't meet expectations

and discovering it was £340 over budget was a surprise for everyone.

Based on the houses that we've seen today,

we have decided to vote for...

-Australia.

-Australia.

-UK.

-Really?

-Uh-huh.

-Why?

It's just the houses I didn't think were modern enough.

-The prices surprised me so much...

-Yeah.

-..in Australia.

-Me too.

-I like the idea of that.

Australian property had fuelled Liz's yearning for a new beginning.

But she knew if she was to escape her financial

struggles in the UK and give Mo and Jack the future she wanted

for them, the pressure was on for her to find a well-paid job.

Can you sit yourself down?

In the UK, Liz was a children's ward sister

in a hospital near Peterborough.

Are you ready?

There are days when it's the worst job in the world.

What's in here?

And then the next day you come back and something really beautiful

happens and you just think, "I couldn't do anything else."

But doing the job she loved didn't always pay the bills.

The cost of living in this country has got higher and higher.

I earn too much for any help but not enough to manage.

OK, won't be a minute. Bye.

Liz hoped her earnings would increase in Australia.

So exploring work options were crucial

if she was to make her dream a reality.

She met Naomi McKenzie, associate unit manager at a

paediatric unit at Austin Hospital in Heidelberg.

-Hello, Liz. I'm Naomi.

-Hi there. Nice to meet you.

-Shall I show you around?

-That would be lovely.

Naomi's role was similar to Liz's in the UK.

But there were some differences when it came to shift patterns.

Have you ever worked 12-hour shifts straight

so you have two shifts a day?

-No.

-No.

-No.

-That's too exhausting.

-Yeah, it is.

-Is that what you do?

-Yeah, we do. I work 7.00 till 7.30.

Shorter shifts were a definite plus.

Jack and Mo were anxious to find out how

they might fit into Australian school life.

So we had arranged for them to visit Maribyrnong College,

a popular choice for international students.

Rugby-mad Jack got a tour of the facilities at the sports academy.

You could spend nearly one third of your week in here training,

preparing and learning the skills of being an athlete.

And you do your normal academic subjects, your English and your PE

and your geography. That all happens.

I dream of being able to do something like this.

Add more sports to my lifestyle and school time.

Meanwhile, Mo discovered the school played to her passion

for performing arts.

Assistant principal, Dani Anjelico,

had invited her to rehearsals for their annual production.

There was no time for stage fright as Mo pitched in.

# This time, baby, I'll be bulletproof. #

Theatre studies weren't yet an option at Mo's school in the UK.

So realising she could combine her passion with her education

was a real incentive. But she knew if mum, Liz,

couldn't find work, it would be the final curtain for a life down under.

Everything really relies on this part of the experience, really.

-This is Paula, she's head of human resources here.

-Hi there.

Liz, welcome.

Back at the hospital, Liz had hooked up with

human resources executive Paula Jeffs.

Knowing she would need to register as a nurse in Australia

before finding work, she was keen to explore potential opportunities.

Looking at your resume, it does appear to map really nicely to what

we call an associate nurse unit manager role.

The competition that you've got though is high,

cos there's a lot of people who are in the system already,

who are waiting for those roles to come up.

One of the things you might want to think about is

applying for a role as a senior nurse and get in the system.

Once you get into the system, into a ward,

and see what's going on, then you're really able to compete.

It wasn't great news.

If Liz wanted to find work quickly,

she'd have needed to take a step back from her more senior role.

So, your salary would be close to 80,000 per annum.

If you were translating then into what you're more qualified for,

the associate nurse unit manager role,

you'd then start to earn three or four dollars more an hour

on top of that rate.

Even undertaking a more junior role,

if Liz worked full-time in Australia,

she'd earn almost double what she did in the UK.

It was a great result

and one she couldn't wait to share with Jack and Mo.

-I had a really good time in there. Really nice ward.

-Good.

Lovely staff.

And looks like, yeah, I could get a job here quite easily.

And the salary looks really, really, really good.

The deal looked pretty much done

as Liz chose between work in Australia and the UK.

So, based on what I've seen today with regarding my job,

my decision is...

