Evans 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.

Anthony and Alex Evans and nine-year-old twins

Amy and Rebecca are dreaming of a new start in Australia.

Their lifestyle in rural Shropshire is seriously wearing them down.

We feel that we're working too much in this country to make ends meet

and we think that perhaps over there life might be a little bit better.

Mum and Dad are music teachers with an impossible working schedule.

My work is out of the local area.

Anthony mismatches several part-time jobs and we both teach privately from home in the evenings as well.

Would teaching down under really be any easier?

I think the biggest fear of the move to Australia would be financial,

to make sure we could find enough work to

be able to afford to live.

And could they bear to leave Anthony's son and daughter behind?

If Aaron said to me "don't go", I'd have to think about it,

but if Katie asked me not to go, I don't think I'd go.

So might the dream of a simpler life in Australia prove to be

an illusion, or will they go where they're Wanted Down Under?

In the current economic downturn, Australia's a strong draw.

Last year, over 60 Brits a day made the move,

grabbing the chance to transfer their skills,

but had they really thought through their big decision to emigrate?

We've pushed 20 British families to breaking point

as they find out about real life down under

and, after just one week, they'll have to vote, one way or the other.

Will they stay in the UK or will they move to Australia?

Alex and Anthony Evans are passionate about music.

They met through a band and whether playing, teaching or conducting,

their life depends on it.

We both enjoy every area of music.

It's just too strong really to describe sometimes.

Neither of us can really function without music.

But their workloads are exhausting.

Alex commutes hundreds of miles each week teaching woodwind in schools across Wales.

My job itself entails travelling from one school to another,

but because I teach in a county which isn't the county we live in,

I have a long journey time out there and a long journey time back at the end of the day,

so whereas ideally working in schools should fit with the children's schooling hours,

with my additional travelling it means I leave before they go to school

and get back after they do.

Anthony teaches in a school, gives private lessons from home

in the evenings and works as a Band Master for the Territorial Army.

My work with the TA takes me away on weekends,

because it's like weekend soldiering,

and we do a lot of our engagements with the band on weekends.

That has got a great impact on family life.

We don't get a chance to do things together, not much at all, really.

With such a demanding schedule

there's little time or energy left over for twins Amy and Rebecca.

We're kind of getting to the stage that by the time the weekend comes,

you don't feel like doing any family-orientated activities because you want to collapse in a heap!

The Evans desperately need to simply their lives and, as the main visa applicant,

Alex is optimistic that Australia is the answer.

Having looked at the jobs market over there, there seems to be far more job opportunities for music teachers,

particularly instrumental music teachers, in Australia than there currently are in England.

But a move down under would be an emotional wrench.

The family would be forced to give up their cherished home.

Our house is fantastic, it's quirky, it's different.

It's stuck down a dirt track in the middle of nowhere that SatNav often doesn't find,

which we both love,

and we'd love to be able to pick it up and take it with us.

And Anthony is facing the daunting prospect of leaving his two grown-up children, Aaron and Katie, behind.

I've got a lump in my throat at times thinking should I leave them behind,

but I think what's...what's best for me is important as well, you know.

My happiness and my life with Alex is important.

Katie is definitely...

I think she's probably gonna be the hardest person to miss.

Um, Katie has a big influence on all of us.

The girls absolutely idolise her and I think I have been incredibly

lucky that as well as a step-daughter I've gained a very close friend,

and I think she'll be the hardest to miss more than anyone else.

Are the Evans ready for the sacrifices a move down under would demand?

To help them decide, we've offered them a life-changing opportunity...

a trip to Melbourne on the South Coast of Australia.

We found three different lifestyles for our family to sample...

one in the country, one in the city and one on the coast;

each one with the offer of a job and a brand new lifestyle for them to enjoy on their budget.

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

The outer suburbs of Melbourne

are a great place to relax in peace and quiet.

Picturesque towns with quaint shops and cafes are only a short drive away.

Chilling out in suburbia is much cheaper than city life

and a family home would set you back in the region of £200,000.

Alan Capello is the director of a music teaching agency and he's on the look-out for new staff.

Part-time work here would pay around £240 per week.

