Parker Family Wanted Down Under


Parker Family

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A better work-life balance and outdoor lifestyle have led to

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Stephen Parker's lifelong Australian dream.

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I was born in Birmingham,

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which is about as far from the ocean as you can be in the UK.

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That was the one thing missing for me - being by the sea.

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But Bulgarian-born wife Marta

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knows every mile from home takes you further from those you love.

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When Stephen mentioned to me about his dream,

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my answer was no.

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A trial week by the sea near Melbourne

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gives them a chance to test the waters.

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Look, look!

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But will thoughts of loved ones back home mean the dream drifts away?

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Or will it stay afloat down under?

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It would be great if I can say, "I'm sure we're going to get our dream

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"like that," but I'm just not convinced

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that this will be the situation.

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Australia's long been the most popular destination

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for Brits emigrating abroad.

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Boasting a buoyant economy and fabulous climate,

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they're tempted by the promise of a better life down under.

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But the reality of leaving behind everything and everyone can

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sometimes turn that dream into a nightmare.

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Landlocked, Brummie-born Stephen Parker is a most

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unlikely surfer dude, but he's long had a dream of living in Oz,

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and riding that perfect wave down under.

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Bulgarian-born wife Marta, however,

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is reading from a different script.

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An aspiring actress, she's determined to stay in the UK,

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close to where she's made a new life for her and her family.

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Across a trial week in Australia, the couple will get to see where

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they might live, the lifestyle they can afford,

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and the jobs they could get if they emigrated.

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Then, at the end, they'll reach their final decisions,

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and vote on where their future lies.

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After 24 hours in the air via Dubai and Sydney,

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as the Parkers touchdown in Melbourne,

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the distance from home is already sinking in.

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The length of the journey definitely gives you a feel of how incredibly

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far Australia is from the UK.

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I think it would make it very difficult for my friends and family

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to come and visit us, and that does bother me.

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Despite the long journey,

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Stephen's full of anticipation for the week ahead.

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It's somewhere I've always wanted to travel to.

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I'm hoping that we find out that Australia has the lifestyle,

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and the finances add up as well.

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Let's hope so, Stephen.

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It still concerns me that this step might be too big for us,

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or for me personally,

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and Stephen's got some convincing to do.

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He's got just seven days to convince Marta

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their future lies in Australia.

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Meet the Parkers.

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Dad Stephen, Mum Marta, and baby William, who's one.

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Stephen met Marta six years ago at a wedding

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in her home country of Bulgaria,

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where, at the reception, Marta took fate into her own hands.

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Quite literally.

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We were sat on the same table, but I didn't like my place,

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so I decided to swap our place cards over.

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We hit it off pretty much straight away.

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It was like on the movies, really,

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when people meet,

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and immediately fall in love with each other.

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We kept in touch.

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I came to visit the UK.

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He went to visit me in Bulgaria.

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Things moved along, and a few years later, she moved over to the UK

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to be with me.

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And Marta wasn't just leaving the country of her birth,

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but also a successful career.

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I did lots of theatre, movies - Bulgarian, international.

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My father was a famous actor in Bulgaria,

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about 40, 50 years ago, and my mum was an actress as well.

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But with her father having passed away,

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at first it was difficult for Marta to leave her much-loved mum.

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We were very close.

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It was difficult when I left.

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I was missing my friends, my culture.

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I had a little bit of difficulties with language,

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finding work.

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The couple married in 2014, and although it's taken a while,

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they are now happily settled in the UK with baby William.

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However, Stephen wants to give it all up,

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and is asking Marta to make yet another move.

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It's always been a dream of mine to move to Australia.

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I was...I was born in Birmingham,

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which is about as far from the ocean as you can be in the UK.

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Whilst I had a really great upbringing,

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that was the one thing missing for me, was being by the sea.

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As soon as he was old enough,

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Stephen moved to the coast and took up surfing.

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But since moving to London for his career,

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the opportunities to ride the waves have dwindled.

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It's actually an eight or nine hour round-trip to get to a good beach

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where you can surf.

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And that's something that I believe Australia can offer over the UK,

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that you can have that lifestyle.

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Just one problem, Stephen - Marta, having already made a move

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away from her family, had other ideas.

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When Stephen mentioned to me about his dream, living in Australia,

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my answer was no.

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So with a dream put to one side, everyday life continued,

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but, for Stephen, things changed when he began to miss out on

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spending time with his new family.

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Stephen wasn't able to spend a lot of time with us,

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because he was very busy at work.

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I was working in a very high-pressured job in London.

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And I just wasn't around enough to support Marta when William was born,

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and that really, really affected me.

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Stephen decided to take a career break

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and spend more time with the family.

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To have that time with William in his first year has been the best

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thing I've ever done. Having a baby has really made me re-evaluate my

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life and think about what's important.

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And further changes in family circumstances meant that Marta began

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to have a change of heart when, sadly, her mother passed away.

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Sadly, you know, a new chapter of our life has started without

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Margarita and decided to take a career break last year,

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the first thing Marta said to me was,

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"Well, now's the best time to look at this if we're going to do it."