Australia.

Knowing she could find well-paid work in Australia

was a massive relief for Liz and put her a step closer

to giving Mo and Jack the fresh start

she wanted for them.

To get a taste of what life could be like down under,

the family took advantage of Melbourne's bike share system

to explore the city from the saddle.

-We look like a little biking crew!

-THEY LAUGH

I last rode a bike 14 years ago and fell off, but that was good.

Well worth getting back on again.

After all their exercise,

it was time for some rest and relaxation

with a chilled out gondola ride.

Beautiful.

That'll shut Jack out there.

Do that, Mo, and then you can't see Jack!

The man-made lake was in Melbourne's botanical gardens.

Feels like it should be a million miles away from a city

-and then you look over there and...

-Yeah, and you can see the city.

The family ended their day with time out in the gardens

and reflected on the lifestyle Australia offered.

Every weekend like this would be cool instead of being at home

stuck in the rain.

It's just paradise, really.

But used to having all three of her children close by,

the reality of living on the other side of the world

from daughter Alice had hit home with Liz.

I think that that would be something

that we'd really need to think about.

Is this enough to give up what we've got in England?

And it's stopped being about the money now.

It's more about our family life.

As the end of their trial week crept closer,

it was clear the family would face an increasingly difficult decision,

but did the Australian lifestyle live up to their expectations?

Today we're going to vote for...

-ALL:

-Australia.

I think we've had a great day. We've seen the city.

The weather's been fabulous.

We don't really go out in the weekends together

as a family.

I think here we'd be able to do that.

Falling in love with the lifestyle was all very well,

but for the move to happen,

Liz needed to be 100% certain the country could deliver

the financially secure future she was holding out for.

To help calculate how their figures would fare in Australia,

we'd prepared a cost of living comparison.

Right then, guys.

This is the moment of truth, really, to see whether it's viable or not.

Stage one was a look at the weekly food shop.

How can Marmite be cheaper in this country?

That's amazing.

Mince is cheaper, much cheaper.

-So, what does that make?

-£99.84.

Per month, they'd be spending just under £20 less than in the UK.

That's slightly surprised me

because I thought groceries were dearer in this country.

More expensive, yeah.

Realising their food bill wasn't higher

was an encouraging start,

but they still needed to see how the bigger bills would compare.

Their calculations were based on the first property they viewed.

95.67. Gosh, that's cheaper.

Council tax.

Water's more. 90 for water.

Total for Australia is £2,885.

So, basically, it would cost £300 a month more to live here.

Fearing a move was financially impossible,

Liz got Jack to calculate how much higher her salary would be

each month down under.

The income here in Australia is 3,577

and that's minus 2,450.

1,127.

No, do that again. That's not right.

That can't be right. What... 3,577.

-Yeah.

-Minus 2,450.

-Is?

-1,127.

It wasn't a mistake, and Liz was stunned to realise

she'd earn £1,000 more every month in Australia.

I don't get what that means.

Oh, it's so hard in the UK.

I love my job so much...

..but I can't pay my bills

and I can't give them what they want and what they need.

With her mind racing, Liz rejoined Jack and Mo

to work out how much would be left over

when they'd subtracted potential outgoings in Australia.

It is 802.8.

We would be just over £800 a month better off living as we live now,

except we'd be able to pay all the bills.

And over the year, it's just over 9,500.

And you know what that is?

That is a deposit on a house in a year.

It had been an emotional afternoon,

but the financial facts suggested the Powers' money worries

could have been over in Australia.

Based on the figures, we have decided to vote for...

-ALL:

-Australia.

I think that's pretty easy.

I think any of us would've been stupid to choose England.

I am still shocked by the figures, but I'll get used to them.

With Australia promising the Powers the financial security

Liz had been longing for,

it looked like a new beginning for the family was within reach,

but the decision to move was far from made.

Liz still faced having to choose between fortune and family

as she sat down to watch messages from loved ones back home

with Mo and Jack.

Hi, Liz. Hi, Jack. Hi, Mo.

-BOTH:

-Hi, Power Pack!

-Hi, guys!