The students usually learn in small groups,

where they support each other, learning within a social environment.

In this area we've got national parks,

the plants and wildlife are just gorgeous;

it's just fantastic for the family to be there.

I hope you like what you've seen.

We are looking for part-time teachers and we would love to hear from you.

So that was the kind of lifestyle they could enjoy in the country.

Let's take a look at what's possible in the city on their budget.

Melbourne is Australia's capital of culture

and it's host to music, food and arts from all around the world

and, if you're a fan of cosmopolitan cafe life, this is the city for you.

City properties don't come cheap.

A small family home would set you back around £300,000.

With a part-time teaching job at this urban music school, you could earn around £150 per week.

Richard Bodinna is the co-owner.

We teach all different instruments.

We have about 20 teachers teaching 270 students coming through the school each week.

Here in Bucks Hill, we're really close to all of the music of Melbourne.

Everywhere you turn there's music.

Alex, your ability as a flute, saxophone and clarinet teacher would

be invaluable here at White Horse Music, so please come down under.

It looks like their lifestyle could shape up pretty well in the city,

but what about a new life on the coast?

The beaches of Melbourne are a great place for the family,

with bags of open space and entertainment on offer, you kids are just going to love it.

But with the promise of such a great lifestyle, coastal properties

don't come cheap and family homes cost upwards of £250,000.

Justin Forster is the boss of a local music agency which supplies

teachers to schools all over Melbourne.

A job here would pay 40 -

around £20 - per hour.

We take a very fun and lively approach with our students

and it's really important to me that each student looks at music as a way of life.

We've got so many fantastic things to see and do down here and the beaches and bays are amazing.

Alex, at the moment I'm looking for a woodwind/keyboard teacher.

When you come to Australia, please look me up, that would be great.

I'm really keen to meet you.

So there were three possible lifestyle options for the Evans family to try out in Melbourne:

in the country where a relaxing lifestyle, cheaper property

and a job at Alan Capello's music agency awaits them;

in the city where a buzzing art scene and teaching work

at Richard Bodinna's music school is up for grabs,

and on the coast where a carefree beach life and a job

at Justin Forster's agency is on offer.

So, three very different possibilities for our family to try, so which one suited them best?

The Evans are trying out the coast option for their week down under.

Would life on the other side of the world really be that much simpler?

An uncomfortable 10,000-mile journey to Melbourne

gets them off to a shaky start.

The flight was a bit bumpy.

There was a lot of turbulence, especially on the second leg, it was quite rough in places.

It just seems to have been a long time coming to getting out here,

and it's really nice to have arrived.

Having made it this far, the family are feeling optimistic.

The week ahead's going to be really exciting. I'm really looking forward to it.

The girls were in cheers as soon as we actually hit Australian soil,

saying, "Yes, we've arrived in Melbourne...this is it!"

They're anxious to see if Australia is the solution to their complicated way of life.

Situated in the south-east, Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia.

It's packed with theatres, galleries and museums,

has a celebrated programme of arts events and a buzzing music scene.

With a population of 3.8 million, it's the second largest city in Australia after Sydney.

For their trial week, the family are staying in a three-bedroom house in Sandringham,

a smart beach-side suburb just 20 minutes from the city centre.

-..So that you can just have a look.

-Wow!

-Go on, then!

It's the family's first encounter with a modern Australian house.

Given their quirky house in the UK, what will they make of it?

It looks a bit small from outside, doesn't it, but it is quite spacious inside.

Wow!

It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-Very big.

-We should go for something like this.

We're staying here, aren't we!

So far, so good. How about the kitchen?

-It could be Daddy's kitchen probably.

-Yeah. Let's check this cooker out.

That's Daddy's kitchen, yes.

-Daddy, they've got loads of space.

-Loads of space, yeah.

This property has a back garden, but it's a fraction of the size of their UK one.

-Very small.

-That's very small.

Very cosy though, isn't it?

They're not too impressed until Anthony spots the ultimate Aussie accessory...

There's a barbie!

That's you happy as well!

Yes! Big old barbie!

There's the gas as well.

Witness the male of the species bonding with new equipment!

