Lloyd Wanted Down Under

Hello and welcome to Wanted Down Under, the show that catapults a British family right across

to the other side of the world

to help them make the biggest decision of their life.

Gareth and Carol Lloyd have been thinking hard

about moving their family to New Zealand, although they've never been.

Things got tough when dad Gareth was made redundant.

The first couple of days, it was frightening. What are we going to do? How are we to survive?

Losing my job was a big factor in the idea of moving to New Zealand.

But they have close family who'd be devastated if they decide to emigrate.

Sort of taking grandchildren away and the chances are they might not see again

makes it more difficult, doesn't it?

And they face an even bigger problem.

12-year-old daughter Abi doesn't want to go.

If they made me go, I'd make life hell.

If both kids don't want to come here, I think Carol would change her mind.

Will a week Down Under convince the whole family to make the move?

-Whichever way we decide...

-This is the biggest decision of our life.

Life in overcrowded Britain can feel a bit frantic these days.

Those that look towards New Zealand, with ten times fewer people than the UK,

see a peaceful, laidback lifestyle.

It's a realistic prospect for people with a skill that's in demand.

But how on earth do you make the life-changing decision to emigrate?

We've selected 20 British families

desperate to try a new life on the other side of the world

and after a one-week trial run, they'll have to vote.

Do they stay in the UK, or do they move to New Zealand?

The Lloyd family from Bedford are about to set off on their fact-finding trip to New Zealand.

Tempted by the image of a slower pace of life, dad Gareth and mum Carol

dream of what the future might hold for their family on the other side of the world.

It was through watching your programme that we decided

this country offers us nothing and if we could move maybe we should think about moving now.

The way of life is not the same. They're a lot more relaxed about things.

We hope we can have a better lifestyle out there.

Maybe we should just start looking at the process and having to go out to New Zealand.

The Lloyds have been through the mill,

following dad Gareth's redundancy from his job as a systems analyst in IT.

When I lost my job, it was a big deal. The first couple of days, it was very frightening.

What are we going to do? How are we going to survive?

But his long commute meant he never saw the kids during the week. It was a wake-up call.

Gareth hopes the move Down Under would let them spend more time together as a family.

You know, it was difficult on the family,

but we had a better time through it because we had more time together.

I realise how much of the time I've missed of the family life.

His IT skills are on the shortage list

in New Zealand, so finding a good job there shouldn't be difficult.

But their 12-year-old daughter Abigail will need convincing.

I've heard some good points about it.

I just don't really see the need of going.

I don't really want to go either, cos I'll miss people -

my friends and family and football teams and all that lot.

At the moment, I'm pretty clear that I don't want to go.

Abi has said to us that we are going to ruin her life by taking her to New Zealand.

I think Abigail is going to be the one that's going to be the most difficult to please.

We're hoping she'll see that they probably play more sport there than they do here.

For us, that's the big thing for her to go and see

that she can make friends out there and play sport and continue her life.

Abi's brother, seven-year-old Jamie, is undecided, but he's excited about

the prospect of seeing one of his favourite animals in New Zealand.

I like sharks because they're really fierce.

If I swim with a shark, it'll just be one of the best things of my life.

Well, I'm not sure about swimming with sharks, Jamie, but maybe you can meet some.

Mum Carol thinks emigrating's a no-brainer. She fears for her children if they stay in the UK.

It's really trying to sort of protect both of them

from the drinking or drugs culture or knife culture that there is here, which really frightens me.

There isn't the pressure for them to grow up and become little adults, really.

They can spend and enjoy their time as children for much longer.

And if they do convince the kids to move and say goodbye to loved ones,

for Gareth's grandmother, it might be for the last time.

My nan has just turned 90.

Her health isn't particularly great.

She's always been around.

Ever since I was a child, she's always lived

two or three minutes walk from us. So that would be person who I do miss.

Their trial week should answer some of their concerns, but could very well stir up some new ones.

We're about to go and I'm excited.

It's a whole new adventure.

I am a bit scared because it's all unknown.