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For Marta, however, it's not an easy decision.

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She now feels settled with Stephen's family in the UK.

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We're going to give it all up and go to Australia,

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and start all over again.

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Will we make it there?

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Will it be good for us?

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It might not be.

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-Here we go.

-Ooh!

-Wow!

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And Stephen's aware that taking William away from family

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-will be difficult.

-Cheers!

-Cheers, guys!

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I had a really close family and a really great upbringing,

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and that's something that I think's really important

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to how you develop as a person.

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And so to take that away from him will be,

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you know, a big decision to make.

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He's pretty confident, though, that he'll be able to persuade Marta

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it's a risk worth taking.

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We love being outdoors and moving to Australia will be perfect

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for all of that. I think when she sees the environment

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and what it will be like, the house we can live in,

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and what it will mean for William,

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I think that will help convince her to give everything we've got up that

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we have in the UK.

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But it might not be as easy as you think, Stephen,

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if the trial week doesn't convince Marta.

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I need to be 100% sure that this is the right thing for us to do at the

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moment. It would be great if I can say, "Yeah, I'm sure everything will

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"be fine in Australia and we're going to get our dream life there,"

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but I'm just not convinced that this will be the situation.

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For their trial week, the Parkers are staying in the quiet, friendly

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Melbourne suburb of Seaford, 45 minutes from the city centre.

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What will they make of their first taste of Aussie living?

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-This is nice, isn't it?

-Ooh.

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I like that it's not too big, but feels spacious.

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-Yeah.

-Really nice and cosy kitchen.

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I do like it.

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Just what Stephen was hoping to hear.

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Marta's already making some positive noises,

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but it's not long before the reality sets in.

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Yeah, I'm feeling excited

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to find out about life in Australia,

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but on the other hand I'm a little bit terrified.

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Let's just take it one day at a time and try and work out what we need to

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know and how we can make the best decision.

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Back in the UK, the Parkers lived near Guildford in Surrey,

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in a detached single-storey house, which,

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after four years of hard slog,

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is a place they're happy to call home.

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The idea was that we would buy it and build around the plot.

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It's lovely. I love it. We've got a bigger kitchen,

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a second lounge.

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We've got a great house, exactly as we like.

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It would be really quite, quite difficult to sell it.

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Emotionally, it will be difficult to part with it.

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But if they do, they know exactly what they want

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with their £500,000 budget.

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Something detached with a little bit of outdoor space.

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Big garden with lots of trees.

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If we get over to Australia and we find that for our budget,

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we can't get anything close to what we're living in

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currently in the UK,

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and we don't like the look of the neighbourhood,

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and what we see, I think that's going to be a real stumbling block.

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To give the Parkers an idea of what's available in Melbourne,

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we'll show the couple two houses on budget and one which could be their

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dream home. With baby William being looked after by a child minder,

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his parents begin their search in Sandhurst,

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a new development just 15 minutes inland from their rental property.

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Built on an island with a golf course,

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will this two-storey house come up to par?

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OK, here we go.

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It's a really nice entrance space.

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The house promises much, but then disappoints.

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I thought it was going to be bigger,

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the living room, to this,

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-because of the size of the hallway and everything.

-Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

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It feels just a bit darker than I'd like it to be.

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-Maybe there's more space to come.

-Hope so.

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And, yes, they find it, but upstairs.

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Oh, wow.

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That was the room that we were missing downstairs.

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Yeah, but it's not quite how I would choose it.

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Probably a bit too modern for my personal taste.

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It just doesn't have character,

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I think that's the best way to describe it.

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And the view isn't helping either.

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I'm not impressed about the view.

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I would like to see more trees.

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And all I can see is houses and people playing golf.

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-It's not ideal.

-It's like when I cook at home sometimes,

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it's got all the right ingredients,

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but it just comes together and doesn't seem to taste that good.

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-It's just...

-Yeah, yeah.

-Oh, dear.

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And what about the main bedroom just beside the kitchen?

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A good-sized room.

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Not so sure about it being off the main entertaining area.

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You're always going to be the last one going to bed, aren't you?

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-That's for sure.

-And while the en-suite lifts spirits...

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Mmm, en-suite.

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The shower's nice. It's really nice.

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It's got good space and...

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It's a nice feature. It's nice to have it.

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-Yeah.

-It's back downstairs to find baby William's room.

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That's a bit better.

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The problem is that he's going to be downstairs while we're upstairs.

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-Yeah, not ideal.

-No.

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So will the outside brighten things up?

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Oh, wow.

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-A hot tub.

-It's a bit strange, cos it's kind of like the

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centrepiece of the whole garden, isn't it, really?

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-Yeah, I can go without it, to be honest.

-Yeah.

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But, surely, they're impressed with being on an island?

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It's just a bit...bare.

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As well, there is nothing to stop Willie to jump in the water.

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-It's not very safe.

-So this property hasn't impressed,

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but is it somewhere they can even afford?

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So, what do you think?

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The layout's not quite what we're after.

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-I'm looking for something cosier...