Hi, guys. I hope you're having fun.

Mo tries to be friends with everyone,

-which is really good.

-Yeah.

They mean everything to me, those three.

I would do anything for them.

It wouldn't be the same when we were doing the family thing,

but if it's the right thing for them,

then we'll support it all the way.

Yeah. Definitely.

Yeah. Liz is like the sister I've never had. Um...

-Well, we're all family really, aren't we?

-Mm.

It will be the hardest thing saying goodbye to them

because I love them dearly.

But it will be the right thing to do if they want to go.

I think the only thing I can say is you have to follow your hearts,

but don't forget all of the people that love you back here.

Just remember that it's not

just about a bit more money

or nice warm sunshine.

It's about the people that you share your life with.

I love you all and I want you to be happy.

And I what you do have new experiences.

And I want you to make this decision based on that and not what's here.

I would really miss you guys.

It would just be the hardest thing ever.

Went to bed last night thinking "Yeah, I'll be all right today

"cos I know my decision, know what I think we should do."

Now I feel the opposite again.

Can we actually physically do it?

Can I actually...

walk away from Alice?

The realisation of how much they'd be missed

was a heartbreaking moment for everyone,

but their week in Australia had given them a glimpse

of what they stood to gain.

The reality check, the salary one, just hit me like a tonne of bricks.

It was a fantastic thought that, you know, I'd go to work,

come home and not worry about which bill to pay.

The trip also removed some of Jack's concerns.

I was worried about exclusion from people

and not feeling the community,

but after speaking to the kids at the school,

it's kind of settled those worries.

For Mo, the experience had been a dream come true.

We'll be able to live in a beautiful house

and the sun will be great just as a bonus.

And I'd love the school. It's just endless, the list, really.

But the week had magnified

what it meant to live on the other side of the world

from loved ones.

It makes me really upset because I realise how far away

I am from my grandparents, who I love so much,

and then my sister, who I can't imagine living without.

For Liz, the fear of leaving daughter Alice in the UK

was a dilemma she battled all week.

Fundamentally, your children are supposed to leave you,

you're not supposed to leave them.

She's my baby.

Liz, Mo and Jack face an agonising choice.

Would they remain the tight family unit of four

they'd all relied on

or pursue the financially secure future they'd dreamt of?

After much soul-searching, it was time to make up their minds.

Based on everything we've experienced this week,

we have decided to vote for...

-Australia.

-Australia.

Australia.

-Great, isn't it?

-Mm-hm.

-It's a good decision.

Good decision.

I'm just so excited.

I'm so glad you two have chosen it too.

It feels weird thinking about moving.

The bottom line is it's going to give you more.

It's going to be better for you guys.

I think the problems that we've got, you know,

with who we're going to leave in England

and the whole business with Alice,

we'll just work it out.

We will work it out.

-It just seems like the right thing to do right now.

-Yeah.

After years of struggling to get by in the UK,

Liz had decided the financial gains Australia offered

were just too great to turn down.

So, 12 months since we last saw them,

where are the Power Pack now?

It's May, 2015, and the Powers have moved to...

Cowbit in Lincolnshire.

After a unanimous decision to make Australia their home,

Liz was reconciled to the idea

of living on the other side of the world

from oldest daughter Alice.

On the plane home we talked a lot about how we could make this work

and that it is a plane ride.

It's a long plane ride, but it is... the world is a tiny place,

and we came back fully determined to head out there.

Once home, Alice took the news they'd be moving in her stride.

She was sad and she did struggle with the whole us not being here,

but she was kind of resigned to the fact that

she knew we'd come back and want to go.

While Alice prepared to leave home and start university,

Mo and Jack were excited at the prospect

of their new life in Australia.

We were all ready to go because

it really showed us a different life.

We were buzzing to move out there.

Confident she could find a job down under,

Liz set the wheels in motion to make the dream their reality.

I handed my notice in at work.

We moved house quite quickly to reduce our outgoings

so that we could save up for the flights.

I opened bank accounts in Australia,

and I started filling in all the applications

to change my license.