-Jolly good!

-It doesn't matter what the weather does.

Back in the house it's time to work out who will sleep where. We're entering dangerous territory!

-I want that room.

-I'm at the top, I'm at the top this night.

-You'll have to sort it out.

-You're not sharing a bedroom. We want you to sleep.

That's a no from Mum and Dad, then!

Onto the master bedroom, which the twins think is up for grabs.

-Nice picture!

-OUR bedroom!

-It's MY bedroom!

-Excuse me, Lady Muck!

-Oh, dear!

Alex has got a fight on her hands.

-You are not having it.

-And Anthony is predicting more trouble...

We're gonna have problems with the bedrooms - there's bunk beds in one

and they both want that room, but we don't want to put them together

because they'll never go to sleep!

So how are they feeling about the rental property?

I think it looks, it feels a little bit like a holiday home,

but that could be a typical Australian house,

we don't know until we see some more.

Yes, we both looked on the internet and obviously looked into properties,

and you're never sure what to expect until you get here.

I think it would be quite similar to the house we're looking for, but for our work,

to do what we do, teaching music, I don't think this area, with such close neighbours, I don't think

they'd appreciate it so much if we started playing the trumpet in here.

The family have had their first taste of Australian property and the jury's out.

Tomorrow things are going to get a whole lot more complicated.

Back in the UK, the Evans are deeply attached to their home.

It's a three-bedroom property in a remote hamlet in Shropshire with a big garden

and plenty of space to play their instruments as loudly as they like.

If they braved the UK housing market and sold up, they would have £200,000...

around Australian 400,000 to spend.

They need a three-bed home with a dedicated space

for practising and teaching music without upsetting the neighbours.

Given Melbourne's property market, they'd be lucky to find somewhere big enough for the money.

We found them three properties to get a realistic idea

of what they could afford if they made the big decision to emigrate.

Property 1 is a three-bedroom bungalow in the suburb of Bentley East,

just half an hour from the city.

It's on the market for Australian 460,000,

just over their budget at £230,000.

-The family's search for space doesn't get off to the best start...

-Wipe your feet.

It's a very small living room, isn't it? It's very compact.

-It's smaller than what we've got at the moment, isn't it?

-Quite compact.

Don't panic yet, Anthony.

A games room next to an open-plan dining area and kitchen creates quite a big room.

-It's grown!

-This is a bigger space, isn't it?

Much bigger! It's bigger than I expected it to be.

-I don't think we need a snooker table, do we?!

-No!

Give us a break, Anthony! There must be something here that you like?

-Nice kitchen.

-That's your area.

-Yep.

That's more promising, but are Alex and Anthony ready for double-trouble in the bedrooms!

-This looks like the smallest of them.

-It's a gym at the moment

but it is a bedroom, girls, so this will be one of your bedrooms.

-Not mine.

-Too small.

That wardrobe is too small.

The wardrobe's too small for you!

-Yeah.

-I'm sorry!

Do we need the second bedroom just for your wardrobe?

-Yeah!

-OK, then.

Rebecca has a Victoria Beckham- size wardrobe in mind, and it's not shaping up!

Maybe the next bedroom will meet her approval.

The same size.

It looks much bigger.

It does seem bigger. It's a different shape, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Feels smaller to me.

Oh, dear! Now Amy doesn't seem too impressed!

-They're both quite big bedrooms, aren't they?

-Yeah, neither of them are tiny.

-It's difficult to work out the size of the other bedroom without seeing a bed in it.

-Yeah.

Onto the master bedroom and the girls have twigged that it's for Mum and Dad.

Mum's bedroom.

-Mummy!

-What?

-It's en-suite!

And that must be a walk-in wardrobe.

-That's my wardrobe. Where's yours?

-Where's my stuff gonna go?

-It's a lot bigger than the other bedrooms, isn't it?

-Yes. That's because it's for two people.

It's really unusual having the different shape.

It's not purely square, is it?

Finally somebody's happy with the size and shape of a room, but how will the garden measure up?

This is a nice space, look.

-Not the sort of garden we were expecting, I don't think.

-It's just not, is it?

They're having trouble letting go of their much-loved UK home.