I'm hoping that we'll like it. It worries me the thought that we're going out there

with high hopes and is it actually going to deliver?

Is it going to give us what we're looking for?

The Lloyds have a lot to think about, so to help, we offered them the ultimate challenge -

a week in New Zealand before making a decision.

We have three different lifestyles for the family to sample.

One in the country, one in the city and one on the coast.

Each with an offer of a job and a brand-new way of life for them to enjoy on their budget.

First, let's take a look at the country lifestyle.

In the country around Auckland, you can enjoy the simple life,

surrounded by nature and vast outdoor space.

On offer is a job at a market-leading

financial services organisation, with a salary of around £35,000.

Russell Jones has a system administrator job for Gareth.

You would work with the latest software products in this purpose-built technology centre.

You'd join a team of very talented people. We work hard but we play hard, too.

A stone's throw away from here is rural Coatesville,

so if only a very short daily commute appeals,

the Lloyds could pick up a home like this for around £300,000.

Gareth, I know you'd thrive in this environment.

We look forward to seeing you Down Under.

So that's the kind of lifestyle they can enjoy in the country.

Let's see what's possible in the city on their budget.

The dazzling Auckland cityscape is home to exciting nightlife with something for all tastes.

From live shows to an unique meal in the Sky Tower's revolving restaurant.

We found a company which provides software and technology solutions for the healthcare sector.

Here's CEO Ian MacRae.

We have over 300 staff and the software we develop here

is used in hospitals around the world.

We're in the city and we have a great lifestyle.

We have the best cafes, the best schools. Your family will love it.

If they have a taste for culture and atmosphere, a home in stylish Ponsonby could be on the cards.

Houses here range from £310,000 to £360,000.

And the al-fresco lifestyle means enjoying the Kiwi sun, hanging out at trendy bars and cafes.

You'll enjoy our innovative company and fantastic lifestyle

and we'd love to see you here when you're Down Under.

It looks like their life could shape up pretty well in the city, but what about a new life on the coast?

Auckland occupies a strip of land

between two separate bodies of water,

so a fantastic range of harbour living is yours for the choosing.

Gareth could spend a day working for one of New Zealand's largest retail groups.

Hi, Gareth. I'm Adam, infrastructure manager at the warehouse. Let me show you what we do here.

We have around 100 team members in our information services team.

It is our job to keep the systems available and operating for the entire company.

We're a great team and we work well together, but we are Kiwi.

We're relaxed and down to earth.

This job is located on Auckland's north shore, in the attractive district of Northcote.

With a property like this going for £320,000,

coastal living isn't cheap, but the views you wake up to are priceless.

You and your family are going to love the coastal lifestyle.

You can swim, kayak and sail, all within minutes of the office.

You've got the skills we're looking for. I hope to see you when you're Down Under.

The three lifestyles available to the Lloyds were in the country,

where the air is fresh.

In Auckland, with the convenience of city living Kiwi style,

or on the coast, five miles from Auckland, with water sports on their doorstep.

So, three very different possibilities for our family to try.

So, which one did we decide would suit them best?

For their first ever trip to New Zealand, the Lloyd family

are heading for the North Island and the city life on offer in Auckland, 12,000 miles away from Bedford.

Their 22-hour flight leaves them jetlagged and tired.

Mum Carol is apprehensive about the week ahead.

I think it's quite hard in a week to make a life-changing decision,

but I think having the opportunity to come out

and actually experience life out here is beneficial for Abi, in particular,

because I think when she actually sees what it's like out here,

I think she could have a more positive outlook.

A short drive from the airport, they arrive at their home for the week.

A spacious four-bedroom detached house, in the Auckland suburb of Three Kings.

Well, this is a bit smart, isn't it?

It's costing £450 for the week.

Owner Lisa shows them around.

Welcome to New Zealand, Auckland. Come in.

That's one of our king rooms.

It's nice. Bit bigger than ours, isn't it?

-Wow!

-I love it.

-You love it.

You haven't even looked anywhere yet.

If you come through, this is your dining room, where you're going to have your meals.

-How old is it?

-It's about 100 years old.