-Yeah.

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-..and with a bit more character into it.

-Mmm.

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How much do you think it's worth?

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I think this house is definitely way over our budget.

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I would say £650,000.

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I think around our budget of £500,000.

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-Shall we have a look?

-The Parkers have a budget of £500,000.

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Oh, how wrong was I?

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-I'm pleasantly surprised.

-Yeah, I'm quite encouraged that we could find

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something within our budget that would be quite...quite good for us.

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So with house-hunting off to a tentative start,

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let's hope property number two will be more to their taste.

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Back near the rental home, in the small coastal suburb of Seaford,

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with family friendly facilities and the beach

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just a few minutes walk away,

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could this four-bedroom house win both Stephen and Marta over?

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It looks like more of a block than a house.

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Oh, dear, and once again,

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it's straight upstairs for the living quarters.

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Ooh, that's nice.

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I like it, yeah.

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It feels a bit more inviting, doesn't it?

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Yeah, it feels just cosier. It has this family feel to it.

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There's lots of work space, which is really good.

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-Yeah.

-And also lots of storage.

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So is the topsy-turvy layout getting their thumbs up?

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-Next-door, the main bedroom.

-Aw!

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Yeah, this is more like the style I'm after.

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I like seeing the sun through the tree out there.

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It's a nice big TV.

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But the smiles disappear when they see the bathroom.

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Don't think I've ever seen a bath like that before.

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Nor me, no. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

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I'd probably have a regular sort of rectangular bath and a shower

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-cubicle, nice and boring.

-Yeah, I agree.

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Well, the bedrooms are faring better in this house.

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This can be William's room.

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Yeah, nice big windows and good storage.

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It's definitely closer to what we... What we're after.

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-It's different, but it's got a bit of character and...

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

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So far, so good, would you say? What about the outside?

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-That's what you call a tree.

-Beautiful tree.

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It's very green.

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Not much space for William to play, I don't think.

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Yeah, it's not the ideal place for us.

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It's not quite what I was hoping for or expecting in Australia.

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So a bit of a disappointment with this house,

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but they'll be even more disappointed if it's not within

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their budget of £500,000.

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So what do you think?

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It's a difficult one, isn't it?

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Because it's quite an unusual different sort of place.

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But it's not right for us at the moment.

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I think it's probably going to be around the budget,

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maybe slightly less.

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Maybe...

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£460,000?

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The couple have a budget of £500,000.

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OK, we underestimated it a little bit.

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I think there's a lot of potential here,

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but it's unfortunately not just for us at this time...

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This time of our lives.

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Well, the house-hunting experience has been less than positive so far,

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but we think we've found what could be the couple's dream home.

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It's in the suburb of Mount Eliza.

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Although further away from the city,

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it's as close as you can be to the beach, which should be a huge pull.

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Will this modern four-bedroom home impress Marta and Stephen?

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That's more like it.

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Definitely very cosy.

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I would see myself sitting on the sofa and looking out of the window.

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So a good start and it doesn't stop there.

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-It's nice, isn't it?

-It's nice.

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Yeah, it's the best kitchen we've seen.

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Yeah, definitely. It's big without being too big.

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This one feels a lot more like a home -

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as opposed to a holiday house...

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-Beach house.

-..or beach house, yeah.

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So can the optimism continue into the main bedroom?

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-It's a good space.

-Yeah, very good space.

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For the type of property, it's not as grand as I'd expect.

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I'm missing something, and probably that's the wow factor.

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Not what Stephen wants to hear.

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Can the en-suite keep Marta positive?

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Good space, nice-sized, good-sized shower.

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A lot higher spec than the other two properties.

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And William's room certainly gets them smiling again.

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-Interesting bed.

-Yeah, it'll be great for William.

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Nice windows.

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Yeah, very good room.

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Although you do feel a distinct lack of enthusiasm for this house.

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-Nice bathroom.

-Yeah, it's a great bath, very deep.

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But once outside, the mood shifts.

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-Oh, wow.

-It's really nice pool, isn't it?

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Amazing outdoor living space.

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Yeah, this is more of what we were dreaming of.

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Somewhere where we can sit in the nice warm weather

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-that we don't, or we rarely get, at home.

-Yeah.

0:20:020:20:04

It's exactly what we were hoping for, isn't it?

0:20:040:20:06

It's exactly what we want, yes.

0:20:060:20:08

I'm definitely sold on the garden.

0:20:080:20:09

So has the garden rescued the day for Marta?

0:20:100:20:13

This house is definitely my favourite out of the three houses

0:20:140:20:17

that we saw today. I think it comes

0:20:170:20:23

very close to what we're looking for.

0:20:230:20:26

But the only thing I absolutely love about this house is the garden.

0:20:260:20:30

It's a lovely house. It's just,

0:20:300:20:32

I think we'd probably find something that's a bit...

0:20:320:20:35

A bit more perfect for us.

0:20:350:20:37

I'm guessing that this is going to be over our budget,

0:20:370:20:40

probably around £640,000.

0:20:400:20:43

I think it's worth about £570,000.