We're so used to having a big garden, we haven't really thought about

what the practicality would be of what we'd get here.

There's nowhere at the front to run around, is there?

It's looking really bleak until they discover a useful extra.

This spacious double garage could be ideal for teaching music.

-Wow!

-That's cool!

-So that's just to the side of the front door?

-Yep.

But Anthony has spotted yet another problem.

There's not much room for pupils' parking if we're going to teach from here, is there?

No. It would have to be on-road, wouldn't it?

-They'd have to park at the end and walk.

-You wouldn't get more than two cars here.

All things considered, it seems that size really does matter to the Evans family.

The house we've just viewed is quite nice but it's a little compact.

I'm thinking of music-making and where we would do it,

there's no separate bit where we can say go and practice in there.

There's no fourth bedroom that we could use as a music room

or a separate sort of family living room or something that could be turned into just a music room.

With it being all open-plan, down that bit, I don't think it would suit us.

It's a nice house, but I don't think it suits the way we want,

or what we were expecting to live in.

Property 1 just isn't big enough for them and it's slightly over budget.

Maybe Property 2 will hit the right note.

It's a three-bedroom home in Aspendale, a coastal suburb south of the city.

This colourful property has bags of character and is just five minutes from the beach.

They'd need Australian 550,000 or £275,000 to buy it.

It's over budget, but if they could find enough teaching work, this is a property they could aspire to.

This house takes open-plan living to an extreme level.

-Look at that table!

-That table is amazing!

The furniture seems to be making a good impression, at least.

-Nice space this, isn't it?

-It's an odd shape, it's nice, really unusual.

-Yeah, I like this.

-It's big, isn't it?

-Yes. A nice space.

-It's bigger than I thought it was gonna be.

-It's a nice space.

The kitchen, by contrast, is tiny and it's a pretty shocking colour!

-The kitchen is small, though, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Particularly for you.

-It is. There's no work surface, is there?

Next stop, the bedrooms, but will they meet the twins' high standards?

-A little bedroom.

-You've got to step down.

It's a funny shape. Yeah, a funny shape... I like it.

Not very big wardrobe!

That's a no, then!

Next door the family-sized bathroom looks big enough...

and could this be the perfect place for the twins to scrub up?

-There's no toilet in here.

-Huge shower! Two showers!

-Two showers? That's fantastic, isn't it?

-Yeah.

They're still a bit baffled by the Aussie-style layout.

-It's still getting used to everything being on one level, isn't it?

-Yeah.

We're so used to everything being on two.

The family are not entirely convinced and given the price, it's not a bad thing,

but this property has a winning feature they're about to see...

Now this would be the music room, wouldn't it?

-Wow!

-And it would be pretty perfect, wouldn't it?

-It's amazing!

It's a turning point! Suddenly they can see themselves moving in.

The piano needs to be off the outside wall, doesn't it?

-There's enough room in here to put...

-Put it in the middle!

-We can get a grand!

There's room for any size of piano, and plenty of storage space, too.

Instrument store.

The library! The music library!

-And instrument store!

-Wow!

This is amazing. But there's enough... you could get a quintet in here!

-Yeah!

-What's a quintet?

-Five people.

Five people playing together.

The studio is everything they dreamed of...

just the right space to make noise and stay friends with the neighbours, but it comes at a price.

The garden is small in comparison to their UK one,

it backs onto a golf course, but Anthony and Alex fail to see the benefit.

With the golf course, you're never gonna get any privacy, there's going to be people walking past

all the time, so we might have to put a proper fence up.

Yeah, you couldn't lie and sunbathe in a bikini or anything, really!

-Well, no, I wouldn't, anyway!

-I should hope not!

Me too! So would Property 2 give them the all-important room to make sweet music?

The studio space is absolutely spot-on, exactly what we need.

-That studio is just...brilliant!

-It's great.

I love the space and it's perfect for making music.

You wouldn't disturb anybody, it should be OK.

-And the location seems to be working, too.

-The area seems lovely.

Even though we're not as rural as we thought we'd want to be, it has that feeling of being rural.

And Amy can see herself living here.