-100 years.

That's older than Grandma.

Something that wouldn't get old is the view.

It's very nice. You can see a long way.

I noticed out the front you could see a long, long way, but this is nice.

It has a very impressive kitchen and two great bathrooms,

but this house is only temporary.

Tomorrow, they'll be looking for the kind of home they might make more permanent.

Back in the UK, the Lloyds' family home is in a village outside Bedford.

It's a detached house with four bedrooms, worth about £300,000.

After paying off their mortgage,

they'd have around £180,000 to spend, or more if they took on a new smaller mortgage.

We found them three homes to get a realistic idea of what they could afford

if they make the big decision to emigrate.

Property one is in the area of Albany,

with stunning views and a stream at the bottom of the garden.

-Good morning.

-Hello.

-Would you like to come on in?

It has four bedrooms and is on the market for 590,000 New Zealand dollars, or £250,000.

Now, this is a lovely family home for the area and traditionally,

what you have here is a formal lounge,

and then we have a second living area over here for the children.

I'm not sure I like the idea of the children with a big telly.

-Does the TV come with the house?

-Everything's negotiable on price, isn't it?

Show me your money.

Now that's what I call widescreen.

-Yeah.

-You've got living in one wing of the house and then we go really into the bedroom wing,

which is quite nice, so you can close the door off if you're entertaining

-and not disturb the children. Come through.

-Nice size room. Yeah.

So we have another lovely bedroom here,

which gets all the morning sun, which is nice and light and bright.

I like the big windows and how it looks out at the fields and the stream.

It seems Abi could be warming to her surroundings, but could the biggest room be the deal clincher?

Look at the wardrobe.

A big walk-in wardrobe.

My bedroom, definitely.

-Oh, that's nice. I don't know where you're putting your stuff, Gareth.

-No, I know!

Estate agent Val's keen to show them what's on offer outside.

Fabulous deck area.

And of course, the bonus of this property is you're looking out onto reserve land over here,

all these beautiful willow trees which obviously, come spring and summer, will all be out in leaf.

You've got the lovely stream running through here where,

if you look carefully, you'll see there's little goldfish in it.

They're lovely for the children or if you have a dog,

you've got all this lovely area that you can walk them on.

Gareth and Carol have gone a bit quiet. What do they think so far?

I would say there's no garden for the kids to play in,

so the size of the garden would be a downside for me.

I think the other problem we've got is it's a bit too small and also for guests,

there's no room for guests.

The house itself, I liked.

I like the living on one side and the bedrooms down the other side. I thought that was nice.

The ideal property would be a large area and grassland to play with, a nice, large inside area.

-But maybe an extra bedroom.

-Well, we'll see what we can do.

Are you two ready? Come on, we'll look at another one.

Five minutes down the road is the area of Kumeu, where there's a good selection of schools close by.

Property two with four bedrooms and two bathrooms

is on the market for the equivalent of £225,000.

Owner Leanne also has children and a dog.

-Hello. I'm Leanne.

-I'm Carol.

-Hello.

-Hello there.

-In your kennel. Go on.

This is Simone. Come on in.

The living. The kitchen. Lounge.

Dining. All open plan.

I like the style of kitchen. It's kind of simple and clean and is open plan. Plenty of light.

It's got bigger windows, so it makes it look bigger and brighter, lighter.

-It's nice.

-Nice house.

And there's plenty to tempt sports-mad children.

I've got the soccer fields, soccer, cricket, netball,

all just here, basically across the road, for all these sports.

-Good.

-That's better, Abi.

Leanne's husband has just got back from watching his son play rugby.

Steven had sport in mind when he helped design the house.

My father-in-law helped me and built it, put it here about 12 years ago

and I deliberately left the big yard and the boys played cricket up there all summer and rugby.

Well, not at the moment cos it's a bit damp.

Let's see how Steven designed the upstairs.

This would be great to set up as a second lounge, for the kids.

If you want to get a pony, you can graze a pony on that.

-That's what she wants.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

The other great thing about a self-build is you get to have your bedroom just the way you want it.