0:20:430:20:47

The couple have a budget of £500,000.

0:20:470:20:50

-Yeah...

-£700,000 is over our budget,

0:21:000:21:03

but this is probably more house than we need.

0:21:030:21:07

I would like us to find something more modest, more smaller

0:21:070:21:13

with, probably, the same outdoor living space, just without the pool.

0:21:130:21:19

Which, I hope, um,

0:21:190:21:21

our budget is going to cover.

0:21:210:21:25

So it's been a mixed bag on the property search.

0:21:250:21:29

House number one on the golf course was a bit of a bogey.

0:21:290:21:32

A strange layout coupled with the unfenced lake

0:21:320:21:34

meant it wasn't for the Parkers, whatever the price.

0:21:340:21:38

Property two had the space the family wanted,

0:21:380:21:41

but its boxy and plain exterior wasn't winning Marta over.

0:21:410:21:44

House number three had the garden of their dreams,

0:21:460:21:49

but at £200,000 over budget,

0:21:490:21:52

it was a stark wake-up call as to what their money could get them.

0:21:520:21:55

So when it comes to homes down under,

0:21:550:21:58

will the couple vote home or away?

0:21:580:22:00

Based on the three properties we saw today, our vote goes to...

0:22:000:22:05

-Undecided.

-UK.

0:22:150:22:17

-Undecided?

-Based on what we've seen,

0:22:170:22:19

I don't think that you can say it's any better than the UK, but...

0:22:190:22:24

-Or any worse, really.

-I'm sorry that we didn't find...

0:22:240:22:28

..the best house for us today.

0:22:300:22:33

But it's somewhere out there and we just need to look for it.

0:22:330:22:37

So, maybe not the best start to the week,

0:22:370:22:39

but, hopefully, tomorrow will go better.

0:22:390:22:41

I hope so.

0:22:410:22:43

With Marta not sold on Aussie homes,

0:22:520:22:54

and even Stephen sitting on the fence,

0:22:540:22:56

there's still some way to go

0:22:560:22:58

to make the Australian dream a reality.

0:22:580:23:01

Getting the right jobs down under could help turn things around.

0:23:010:23:04

Back in the UK, Stephen worked for 15 years

0:23:060:23:09

as a highly successful environmental manager.

0:23:090:23:13

However, the long hours eventually began to take their toll on him

0:23:130:23:17

and his new wife, Marta.

0:23:170:23:18

I wasn't there for her when she needed me.

0:23:200:23:22

It really made me feel quite guilty, and, as a consequence,

0:23:220:23:25

I started to re-evaluate what was important to me

0:23:250:23:28

and what my priorities are in life.

0:23:280:23:30

Stephen decided to take time out.

0:23:300:23:32

Over the past year, he's been studying for a master's in business

0:23:320:23:36

and has now got his sights set on a consultancy role down under.

0:23:360:23:40

Finding the right role in Australia is really crucial

0:23:410:23:43

because my career is really important to me,

0:23:430:23:45

and it's important to me that I can provide

0:23:450:23:47

the right level of support for my family.

0:23:470:23:50

Marta is working in fashion retail,

0:23:500:23:52

but is keen to get treading the boards once again

0:23:520:23:55

if there's a move down under.

0:23:550:23:56

Acting is a big part of my life.

0:23:580:24:01

If my chances of getting acting work there are slim,

0:24:010:24:05

it might affect my decision.

0:24:050:24:07

I hope Australia has something to offer me.

0:24:090:24:12

The couple set out to explore what work opportunities

0:24:140:24:17

there might be in Melbourne.

0:24:170:24:19

Stephen heads off to a multinational accounting firm

0:24:190:24:22

where he meets Matt Nelson, and straightaway, the news is mixed.

0:24:220:24:27

The nature of your technical background,

0:24:270:24:29

it is a skill and a background

0:24:290:24:32

that is valuable here in the marketplace,

0:24:320:24:34

and certainly even for a company like ours.

0:24:340:24:37

We've all talked about and seen in the press

0:24:370:24:39

that the big challenge for us

0:24:390:24:40

that's just recently come out

0:24:400:24:42

is the announcing of the changing to the visa situation in Australia,

0:24:420:24:45

but it is something

0:24:450:24:47

that will create a challenge for you as you look to move.

0:24:470:24:51

So recent changes in visa control could be an issue.

0:24:510:24:54

But would there be a job for Stephen there?

0:24:540:24:57

Are there many jobs for people

0:24:570:24:58

with my skills and experience in Melbourne?

0:24:580:25:00

There's still good opportunities in the Australian marketplace.

0:25:000:25:04

I think your choice of Melbourne is a pretty good one.

0:25:040:25:07

So, this is musical theatre.

0:25:070:25:09

This is Showfit.

0:25:090:25:10

And across town,

0:25:100:25:12

Marta's getting a taste of what Melbourne has to offer

0:25:120:25:14

in musical theatre.

0:25:140:25:15

She's meeting up with talent manager Ian White.

0:25:180:25:21

Look, I've watched your show reel and you're beautiful on-screen.