The bedrooms are quite widely apart from each other

-so you can just stay in there...

-You've got your own space, haven't you?

-You have your own privacy in your room.

-You can get away from your sister!

-Yeah.

-Is that what you're thinking?

-Yeah.

They have found the spacious home they need, but at £75,000 over budget, it would break the bank.

Will Property 3 help them make up their minds?

This three-bed house in the city suburb of Oakley South is more affordable.

It's further from the beach but it has extra space on offer

in the shape of a sunroom and a car port and it's bang on their budget at Australian 400,000...

around £200,000.

Once inside, they're straight into a very modern living room

with a stunning fireplace, but Anthony is still struggling with the open plan concept.

I think I'd want doors on from there.

-Everywhere's open plan, though, isn't it?

-Yeah. It was gonna be a cosy room...

-From the entrance...

Will the kitchen, his favourite room in the house, cheer him up?

Kitchen/diner. Yes, it's a nice work surface. The kitchen... It is small, isn't it?

The kitchen's huge, but the dining area is the smallest.

It's the smallest open-plan diner,

-kitchen/diner, we've seen, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It's quite small, very small.

Oh, dear! It's a big let-down.

Let's hope the bedrooms are on the more generous side.

Finally, after a hard day searching, Amy and Rebecca find the holy grail of storage space!

You can have a wardrobe for me!

These look like doors into a room!

-Yes, this is the wardrobe, isn't it? Walk-in wardrobes.

-They won't open.

It's a good size room bedroom, isn't it?

And it's nice having a double room at the front...

The family are beginning to feel more positive, but then they step into the hall...

We could put a piano there, but then you'd have to have doors on here.

-And you couldn't play with the kids in bed.

-No.

It's just odd, isn't it, because the hallway's massive, but you can't do anything with it.

This property boasts extra space in the shape of a sun room, but is it what Alex and Anthony had in mind?

When it said sun room, I thought it was going to have a glass roof.

-Yeah. Because we couldn't do music in here, either.

-No.

-It's too thin.

It's a blow. Without that extra space for teaching, this property just won't work for them.

The back garden is their last hope.

-Nice decking area.

-That's nice.

Unlike the previous garden, the deck is a nicely secluded area.

It's nice through the outside. I like this, so that you can't actually see anybody else.

It creates a bit of privacy.

That must be the way you drive into the car port then, is it?

And maybe the adjacent car port could be used as a music room.

The problem is, it doesn't have any walls.

-You could get two cars under here.

-Yeah, we would.

But where are we going to do the music?

We can't. There wouldn't be a music room, would there?

I do like the outside decking, but it is very small.

There's no garden to speak of, is there?

-It's just too small.

-Yep.

Yet again, they're seriously disappointed with the lack of space available in this price bracket.

It is a very nice house, but it doesn't suit us. There's nowhere for us to do our music...

The price is definitely in budget, erm...

and so in that aspect it has shown

that our budget isn't unrealistic and our budget could be met out here.

Melbourne property has been a big let down for the Evans

and their decision is swaying towards home.

The house that we've got in the UK is really nice.

Unique little place with quite a nice garden and plenty of rural space around us.

The houses we've seen so far have not given us any of that feel at all.

The price of the houses we feel, well, I feel,

might be a little bit on the high side in the areas that we've looked.

The houses we've seen have all been really nice.

They've been very different to UK houses but we've still liked the houses...

they've just been too small and impractical for what we require,

but we would certainly want to continue looking.

Property one was far too small for the family.

They fell in love with property two but it would break the budget,

and the third house was unsuitable in every respect,

so after all that, can they see themselves buying a house down under?

Judging by the three properties that we've seen...

I think that I will have to go for...

UK.

And I'll also vote...UK.

It's a major setback for the family.

The reality of what they could get for their money has been a shock

and nothing has come close to replacing their UK home.

The Evans were surprised their money wouldn't go further in Melbourne,

so for them to move to Australia, finding well-paid work is essential.

They find making a living in the UK as music teachers tough, so can they make it work down under?

Back at home, Alex and Anthony's jobs as music teachers is wearing them down.

They work all hours, commute long distances and rarely spend time together as a family.