The master. The parents' retreat.

Oh, I like this. This is nice.

It's true that property two has a lot going for it,

but what do the Lloyds think about the £225,000 price tag?

Well, it's less than our house is worth.

-It's less than we paid for our house two years ago.

-Yeah.

It's got more land than our house.

Our house would probably fit in the garden twice.

This is north-facing, so it gets lots and lots of sun.

-I think this is a really nice place.

-It's lovely.

I love the size of the garden.

It's a huge garden.

-What do you think?

-I like it.

I like the location. I like the size of the house.

-I like the garden.

-I like it all, really.

But there'd be arguments over who was going to have which room,

so you'd have to have the downstairs bedrooms.

On the road again and this time to the new and upmarket estate of Greenhithe.

Five minutes from town, property three is a luxurious

three-bedroomed house, with all mod cons and a good size garden.

Hi, guys. Welcome.

It's on the market for 775,000 New Zealand dollars, or £330,000.

It's more than the Lloyds are looking to spend.

But if Gareth's job interview goes well tomorrow, a bigger mortgage may not seem so scary.

Agent Jackie Smith's here to show them around.

-And you must be Dad.

-Yeah.

-Nice to meet you. Come on in. Welcome to Greenhithe.

Very, very nice estate, this is. Nice houses. Nice location.

It's a beautiful place.

So this is a house in Greenhithe.

Built in 2005.

And we're on about 600 square metres of site with about a 200-square-metre house size.

So we've got, obviously, our family living here

and a fantastic size kitchen. Again, we're facing north,

you get to have lots of sun in the afternoon.

Guys, we'll go through to the dining and second living area.

So, good size rooms and of course, all the doors you can close off,

so if you are having family here and entertaining, you guys can be in here

and the children can be in the room next door,

but you're on the second level, so you can hear them shouting.

There's some good parks over the road.

There's the Scouts and the Brownies. Perhaps we'll introduce you to the local football team,

see if you'll fit into school life. Real community feel here.

-Lovely.

-I like the sound of the football and the Scouts. I go to both of them and I enjoy them.

On Saturday night, there's stuff down there for Mum and Dad as well,

so just need to find a friendly babysitter.

Maybe Jackie's free. She's friendly enough. On to the bedrooms.

Really good size.

And lots of storage.

-Could this be your room, do you think?

-Not my room.

I might have another room for you.

Another big room with twin beds in this one.

Lots of storage.

-You could have this one?

-No.

-What do you want the other room for?

I'm looking at the other rooms and seeing what they are like.

-You're not having the room upstairs.

-Yes.

-No.

-So, Jamie, would this be Mum and Dad's room then, so Mum and Dad are going to have bunk beds?

-Yep.

-OK.

Sorry, Jamie, the upstairs is reserved exclusively for Mum and Dad!

The master bedroom with en-suite takes up the entire floor.

-This is nice.

-And nice views of Lucas Creek over in the distance.

-Look.

-Wow! Look at the views.

Nice dressing room. And your own private en-suite.

You can close the door and leave the rest of the family downstairs.

Oh, look, this is nice, isn't it?

It's very modern, but I do like it. It's very sort of fresh.

-Nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-So, shall we grab our shoes, folks, and go outside and see the rest of the garden and walk around?

-Yep.

-Have a look at it?

-Will the garden be the icing on the cake

with enough room for these two sporty kids?

I like this house.

-I think it's similar in style, I suppose, to ours.

-Yeah.

Nice size rooms. A nice size garden, as well.

Yeah. I think we are surprised about how much we can afford out here.

Our property back home's about 300,000, as well.

It's basically what we have when we get there, bring the mortgage over here, almost.

Sounds very easy if you can earn the same kind of money, but that's by no means certain.

So, the Lloyds have seen three properties in the Auckland area.

House number one had four bedrooms,

all a tad on the small size and so was the garden.

Property two also had four bedrooms and was tastefully decorated.

And the third house went down well with everyone,

though it only had three bedrooms and the Lloyds would need a £100,000 mortgage to buy it.