The family stayed in touch with Naomi,

the nurse Liz met at Austin Hospital during her trial week,

after discovering she used to live with one of Liz's best friends.

She'd offer for us to move in with her

and her husband for the time it needed for us to find a house

so that we weren't renting a house that we hadn't seen

before we arrived, which was such a gift.

It was so fantastic.

After much discussion,

Liz settled on the fifth of January, 2015 for flights to Australia.

We were going to have Christmas at home and then fly out

the very first week of January to start school

the very first week of February.

I was feeling really positive and that it was the right thing to do.

I knew there was just one hurdle, which was going to be my parents,

but other than that, we were ready to go.

At the time Liz's mum

was undergoing treatment for breast cancer,

and not wishing to add to her suffering,

Liz had decided to keep her emigration plans under wraps.

I wanted to have it all sorted in my own head

and set in stone before I sort of shared that with them.

Plus the fact my mum was really sick,

and I knew it was going to be difficult.

But the news hit her mum harder than Liz could ever have imagined.

It's really upset her and really hurt her.

I felt like I'd broken her. It was awful. Really awful.

She really struggled.

Mo was devastated at the thought of causing so much heartache.

I love my grandma so much that

I didn't want to do anything to hurt her.

And Jack quickly realised the lifestyle they'd fallen for

was slipping out of reach.

When Mum came back and told us about how my grandma had reacted,

I think then we all kind of thought, "This isn't going to really happen."

Regrouping, Liz, Mo and Jack decided it wasn't the right time

to make the move.

We sort of came to a halt

and decided to look at other options.

Ultimately, family had to come first.

We function as a Power Pack really, don't we? As a group.

I was kind of disappointed when

I realised we weren't going to move out there,

but at the same time I saw it was the right decision to not go.

And although she'd happily settled at uni,

Mo was glad they didn't have to say goodbye to her big sister.

I think that Alice was quite happy when we weren't moving.

I think when we got back,

it scared her that we had all said yes to Australia,

but I suppose she would always be happy for us whatever we did,

but staying with her has worked out better than moving.

But after witnessing how good their life could be in Australia,

Liz didn't want to settle back into the routine

she'd been trying to escape.

Cos I felt like everything needed to change, so I changed everything.

Instead of withdrawing her resignation from the hospital,

she decided to pursue a new career.

Work thought I was going to stay.

They thought, "Oh, she's not going to Australia. It's all fine."

Then I sort of said, "No. I'm going to be brave.

"I'm going to do it.

"I'm going to go out on my own and see what happens."

Liz did her last shift

on the children's ward in December, 2014,

and is now running her own business -

giving development and sexual health classes

in primary and secondary schools.

It's all new and exciting and working out really well.

I'm going to need two volunteers.

After 27 years in the NHS, she admits it's been a bold move.

It's not all plain sailing, you know?

I'm in charge of my own destiny now.

If I don't advertise and I don't bring work in, you know,

there's no monthly wage if I don't make it happen.

Although she misses being a nurse,

Liz has no plans to return to the wards,

but she's open to all possibilities.

Never say never.

I might end up doing Saturday night in a nursing home at some point

just to make ends meet,

but I don't think that's going to happen.

With 12-hour shifts a thing of the past,

Mo and Jack are enjoying more time with their mum,

even if the financial rewards aren't as great as in Australia.

Her job was so stressful. It was upsetting her so much.

And I'm so glad that she left it when she did.

It didn't give us more money, but it didn't really matter.

We were still happy as a family,

and seeing Mum much happier in the job she's in now,

it all came together quite well.

The kids are really settled.

They're up to their eyeballs in exams at the moment,

but coping with it beautifully and, you know, I'm thankful for that.

And I don't think they would've been

if we'd have been carrying on the way that we were

cos I was never home.

Little things, like I realised the other day

I know exactly what Jack is studying at the moment in geography

and I'm around to help Mo.

We've done stuff this year that we would never have done

if I'd have been working on the ward.

Happily, despite Liz giving up her regular income,

the Powers' finances are looking healthier than ever.

At the moment, we are holding our own with regards

to the family finances because our outgoings are so much less.