We're hoping that the work life won't be as manic

as what we have to do to make ends meet in the UK

and we won't have to work all the hours that God sends

to live the way we want to live.

As the main visa applicant, Alex is spending the day

at a local primary school to get an idea of Aussie music teaching.

It's just a ten minute drive from their rental property and has a great reputation for music.

While Alex gets to work, Anthony and the girls are heading off to get a taste of food shopping in Melbourne.

With the family's future in mind, Alex is anxious to make a good impression.

Ah, look who's here?

-Hi, Justin.

-How are you, Alex?

-Pleased to meet you.

-You too.

Unlike the UK, music education in Australia is often provided by independent agencies.

Alongside teaching, Justin Forster runs his own company placing staff in schools across Melbourne.

He's a great contact and someone Alex really needs to impress.

It's only 8 o'clock in the morning, but Justin and his young musicians are raring to go.

So what we're going to do today is we'll have the band rehearsal up until 9 o'clock

and then after that, we do a little bit of private woodwind teaching...

There's a busy day planned and it's looking scarily hands on for Alex.

So, this is our band room, and this is the music room of the school.

It's time for Alex to step up and perform.

One, two, three, four.

OK. And drop it there.

Hm. Well, Alex is feeling positive.

I must say, it's really impressive to see a band within a primary school.

-Yeah?

-In the UK it's quite rare to get a band of this size in a primary school.

The morning is flying by and so far Alex has loved joining in with the children,

but Justin wants to take a closer look at her teaching skills

and so she's going solo, teaching a lesson in one of the school's practice rooms.

Today, she's teaching brothers Steve and Daniel, with Justin keeping a watchful eye.

OK, this is Alex.

All I want you to do is to make up a little rhythm, but only using that one note.

Whilst Alex is being put through her paces,

Anthony and the girls check out Melbourne's Queen Victoria food market.

This local institution has been feeding Melbournians for 130 years.

From crocodile meat to emu and kangaroo, it has an incredible array of produce for sale.

This morning, Anthony and the girls are shopping for an all-Australian barbie.

I think I'll buy some of that!

-Six dollars 25.

-That's great.

The chance to try before you buy is winning Amy and Rebecca over.

Right, we'll get some salad.

So having tasted the wares of the market, is keen cook Anthony impressed?

There's so much to choose from, it's unbelievable.

All the fruit and veg is very, very fresh.

It's really good, but too busy for me, I think.

And he can't help wondering how Alex is getting on...

Hopefully she'll come back with some positive feedback

from the potential employers. Hopefully we'll find something.

-Brilliant!

-Back at school, Alex is getting ready to teach her second lesson of the day.

Thankfully she has an instrument in common with her next pupil, Sarah.

-Do you want to do it as a duet?

-OK.

We'll rattle through and I'll let you lead it, so whatever speed you want to go, you take it.

One, two, three, four.

So with the end of Alex's audition in sight,

does Justin think she's got what it takes?

So far, what she has shown is all the attributes that a good teacher has.

It is early days, but if Alex and her family decided

to come to Melbourne to live, that would be a great thing for us.

But to make the move, Alex needs to be certain that both she and Anthony could find enough work.

After the lesson, she is eager to find out what Justin could offer.

At the current position, what sort of hours, what amount of work would be available with your company?

Immediately, what I would look at is about nine to ten hours' work

at three different schools, just a couple of days a week.

Well, it's not full-time, but it's a start.

What about the all important commute?

At the moment I can be doing five schools in a day

and I can be covering 30 miles just from my first to my last school.

-Really?

-During the day as well as getting to and from the schools.

-Over in England?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

Wow! No, nothing like that here.

You would never work five schools in one day.

The thought of that makes me tired. How have you been coping with that? No wonder you're coming down here.

So has her morning at the school left Alex feeling she could make a go at music teaching in Melbourne?

The amount of work Justin is able to offer

wouldn't give me my full-time salary, I would need to supplement it.

I couldn't manage on just this one job with ten hours a week.

And how will she vote?

UK or Australia?

From the work experience at the school, it's been a really positive experience.