So, we've seen all three properties now.

Do we prefer the properties in the UK or New Zealand?

One, two, three -

-New Zealand!

-UK!

What, how come?

I told you, I don't want to go.

Our house is fine.

We have a park nearby with football pitches.

I have a football team and well, our garden's big enough. It's fine.

I want you to think about it, though.

-I have.

-I do see her point.

-I've decided. UK.

-She says she doesn't want to go,

but I thought she would have voted

at least for the housing being better.

The Lloyds are just beginning to get the full measure of life

in New Zealand, but Gareth has quite a hurdle to jump.

After a period of being out of work in the UK,

he's desperate to make a good impression and to find the right job.

Gareth earns over £46,000 plus allowances in the UK.

To make the move, he's hoping to find the right job for the right money in Auckland.

Meanwhile, across town, Carol's hoping to persuade the kids

that there's plenty on offer in New Zealand to entertain them.

Jamie's always wanted to see a shark in the flesh, so she's taking them to Auckland's aquarium.

It's essential Jamie feels there's something in New Zealand for him.

Is that a wobbegong?

Yeah. That's a wobbegong shark. It's an Australian type of carpet shark.

Oh, look at that, Jamie.

Wow! That's massive!

Gareth's climbed the stairs to the third floor

to meet Ian, his boss for the day.

But in his shirt and tie,

will he seem overdressed in the laidback New Zealand workplace?

-Hiya.

-Hi, Gareth. How are you?

-I'm great.

-Welcome. I love your tie, by the way.

Ah, maybe the tie is a step too far.

Hopefully, his co-workers will be as smart as Gareth.

Oh, well, there's a free breakfast.

-Great.

-On Monday mornings, we have breakfast here.

This is how we get people to work on time. We give them free food.

-Oh, right.

-Works a treat, actually.

It's too warm in here.

A good call, Gareth. You need to feel comfortable if you're going to do your best today.

Me getting a job out here is crucial for the family.

'It's important I make good contacts, I leave a good impression here.

'If they haven't got vacancies, they can recommend me to other people.'

Ian's managerial approach is to encourage free and creative thinking

through a relaxed and informal workplace.

-So, boys, where are you taking our products today?

-To the future.

-To the future.

-And beyond.

Oh, really.

I feel reassured.

I feel safe now.

Over at the aquarium, Jamie's captivated,

but Carol can't stop thinking about Gareth

and how he's getting on in his job trial.

There's a lot of pressure on him

because it's the deciding factor really, for him...is the job.

Job satisfaction is important, as is the money,

but I think the job satisfaction is more important

cos I think that he wants to be happy in what he's doing

rather than just slogging every day.

I am concerned about what he's going through because I think

he's put a lot of faith in the job being what he's looking for

and everything else is secondary because he's got to work to support us all, I suppose, yeah.

He needs to...

He wants to be happy in what he's doing.

So far, Gareth's been treated to breakfast and a tour of his prospective workplace,

but surely he can't get off that easy.

Yeah. I've just been here an hour and I find it kind of a very relaxed environment.

There probably is pressure, but there doesn't seem anybody under pressure.

Well, if it's pressure you want, Gareth, Ian's got someone to put you through your paces.

Meet Big Steve.

Now, he's got a few little exercises for you.

-Pleased to meet you.

-And you.

It's Gareth's greatest fear.

A recruitment test on systems he may not be familiar with

and certainly hasn't revised for.

-So I'll leave you guys to it and, Gareth, good luck.

-Cheers. Thanks.

To pass this test, Gareth needs to score well.

At least 50% is essential.

I haven't had to do a test since I did my earlier Microsoft certification in NT4,

which was about 1998.

A bit stressful, but we'll have to see how it goes.

It's a pretty solid sort of test

and I think probably not having been warned,

this will be a hard test for him to do well on,

so it's going to be a challenge for him, really.

Quite a tough exam really, this.

So, I suppose realistically,

50% would be a good pass mark at this stage.

How do you think Dad's getting on at work?

I hope he doesn't like the work.