0:25:230:25:27

-Oh, thank you so much.

-You're gorgeous.

0:25:270:25:29

To kind of really take advantage of the scene here,

0:25:290:25:32

and I say this to most actresses,

0:25:320:25:34

even when they're more established like you are,

0:25:340:25:36

you need to get into classes.

0:25:360:25:38

Even my really experienced people, I'm always saying, "More classes."

0:25:380:25:42

Because that's not just training you with your skills,

0:25:420:25:45

it's actually you're meeting casting people as well.

0:25:450:25:47

And the accent is quite pronounced, gorgeous...

0:25:470:25:51

-Yeah.

-..but it's limiting for the opportunities.

0:25:510:25:53

Yeah, that's true, yes.

0:25:530:25:54

So you would need to work with a voice coach

0:25:540:25:57

and neutralise your accent.

0:25:570:25:58

So, not that you have to have an Australian accent,

0:25:580:26:01

but it's a neutral accent

0:26:010:26:02

so it can be adaptable to any sort of background,

0:26:020:26:05

you know, culture or character.

0:26:050:26:07

Yeah, I do understand that, yes.

0:26:070:26:09

So, look, there are lots of opportunities here.

0:26:090:26:11

You know, we have a saying here.

0:26:110:26:13

You'll make it if you're hungry enough to.

0:26:130:26:15

Well, Marta's interview seems to have gone well.

0:26:150:26:18

Next, she meets up with Eliza D'Souza,

0:26:180:26:21

an English actress who moved to Melbourne seven years ago.

0:26:210:26:24

So how does it feel for you to be an actress here?

0:26:250:26:29

It's tough, I think, because of the small audience numbers

0:26:290:26:31

and the influence from, say, America and the UK programming.

0:26:310:26:34

There's not a huge, huge volume of production, but, again,

0:26:340:26:38

I think because it is smaller,

0:26:380:26:39

people remember you more and you can kind of build a bit of a network

0:26:390:26:42

and a community, I think.

0:26:420:26:44

And away from home, Eliza has found plenty of acting jobs.

0:26:440:26:48

She's actually appeared in Neighbours.

0:26:480:26:50

Quite small and maybe not the biggest job that I've had,

0:26:510:26:54

but it's, you know,

0:26:540:26:55

it's probably the one as well, that you know,

0:26:550:26:57

people in the UK can relate to.

0:26:570:26:59

But then when I was on Neighbours, my mum was like,

0:26:590:27:01

"Oh, she's on Neighbours!"

0:27:010:27:03

I would say, hit the ground running, go and see the casting directors,

0:27:030:27:05

get into a couple of acting classes.

0:27:050:27:07

You know, find the communities, do some short films,

0:27:070:27:09

do some community theatre, and just start building yourself up.

0:27:090:27:12

So some great advice for Marta.

0:27:120:27:14

Stephen's also hoping to end on a positive note

0:27:140:27:17

about a potential consultancy role.

0:27:170:27:20

What kind of salary can I expect?

0:27:200:27:22

I think with your level of experience

0:27:220:27:24

we would expect someone like that to come in, probably,

0:27:240:27:26

as a senior manager into our business,

0:27:260:27:29

and a senior manager, depending on your past experiences and so on,

0:27:290:27:33

could expect somewhere around the £90,000 per year.

0:27:330:27:36

In certain sectors like mining, oil, and gas,

0:27:360:27:39

you could be looking at earning as much as £120,000.

0:27:390:27:42

The salary range seems to be really favourable compared to the UK.

0:27:420:27:46

So, has it been an interesting day for the couple?

0:27:460:27:49

They meet up later to share their news.

0:27:490:27:52

So how was your day?

0:27:520:27:54

Yeah, it was very nice.

0:27:540:27:56

I feel a little bit more confident about...

0:27:560:28:00

..moving to Melbourne and being an actress here.

0:28:010:28:05

Well, that's great news. I'm really pleased for you.

0:28:050:28:08

And how did your day go?

0:28:080:28:10

It went really well.

0:28:100:28:11

I met a really nice guy, and he said there's a lot of demand

0:28:110:28:14

for people with my experience.

0:28:140:28:16

The salary's good.

0:28:160:28:18

The downside is that he's confirmed the visa situation

0:28:180:28:22

isn't as good as we would like.

0:28:220:28:25

We potentially would only be able to stay for two or four years.

0:28:250:28:28

It might be a good opportunity for us to stay

0:28:280:28:32

for just a few years

0:28:320:28:34

and see how we feel, how we like it.

0:28:340:28:37

So it's Marta now stressing the positives.

0:28:370:28:40

Interesting to see how this vote goes.

0:28:400:28:43

Based on our work meetings today, our vote goes to...

0:28:450:28:47

-Australia.

-Undecided.

0:28:560:28:57

You know that acting is very important to me,

0:28:590:29:02

so today showed me that I've got a fairly good chance

0:29:020:29:07

to keep doing it in case we decide to move here.