I've had a great time and really interesting to compare the work over here with my work in the UK,

and so for work, my vote has to be...

..Australia.

With one part-time offer of work to go on, is Alex sure she would be making the right decision?

Alex and Anthony Evans and twins, Rebecca and Amy, long for a simpler and less stressful way of life.

We're working too much in this country to make ends meet,

and we think that perhaps over there,

life might be a little bit better.

But their day looking at Melbourne property made them realise there's no place like home.

The houses have been very different to UK houses, but we've still liked the houses.

They've just been too small and impractical for what we require.

Time spent in the classroom showed Alex that teaching in Australia isn't really any easier.

I couldn't manage on just this one job with ten hours per week.

And when push finally comes to shove,

would Anthony be able to leave his grown-up children,

Katie and Aaron behind?

The true cost of moving down under is hitting home for Anthony and Alex,

but, given their stressful life back in the UK, could the Australian lifestyle be the deciding factor?

Today, Alex, Anthony and the girls are hiring bikes and setting off to explore the Melbourne coastline.

The city and its surrounds offer numerous bike trails,

perfect for a family day out.

The Evans are following a beach-side route

which leads up to St Kilda Pier, a historic Melbourne landmark.

It's a rare opportunity for some quality time together.

At the moment, I hardly see Alex because she's out at work or I'm out at work.

We've got to find some time to be a family, which is the thing we really feel we don't do at the moment.

But the reality of what they'll be leaving behind is beginning to sink in.

This is the time by the end of our visit here

that we're likely to feel the distance

and be much more aware of what and who we'll miss back in the UK...

friends, family, location... everything that we're used to.

And there's the girls' future to weigh up.

I'm not sure how the impact of actually emigrating there will have on the girls

and whether they understand that we're not coming back, I don't know.

But I don't know whether

they'll miss their grandparents or their friends from school...

things that are special to them.

There are so many pros and cons to mull over before they make their life-changing decision.

Amy and Rebecca have really enjoyed the ride.

Well, we've been cycling

and I kept doing races with Daddy and I kept winning.

I like it because it's very different to what we do at home.

It's really unusual for us sitting somewhere like this, at the end of a pier,

yet having a fantastic view of the Melbourne skyline, and it's just so unlike anything in the UK.

But Anthony is keeping a close eye on the pennies...

The girls had a sandwich each and me and Alex have had a cup of coffee,

and they had a milkshake and it's worked out about £15,

roughly, which is maybe a little bit expensive,

but we are in like a very touristy type place, really, so we'd expect to spend a bit more money.

At the end of the day, is the Melbourne lifestyle ringing the family's bell?

In the UK you'd have to pay to take the girls into some sort of indoor activity centre,

whereas here, it's just throw them on the beach and they'll be fine.

Everything seems more welcoming, it seems more open to family activities and things like the cycling.

Having the regular cycle paths and regular walkways.

It's just been really nice having the openness and the facility to do it.

So, how will they vote?

UK or Australia?

This morning's experience, with bike-riding,

we've all had a really enjoyable time, the weather's been fantastic,

so my vote for lifestyle has to be...

Australia.

This is the sort of activity you can do all year round here,

and in England you can't do that, so my vote was...

..Australia.

With thoughts turning to home, could the Evans really afford to fall for the Aussie way of life?

For Anthony, leaving the UK also means leaving his grown-up children and, when you're in a new country

so far away from loved ones, friends become terribly important.

We recorded some messages for the family from their loved ones back home.

Hi, Dad, hi, Alex, hi, Amy, hi, Rebecca.

Hope all's good out there.

Parties here are fantastic, going all night, all morning.

When Alex first mentioned it,

I didn't have any reservations

because I knew she's one of these people

that is gonna do something completely off the wall.

Alex is really supportive of my decisions and choices that I make

and I can always go to her

when I want some advice or any questions I wanna ask her.

She's always got the information that I want to hear

and we get on really well.

We get on more like sisters than step-mum and step-daughter.

You don't get true friends like Alex every day.

You might have lots of acquaintances

but for me, she is one of my best friends,

and I will miss her and I said I wouldn't cry and I'm trying not to!