-Well, I hope he votes for New Zealand. Yeah.

-No!

-OK, Steve, I've now finished here.

-All done.

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

-How did you go there?

-Not too good. I got 56%.

-Are you happy with that?

-Not really. No.

There were some questions that I've never done before, so we'll see.

I am aware that this is a large area

and unless you work in all those areas that you...

More than 50% is a good result, so we're pretty happy with that.

So, has Gareth shown these software guys he's got the hardware for the job?

I think Gareth's a terribly nice guy. He'd fit in here really well.

People with Gareth's skills are increasingly hard to find

and he should be able to get jobs in this part of the world,

in fact, in most other parts of the world, as well.

My first impressions are that he's very capable.

He's a fantastic chap.

That's wonderful!

Ian can see Gareth's potential and feels he could fit in well.

But how was it for Gareth?

It's a place that I could really enjoy working in.

The people there are really nice. It's the right environment.

They've told me the salary I can expect would be 110 to 130,000 dollars,

which is around about 45K.

When you convert it back to pounds, it's less than what I'm on.

Looking at the lifestyle, the social life they have there,

it seems to be the right type of work balance.

What's the verdict, Gareth?

Work in the UK, or New Zealand?

Overall, with work, I prefer... New Zealand.

If, like the Lloyd family, you're considering a move to New Zealand,

we found out how welcoming are the Kiwis

and what's on offer to ease immigrants into Kiwi life.

Folk from the UK are wonderful. When they come they tend to love it.

They stay, drive on the left of the road, speak English.

The red carpet is out and we're very keen.

More and more are coming from the UK and it's fantastic.

This positive attitude is extended via a welcoming ceremony like this.

They're fairly relaxed affairs

where you're likely to be greeted with traditional Maori performances.

THEY CHANT

And warmly received by local officials and organisations.

The migrant support group are here. The business development folk are here.

There's educational supporters here. It's about saying, "Hey, thanks".

It's less about formalities, more about having a drink and fun

and as Mayor, it's a thrill to be able to say, "Welcome to our place, what can we do to help?"

Making that transition into a new community

isn't always plain sailing, but don't panic.

There are free services on hand to offer support

and opportunities to make new friends.

The meet-ups we organise around the country are a way

for settled migrants and skilled migrants to get together, share information

and also introduce each other to new clubs, their network of friends.

We're a support network and it can just help...help people move in,

help people if they need a babysitter, normal things in life.

So, if you're willing to put the effort in,

there's help available and plenty of encouragement, too.

Here's the Mayor of New Plymouth again, with his top migration tips.

My three tips are very simple.

It's just three words. Just do it.

Just do it. Get on a plane and get out here. You'll love it.

When Gareth Lloyd was made redundant, the family began to consider a new start in New Zealand.

We just hope we can have a better lifestyle out there really.

Opportunities are going to be better for the whole family.

Their way of life is not the same. They're a lot more...

relaxed about things.

But all along, daughter Abi has been against a move.

I just don't really see the need of going.

I don't really want to go either, because I'll miss people.

Mum and Dad were bowled over with the property they could get for their money.

It's got a lot more land than our house. Our house would probably fit in the garden twice.

-But Abi voted UK.

-I told you. I don't want to go.

Our house is fine. I've decided. UK.

Gareth's day at work was a success,

but will he and Carol ever get Abi onside?

I think I could maybe live here, but I'm still not really convinced.

And will the heartache of loved ones back home sew seeds of doubt for all the family?

Taking grandchildren away that they might not see again

-makes it more difficult, doesn't it?

-Don't cry.

The Lloyd family have only a few short days before they must make the biggest decision of their lives.

I can see it's going to be an uphill struggle

to get Abi ever to accept the idea of moving to New Zealand.

One way, maybe, to encourage her is to see if she can make some great new friends.

Before they came over to New Zealand,

the Lloyds got in touch with the Auckland Football Federation

and arranged for Abi to train with their women's under-12s team,

some of the best players in the country.

A little bit nervous, but more excited.

Richard, the coach, will be putting Abi through her paces.