0:29:070:29:12

I'm really pleased that you voted for Australia,

0:29:120:29:15

because it's important to me that you're happy if we do move here.

0:29:150:29:19

I had some great news today, but for the visa situation,

0:29:190:29:22

it's just too much uncertainty

0:29:220:29:25

and I don't think I'm prepared to uproot the family

0:29:250:29:28

and move over the other side of the world on a temporary basis.

0:29:280:29:31

Halfway through their trial week,

0:29:390:29:41

and it's fair to say that not everything is going according

0:29:410:29:45

to any prewritten script.

0:29:450:29:47

And with a financial reality check

0:29:470:29:49

and messages from home still to come,

0:29:490:29:52

well, the whole trip could be about to lose the plot altogether.

0:29:520:29:57

First up, they're off for a day

0:29:570:29:59

sampling the Melbourne lifestyle

0:29:590:30:01

to enjoy a well-earned interval

0:30:010:30:03

in the drama of their week, you could say.

0:30:030:30:06

The Parkers are visiting Portsea Back Beach,

0:30:070:30:10

south of Melbourne.

0:30:100:30:11

Back in the UK, Stephen's a keen surfer.

0:30:120:30:15

So today, he's catching some Aussie waves with local life-saver Nick.

0:30:150:30:20

Should be fine out there today.

0:30:200:30:21

Not too windy. See what we find.

0:30:210:30:23

-A few waves around.

-Yeah.

0:30:230:30:24

It's great to see Stephen finally surfing the waves in Australia.

0:30:260:30:30

I hope he has lots of fun.

0:30:300:30:31

Look, look!

0:30:520:30:53

It was good. It was a bit of a warm-up,

0:30:550:30:57

hopefully, for something better in days to come.

0:30:570:31:00

All thirsty work, Stephen.

0:31:000:31:02

The Parkers take some time to refuel down by Port Phillip Bay.

0:31:020:31:06

And a little later, a quick phone call from home

0:31:070:31:10

rounds off a perfect day.

0:31:100:31:11

PHONE RINGS

0:31:110:31:13

It's Stephen's mum.

0:31:130:31:15

Hi, everyone.

0:31:160:31:18

Nice to see you.

0:31:180:31:20

You're all looking very well. How's it going?

0:31:200:31:22

Yeah, it's going well.

0:31:220:31:23

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Has Stephen been surfing yet?

0:31:230:31:26

Just today, yeah, just for a bit.

0:31:260:31:27

I'm glad you're having a good time and everything's going well.

0:31:270:31:30

I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.

0:31:300:31:32

-Bye for now.

-Take care.

-Bye.

-Bye, William.

-Bye.

0:31:320:31:35

But the call from Stephen's mum

0:31:360:31:38

has reminded Marta just how far away they are.

0:31:380:31:41

I'm sure she misses William a lot.

0:31:410:31:43

Yeah, I'm sure.

0:31:430:31:45

Unfortunately, she's the only grandparent William's got left.

0:31:460:31:50

I think it will be a shame if they don't spend, um,

0:31:500:31:53

good time together.

0:31:530:31:55

Thinking back to my own childhood,

0:31:550:31:57

the relationship with my grandparents

0:31:570:31:59

was a quite special one,

0:31:590:32:00

so it will be difficult to take that away from William.

0:32:000:32:03

In Australia, it's absolutely beautiful, beautiful beaches,

0:32:030:32:06

beautiful sceneries and gorgeous summer weather.

0:32:060:32:09

But it worries me that we're going to be missing out

0:32:090:32:12

on a lot of important things

0:32:120:32:14

that are going on back in the UK.

0:32:140:32:17

So it's a thoughtful Marta and Stephen who now have to vote.

0:32:170:32:20

Based on our great day out today, our vote goes to...

0:32:220:32:26

-BOTH:

-Australia!

0:32:360:32:37

Oh, wow...

0:32:390:32:41

Coming down here and seeing the natural beauty of the country

0:32:410:32:44

has made me realise

0:32:440:32:45

why we're thinking of coming here in the first place.

0:32:450:32:48

I'm not 100% convinced yet,

0:32:480:32:51

but it's nice to know that Australia is proving to you

0:32:510:32:55

that it's everything you thought it would be.

0:32:550:32:58

A full house for the Aussie lifestyle

0:33:060:33:08

means the dream is just about back on track.

0:33:080:33:11

For now.

0:33:110:33:12

Financially, though, things will have to stack up,

0:33:120:33:14

and getting the right price for their home in the UK

0:33:140:33:17

could make all the difference.

0:33:170:33:20

The couple think it's worth £700,000.

0:33:200:33:23

Will two local estate agents agree?

0:33:230:33:26

So this is the extension.

0:33:260:33:27

Anyone coming in here would be incredibly happy

0:33:270:33:29

with what they have.

0:33:290:33:30

The position of the kitchen and the sitting room

0:33:300:33:32

at the rear of the house

0:33:320:33:34

just makes it perfect for family living.

0:33:340:33:36

Huge amount of space,

0:33:380:33:40

which could either be a huge double bedroom or two double bedrooms.