She's a very bubbly person

but has a great private core to her, I think, as well.

I was there at the birth of the girls, the twins,

which was a great privilege for me,

so I've seen them really from the year dot,

and have been very lucky to do so.

Anthony is going to have a bit of a problem

because he's going to feel really guilty at leaving Katie and Aaron.

And he needs to get over that

and realise that Katie and Aaron are now adult

and they've got their own lives.

You only get one dad, like,

and once he's, er...gone,

I can't pop in and just say hello or borrow money.

I'll miss the girls because they look up to me, don't they?

And like, you know...

I admire them... they're really great girls.

I'm gonna miss having a friend that is that close

because school friends come and go,

but when you find a good one, it's really hard to wave goodbye.

It's the realisation that if you do say,

you're saying bye, and...

and you might not see them again, because it's such a long-term thing,

isn't it, and we will miss them,

because it's our baby brother. You must do what's best for you.

It's important that you do what's best for you.

We'll miss you and we'll always love you, but do what's best.

Alex, you're my oldest friend and we go back so long.

We've had good times and bad times and we've been there for each other,

so I miss you, and I will miss you, but we'll always keep in touch.

We're missing you loads.

Can't wait for you to get back. See you soon, bye.

I hope this first experience of Australia turns out to be really good for you

and if it's what you finally want to do, you know you go with our blessing and our love.

We'll miss you, but we'll see you again sometime, somehow.

I expected it to be hard when we saw it,

and I expect it to be even harder still if we take the plunge

and decide to come and live out here, and I don't think that

however much we prepare ourselves

we'll ever really understand how hard it's gonna be until we do it.

Yes, we'll miss them...but...

They're grown up... My children are grown up.

They've got their own lives to lead now and I can't be there for them

all the time, but we've got to think about us

and what we want and what's best for us.

My mum being 88, obviously she could live for another 20 years.

Knowing her, she's a real matriarch,

but there is a chance that I might never see here again

if I come back over here,

but it's got to be a decision that we've got to make together

and once we make that decision, that's that...there's no going back.

Such a mix of emotions!

However much a move down under beckons, it's clear that Anthony,

for one, is being pulled in different directions.

The trial week has been an important learning experience for the Evans.

They came looking for a simpler life, but has it really been that different to the UK?

Australian property left them feeling flat.

The house prices, we feel, we'll need to go out of the city more

to get what we want.

In order to get an extra room

that could be used as a music room,

that would definitely mean

that we needed to go a bit further out of Melbourne.

Even the outer-Melbourne suburbs were still quite pricey,

to give us the extra accommodation.

Alex enjoyed her experience of music teaching down under.

The work experience was a really positive experience.

I was also very pleased to find the enthusiasm

with teaching music and both by the pupils of learning music.

The rate of pay of about 40 an hour is on par with what we're earning,

or Alex is earning, in the UK.

I earn a little bit more in private schools

and Alex's work experience was in a public school,

or state school, so it may be in the private schools,

it might be a little bit more, maybe.

We don't know. We'll have to see.

But to make it work would mean combining part-time jobs,

leaving little time for family life, and there is Amy and Rebecca's future to take into account.

Obviously the girls and their impressions were a huge part of our decision.

If they didn't want to do it, we really wouldn't.

The impression I get from them is they both loved this week

and they are, at the moment, talking about why do we have to go home, why can't we just stay?

So as their trial week comes to an end, can the Evans see

themselves taking the big leap and starting again in Australia?

It's time for the family to make up their minds in one last vote.

So we've had our week in Australia, and it's been interesting.

My final vote is...

..Australia.

And my final vote is...

..Australia.

My final vote is...

Australia.

My final vote is...

..Britain.

Mum, Dad and Rebecca are ready to begin a new life down under,

but for Amy, family and friends are just too important to leave behind.

Although the Evans family didn't find the house of their dreams in Melbourne,

they haven't given up hope of finding a new life in Australia.

I could see Amy would really miss those loved ones back home,

but the rest of the family feel they'll be better off moving where they're Wanted Down Under.

Join us next time and find out what happens when another British family

decide whether to go where they're Wanted Down Under.

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