And he's English, so that should reassure Abi.

Girls, this is Abi, from England.

And she's over here with her parents and they're thinking of moving over to New Zealand.

So, if you'd all like to give her a warm welcome. Nice to meet you, Abi.

The session's about keeping the ball in possession.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Whereabouts in England are you?

-Bedford.

Oh, dear. Maybe there's a bit of a language barrier here.

Perhaps Abi should let her football do the talking.

Great movement, Abi. Good.

Good. Good. Her skills are great.

There's nothing wrong with her skills.

No doubt about it.

It's just the age where you're meeting people for the first time

and she's very, very quiet at the moment.

Which is unusual because on the pitch, she's very loud.

That's why she's been made captain. She's loud. She gives commands.

Once she's in and she knows what she's doing,

then she'll be her usual self. A bit frightening, really.

This is very important. If she comes here, enjoys the football,

sees that football continues here,

with people she likes, then she'll be happy coming here.

At the moment, that's one of her big issues in not coming...is football.

I think, if she gets on well today,

the decision to come out here to live will be a lot easier.

There'll be a future in a club. She's a cracking little player.

-And I'd like to have her in my side.

-Wow!

She's got a place on the team if she wants it.

But with some new Kiwi footy mates, how's she feeling?

It's fun. They were really nice.

I think I could maybe live here, but I'm still not really convinced.

It sounds like today's session

has helped soften her on the prospect of moving,

even if she's not totally onside yet.

Before they vote, a quick test for the whole family

to make friends with the locals.

Hi. My name's Jamie and I'm on a television programme called Wanted Down Under.

Excuse me. I'm Abi and wondered if you'd help me for a second, please.

-Yes, dear, what would you like?

-I'd like you to hold this.

We're doing a TV programme and we need you to hold these cards.

We've got to make a decision on who are the friendliest people. People from the UK or New Zealand.

-Will you do that for me?

-Sure.

-I'm going to ask you to spin the card and I'll tell you what to vote.

-OK.

-Can you do that for me?

So I'm going to spin it and you're going to tell me which way.

I'm going to tell you which one to spin and you'll show that.

Each member has nominated a stranger to vote for them,

after telling them which flag to show.

It's time for us to vote on who's the most friendly.

People in the UK or people in New Zealand. So, after three. One. Two. Three.

EVERYONE: New Zealand.

Doesn't mean I've changed my mind on coming here.

LAUGHTER

The Lloyds are nearly at the end of their week's trial of life

in New Zealand, but will messages from friends and family at home

influence their final vote?

-Hello, kids.

-Hello, Gareth, Carol.

Hope you're having a fantastic time.

They've always thought about moving, but where,

why New Zealand cos it's so far, perhaps they want to get rid of us.

It's a long, long way, isn't it?

Who knows? I might not get there.

I just didn't want to believe it to be honest,

because I felt I would never see them again.

Whenever Abigail or Jamie were playing

an important football match,

they'd let me know and I'd go and watch them, shout for them.

Yes, I shall miss all of that.

EVERYONE: Hi, Abi!

Abi's a supportive player.

If she scores goals, we all love her.

She's amazing and everyone's going to miss her a lot.

Jamie is just lovable.

He loves his sharks and he loves his football.

They're just nice kids.

It's just that we will miss them and hopefully,

they will miss us, because we are always here for them.

Always have been. Always will be.

Gareth's grandmother now is 90 years of age.

She's been in ill health. She's been in hospital.

We haven't told her you're going because she's so frail.

We're worried about upsetting her.

It could possibly be the last time you'll see her.

I don't think I could go to the airport because I would be so upset,

it would upset the children. It would upset...

Gareth and Carol.

And it'd upset the rest of the passengers getting on the plane.

THEY CHUCKLE

It's almost saying goodbye.

I may never see them again.

If they...if they do go, I may never see them once they go.

It sort of, erm...leaves a void in our lives.

Don't cry.

I just don't know what to do.

Don't cry. You will see them again.

Of that I'm quite sure.

I know we will, but...it's hard.

So, so, so hard.

Just going to miss you.