0:33:400:33:44

Very clever use of light with the windows.

0:33:440:33:46

Absolutely outstanding.

0:33:460:33:48

Very good-sized garden, very private, ideal for a family.

0:33:500:33:54

Bit more work. But then again, once the work is completed,

0:33:540:33:56

it would be ideal.

0:33:560:33:58

Great, great space.

0:33:580:34:00

Beautiful bathroom. Lovely sink, lovely shower, beautifully tiled.

0:34:020:34:07

Nice and light, fantastic.

0:34:070:34:09

In today's market, and once renovations have been completed,

0:34:110:34:14

I would value the property at £675,000.

0:34:140:34:18

In today's market, and with refurbishment complete,

0:34:180:34:20

I would value the property at £689,950.

0:34:200:34:25

For a quick sale,

0:34:250:34:26

I would value the property at £625,000.

0:34:260:34:30

There's a lot of...a lot of pain gone into that place,

0:34:300:34:33

so that's good news overall, I think.

0:34:330:34:35

Yeah, it's good news to know

0:34:350:34:37

that if we decide to come and if we decide to sell or rent,

0:34:370:34:41

we'll have a very good amount to start with here.

0:34:410:34:45

Happy with the valuations,

0:34:470:34:48

the couple move on to tackle the cost of everyday living in Australia

0:34:480:34:52

compared with the UK.

0:34:520:34:54

Starting with the weekly food shop.

0:34:540:34:56

-Bananas.

-Bananas.

0:34:580:35:00

In the UK, it will be 72p.

0:35:000:35:03

In Australia, £1.48.

0:35:030:35:06

-Double.

-Yeah.

0:35:060:35:07

Not good news.

0:35:080:35:10

Yeah, looking at nappies,

0:35:100:35:11

that's what's jumping out at me at the moment.

0:35:110:35:14

Yeah, the cost is £3.39.

0:35:140:35:17

-And the Australian...

-£8.28.

0:35:170:35:19

Yeah, that gives a difference of £4.89.

0:35:190:35:22

William needs some training.

0:35:220:35:24

We need to start with the potty training earlier.

0:35:240:35:28

And adding it all up...

0:35:280:35:30

So in Australia, we would be worse off £25.08 a week.

0:35:300:35:35

It is quite a bit more, but I think, depending on other costs,

0:35:350:35:39

I don't think we'd notice it that much.

0:35:390:35:41

Yeah, it's manageable.

0:35:410:35:43

Moving on to the bigger bills now.

0:35:430:35:45

The couple base their mortgage on the second property they viewed.

0:35:450:35:49

So in the UK, we pay about £1,600 a month.

0:35:490:35:52

In Australia, that would be £850.

0:35:540:35:56

We'd be saving £750 a month on the mortgage.

0:35:560:36:00

Great start.

0:36:000:36:01

Good news. But Marta plans to continue working part-time

0:36:020:36:05

in fashion retail, so there's a nursery to pay for.

0:36:050:36:09

Cost in the UK, £750.

0:36:090:36:13

In Australia, it's going to cost us £852.

0:36:130:36:18

OK. Quite a bit on top of an already expensive bill in the UK, isn't it?

0:36:180:36:22

-Yeah.

-Yes, but once they factor in their new Australian salaries,

0:36:220:36:27

things start to look brighter.

0:36:270:36:28

So in Australia, we'd be bringing in £2,289 extra per month.

0:36:300:36:36

-Wowee!

-Not bad.

0:36:370:36:38

Not bad at all.

0:36:400:36:41

So will there be a happy ending if they make the move?

0:36:430:36:45

So if we were to move to Australia,

0:36:470:36:49

we would be £2,693 per month better off.

0:36:490:36:55

Oh, yeah.

0:36:580:36:59

The reality of those numbers may vary,

0:37:000:37:03

but I still think that it would be, um,

0:37:030:37:06

a better picture over here if we did move.

0:37:060:37:10

Seeing that figure,

0:37:100:37:11

it makes me feel a bit happier about coming to live here.

0:37:110:37:16

But will it be enough to get another Oz vote for Stephen?

0:37:160:37:20

Based on our reality check today, our vote goes to...

0:37:210:37:24

-BOTH:

-Australia!

0:37:340:37:37

The numbers don't lie.

0:37:370:37:38

With such amount of extra money,

0:37:380:37:41

we can lead comfortable lives,

0:37:410:37:44

save quite a bit of money, and who knows, perhaps, in a few years,

0:37:440:37:50

start thinking of having another baby.

0:37:500:37:52

With another vote for Australia,

0:38:020:38:04

it looks like Stephen's almost home and dry with his mission to move.

0:38:040:38:08

But there's one final hurdle to overcome, and it's a big one.

0:38:080:38:13

While baby William takes a nap,

0:38:130:38:14

the couple sit down to watch messages

0:38:140:38:16

from friends and family back home.

0:38:160:38:19

-BOTH:

-Hello!

0:38:190:38:21

-Hi!

-Oh, hello.

0:38:210:38:23

Steve, to me, was, like, never...