We've made changes to, you know,

how we shop, how I run the car, everything.

They reality check was good because it made me sit

and look at what we spend our money on.

The family have also settled into the two-bedroom house

they'd moved into to cut costs while saving to emigrate.

We call it the Wendy house. It's a little baby bungalow.

It has five rooms in total and it's lovely.

It's not as spacious as the houses down under,

but with the rent and utility bills halved,

everyone's happy with their new home.

We don't really mind what house we're in

as long as we're together as a family

and as long as Alice always has a place to come back to.

Alice comes to stay in her little holiday home on the back drive.

It's just fabulous. I love it.

I never thought I'd love a bungalow,

but actually it's just perfect for us.

With friends and family on the doorstep,

the location is ideal,

and if Liz's business takes off,

she's already made inquiries about purchasing the house

to make it a more permanent home.

I've got really lovely plans for it so that I get a bedroom.

I'm going to turn this room into two bedrooms

and face the house that way,

and a little bit of Australia will pop in

because I want to knock the kitchen into Jack's bedroom

to make one living area like we had when we were out there,

because I did love that.

Things are looking good for Mo too

as she pursues her hopes of working in musical theatre.

I've just started my GCSEs

and after that I'm hoping to go to a theatre school in Stanford.

I had my audition last year and I got in,

so I was really happy when that happened.

Having fallen for the school she visited in Melbourne,

Mo feared she'd never be able to afford drama school in the UK,

so being offered a place in a fully-funded academy

was a dream come true.

I couldn't believe that

I could still have my career in this country,

and that just made Australia disappear.

I think for Mo, because she wants to do musical theatre,

and London is the place for that,

then she looks to be heading that way.

So, for her, her path's set.

Short-term, Mo also has a trip to Uganda to look forward to.

I'm going to work with some special needs children in a school

and I'm going to do that for two weeks in the summer holidays

after my exams because Australia just made me want to travel more

and do more, and I thought, "Why not help someone else?"

Jack, meanwhile, has recently changed schools

to study for his A levels,

and he's happy with how things have panned out.

All the changes have been positive.

Looking at everything, now that I'm well into my A levels,

and Mo's excited for her new performing arts school

and Mum's got a job that she enjoys...

I guess for all of us it is better.

Also bitten by the travel bug,

he recently enjoyed a school trip to Morocco

and plans to go travelling after university.

After the flight to Australia,

I'm probably prepared to travel anywhere now.

The Powers may not have made it to the other side of the world,

but Liz credits their trial week down under

as the catalyst for the life they've got now.

I knew I needed to change life, but I didn't know how.

And I think that going to Australia has done that for us.

Not in the way I thought,

but then that's always life, isn't it?

You think you're in charge, but actually you're not at all.

But I think definitely...

I've managed to change my life, how I want it to be,

much more than I thought I could in this country.

Off we go.

And it looks like she's found most of what she was looking for.

If you could write a tick list of what I wanted out of Australia,

I'm ticking almost all of the boxes.

Ultimately, the family's trial week in Melbourne was the start

of a much bigger journey,

and it might be some time before they reach their final destination.

I think Australia will always be in the back of my mind.

I think there'll always be a what if?

But I think I'm realistic,

Australia's probably not going to happen for me.

But it might for the children yet, particularly Jack.

And I'll have to deal with that when it comes to it.

The desire to move out to Australia is still there.

I'd still say Australia outweighs the UK by miles

in most aspects, apart from family.

Staying here has worked out better for us for now,

and I don't think it's off the cards.

I do think there is still a chance that we could move out there,

but right now we're quite settled where we are

and we don't want to go anywhere just yet.

I don't think staying here is a poor second now.

I did initially, but I don't now.

I feel like we've made the right decision to stay.

I think I'm happier now than I've ever been.

And I'm not there.

For the time being at least,

it'll be the UK the Powers call home,

but, thankfully, all the changes Liz has made

means it's under much better circumstances.

And who knows?

She, Jack and Mo may still make it down under one day.

On whichever side of the world the Powers decide to settle,

we wish them all the very best.