I'll just have to try my best

and just hope that we'll all meet up.

If I can't come to see you, you'll just have to come to see me.

But I love you to bits.

Bye.

Abi, how are you feeling now?

Funny. Sad.

-No regrets about coming and living here?

-Yes, I have.

We're not coming.

-Because?

-Because I said we're not.

-Carol?

-I don't know. It's difficult. You knew it was going to be like that.

They never tell you things face to face like they told you on there,

which makes it more difficult, doesn't it?

Like Sheila was saying, Carol's mum was saying

the phone calls, that won't stop.

We have the Internet. My parents like travelling,

so I don't see why they wouldn't come out and visit us anyway.

So it won't be a problem, them coming out.

Your mum will be hard. I don't think she'll come out.

I think it'll be very hard

because I think the only time we would see her is if we went home

on holiday or went back on holiday,

but I think the only contact we would have is by phone.

It does make me a bit sad, sort of taking grandchildren away,

the chances are they might not see again,

or if they do see, it's going to be once a year

or once every two years. Yeah.

Probably every two years.

It's a sobering thought, which only adds to Abi's doubts.

Once you've seen the DVD, I'm not really sure.

-Why not?

-Because it's pointless.

I'm going home and I'm not coming back.

The more Gareth and Carol try to convince Abi, the more she pushes back.

Is there any chance left that they might make the move?

Abi takes some time to reflect.

They don't listen.

My mum's more open to listening than my dad.

My dad's made up his mind and he wants to come,

and if this trip wasn't what he expected,

he still would have said "Oh, it's great, we're coming."

It's, like, you like certain things.

I mean, I like certain things about it here,

but I wouldn't like to live here

and I'm trying to please my mum and dad.

But then if I say, "Oh, I like this bit cos we don't get that at home,

then they'll use...well, my dad said he won't use anything against me but he does.

And they'll assume I like it here and might make me move almost.

It's their last day and the final vote is nearly upon them.

When it comes to the crunch, which way will Abi vote?

The Lloyd family have come to the end of their week in Auckland and it's been tough.

A surprise test at work for Gareth piled on the pressure.

I haven't had to do a test since 1998.

Bit stressful.

Finding the right home was essential.

What I've seen so far I like. The space is great here.

The location.

Even the city doesn't seem to be that busy.

But from the start, 12-year-old Abi was determined

she wouldn't leave her friends and family behind.

I'll try and be like reasonable, but if they make me come

when I don't want to, then I'll just have to try and prove to them that it's the wrong decision.

And it turned into a battle of wills between Abi and her mum and dad.

It's pointless.

I'm going home and I'm not coming back.

I think her stubbornness has been more than normal, a lot more than normal, I think.

She's just come out and decided and I've said no and that's it.

There's so much to weigh up and it's time for their final decision.

If we've got to put up with Abigail saying, "I told you so, shouldn't have come,"

every time something goes wrong, or even when she is enjoying stuff

she won't admit it, if she comes here with that attitude.

So, I really need her to vote for New Zealand.

It's crunch time. It's time to make the vote.

So, after three.

Let's vote on whether we'd prefer to live in New Zealand or the UK.

-UK.

-New Zealand.

-New Zealand.

-UK.

Jamie's agreeing with his sister.

But why have you changed your mind?

Because after the tape, erm...it made me really think about it.

I would like to live here but I couldn't leave friends and family.

-So if they came out with us, you'd be happy, yeah?

-Yep.

-OK.

We're 50/50 on our vote then.

Abi's determination to stay in the UK

dominated the whole week for the Lloyd family.

Her resolve slightly wavered when it came to making friends,

but in the end she stuck to her guns

and Jamie came round to her point of view.

But Gareth and Carol are still determined

the whole family will move where they're Wanted Down Under.

We've got a bit of talking to do, haven't we? A few things to talk about.

-Yes, we have.

-And to sort of see where we go from here.

-Yep.

OK. Let's go, then. Come on.

Join us next time to find out what happens

when another British family have to decide

whether to go where they're Wanted Down Under.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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