0:38:230:38:26

HE LAUGHS

0:38:260:38:28

..a family guy. But then when he's with Marta and Willie,

0:38:280:38:31

they're just amazing together.

0:38:310:38:33

Marta has made an enormous difference to Stephen's life.

0:38:330:38:37

He's been so happy since he met her.

0:38:370:38:39

When I first heard

0:38:390:38:41

that Stephen and Marta and William were thinking of

0:38:410:38:43

moving to Australia, I was quite excited.

0:38:430:38:46

I thought, "Oh, I'll be able to go there for my holidays every winter."

0:38:460:38:49

Since then, I've sort of started thinking about things

0:38:500:38:53

I would miss about not having them close.

0:38:530:38:56

One part of me would be sad,

0:38:560:38:57

but the other side of me would be totally excited for them.

0:38:570:39:00

It'd be absolutely amazing and I don't think that they should...

0:39:000:39:04

..be worried about that. They should just get on with it.

0:39:050:39:08

So do you really need to go to the other side of the world

0:39:080:39:11

to get out of life what you two want together?

0:39:110:39:14

If Australia is really what you want,

0:39:140:39:16

then just make sure you're making the right decision

0:39:160:39:18

before you commit to it.

0:39:180:39:20

I think not being there to see William growing up

0:39:200:39:22

means I shall miss a lot.

0:39:220:39:25

You need to think very carefully. It is a long way away.

0:39:250:39:28

I would be worried that Australia is maybe lovely for a holiday,

0:39:280:39:33

but perhaps not for a lifetime.

0:39:330:39:35

I thought I wouldn't cry, but there you go.

0:39:370:39:39

They said really clever things about...

0:39:390:39:42

..our potential decision and...

0:39:450:39:47

Yeah, it made me... It helped me.

0:39:490:39:52

It makes you realise how much family means to you

0:39:520:39:57

and what it would be to sacrifice it.

0:39:570:40:02

Yeah, it's a useful reminder of what we would miss,

0:40:020:40:05

but I think I'd already kind of factored that in.

0:40:050:40:08

At the start of the week, Stephen Parker had one objective.

0:40:170:40:21

To show his wife Marta that it was time to move away from their home

0:40:210:40:25

in the UK for a new life in Oz.

0:40:250:40:28

It's been tough, emotional going, however.

0:40:280:40:31

Now, as they approach the final vote,

0:40:310:40:34

it's time to see where their future lies.

0:40:340:40:37

How would you vote?

0:40:370:40:39

The trial week in Australia

0:40:400:40:42

has delivered Stephen's dream in many ways.

0:40:420:40:45

Whenever I've thought of Australia,

0:40:460:40:48

I've thought of a laid-back kind of lifestyle,

0:40:480:40:50

outdoors, good weather.

0:40:500:40:53

Just generally a bit less hectic than the UK,

0:40:530:40:56

and I think Melbourne certainly meets that expectation.

0:40:560:41:00

But it's also left Marta feeling torn.

0:41:000:41:03

Perhaps Australia is the right place for us.

0:41:040:41:07

On the other hand, seeing our friends and family video...

0:41:070:41:12

..made me realise that they do mean a lot to me.

0:41:130:41:17

And they're both aware they haven't just themselves to think about.

0:41:180:41:22

We haven't got much family.

0:41:220:41:24

William's just got...

0:41:240:41:25

..his grandmother and his auntie and uncle.

0:41:260:41:29

It's one thing me moving to the UK and starting my life there,

0:41:290:41:35

but there's a bit more responsibility

0:41:350:41:37

in doing it with your family and your children.

0:41:370:41:40

So will they be able to take the plunge?

0:41:400:41:44

It's time for the final vote.

0:41:440:41:46

Based on our lovely week in Melbourne, our vote goes to...

0:41:460:41:50

-UK.

-Undecided.

0:42:040:42:05

After seeing the friends and family video today,

0:42:080:42:11

it made me realise that I'm going to miss them a lot if we come here.

0:42:110:42:17

Someone in the video said,

0:42:170:42:19

"You don't have to go to the other side of the world

0:42:190:42:22

"to be happy."

0:42:220:42:23

-And I think that's true.

-I'm not too surprised.

0:42:230:42:27

I know how much you like it back in the UK.

0:42:270:42:30

And uncertainty around the visa is just too much of a risk

0:42:300:42:34

for us to move at this stage in our life.

0:42:340:42:37

Part of me is happy that you'll be happy to go back to the UK.

0:42:370:42:43

And who knows? Perhaps one day

0:42:430:42:46

we'll decide to make a move and come here.

0:42:460:42:48

In the end, the pull of loved ones at home was too strong,

0:42:550:42:59

and leaving them behind

0:42:590:43:01

was simply too big an ask,

0:43:010:43:03

even if that meant there was no happy ending

0:43:030:43:06

as Stephen's Aussie dreams

0:43:060:43:08

were put on hold.

0:43:080:43:09

We wish the Parkers all the very best in the future,

0:43:090:43:13

whatever they decide to do.

0:43:130:43:15

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