McDermott 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.

Australia's been a long-held dream for Karen McDermott.

Back in 2004 she and husband Alan, and children Bradley and Zara

were all set to make the move, then Karen had some devastating news.

I discovered a lump in my breast and went to the doctor's and I had breast cancer.

When you get something like that come along, thoughts of emigrating go to the back of your mind.

Five years on, Karen's fully recovered and determined to press ahead with their travel plans.

But is adventurous dad Alan ready to leave the past behind?

'Karen's illness has made us seriously think,'

"Should we prevent ourselves doing something that maybe is gonna niggle us for the rest of our lives?"

And can they afford their ambition of running their own business in Australia?

'We need to turn over something like 200,000 per annum.'

To do that you've probably got to buy a business that's round about 400,000.

That's gonna make it financially suicidal for us, I think.

So will the McDermotts' dream turn into a nightmare,

or will they end up going where they are Wanted Down Under?

In the current economic downturn, Australia is a strong draw.

Last year, over 60 Brits a day made the move, taking advantage of the skills shortage.

But how carefully had they thought about their big decision?

We followed another 20 British families

as they test out the dream of a new life Down Under.

They have one week to find out as much as they can

about homes, work and lifestyle before voting on their future.

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

After battling breast cancer, Karen McDermott with husband Alan

and their children still dreams of a new life in Australia.

Alan is a senior manager for a large IT company, but for him, work is a means to an end.

He has a busy social life at his local tennis club, and dabbles in DJing with his friend, Roy.

Although I really enjoy my job, it's different every single day

and it is challenging,

I feel that sometimes it impinges slightly on the social side.

For Karen, too, it's important to slow things down a bit.

When you're live near London, life is so fast-paced,

it would be nice just to step off

that merry-go-round and do things at a slower pace, and enjoy doing them.

Karen has high hopes for a better way of life

for 11-year-old Zara and Bradley, who's seven.

I want them to be children and enjoy their childhood rather than worry about the next test that's coming.

From what I've heard about Australia, they approach their education differently.

It's not just about academics, it's more a rounded education.

Bradley's a talented tennis player and has his own ambitions for Australia.

I want to play tennis quite a lot there.

It's one of my favourite sports, and I don't want to miss out on it.

If I'm famous I could play in the Australian Open.

But at 45, Alan and Karen are too old to get a Skilled Migrant Visa.

The only way for them to realise their dream is to buy a business in Australia.

They've always wanted to run a coffee shop but have no experience,

quite apart from the financial outlay.

It certainly means we'd have to make an investment,

so we'd have to sell up here

and we'd have to segregate some of our money to buy a business.

'It's therefore important that we make that a success.'

It's a huge step and there are more than money worries on Karen's mind.

Although she's been given the all-clear her health is still a major concern.

Being through something like cancer, it is always on your mind.

Is it gonna come back? I'm hoping we don't have any more problems like that, but you never know.

For Karen, too, friends and family are an integral part of life in the UK.

Without the support of loved ones like sister Andrea and mum, Sylvia,

recent times would have been a lot tougher.

'Things that I find most difficult to leave

obviously are friends and family,

and the things that are familiar to us.

'But we have been thinking about this for such a long time now

'that I have been through those scenarios in my mind and I am gonna miss everybody desperately

'but we want to do this, so it will be a fantastic new beginning for us.

We have three different lifestyles for the family to sample.

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

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

With rolling vineyards, national parks

and acres of open bush land on offer

the South Australia countryside promises a fantastic way of life,

and it's right on the doorstep of the city.

Property in the hills surrounding Adelaide is desirable and prices have risen in recent years.

A three-bedroom detached home would cost you around £320,000.

You could sample a day working at this popular sandwich bar.

-Hi, I'm Dot, this is my husband, Bob.

-Good morning.

This is our snack bar cafe that we run on the outskirts of Adelaide.

Our busiest times usually start at 7am when we open.

We've got a coffee rush, morning teas for the businesses and locals,

and our lunch rush usually goes from around 12 till two.

We do a great range of all fresh foods and we've got the greatest coffee in Adelaide.

It might seem like we work long hours but really it doesn't seem that bad.

Adelaide's a great place to live.

There's heaps to do, and the best part of this job is we get the weekends off

and I spend a lot of time with grandchildren and family.

This is our business, if you like what you see and want to do something similar...

Come and talk to us, we're here and we'd love to see when you come to Adelaide.

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.

If you love food you'll find Adelaide a tasty destination.

Its city centre is home to the largest undercover

fresh produce market in the southern hemisphere.

If the tills of your business are ringing away you might opt for a home in downtown Adelaide.

City property isn't cheap,

family homes in the central suburbs cost upwards of £300,000.

Located on the edge of the market is this bustling cafe run by owner, John Valudis.

Hi, Karen and Alan. I'm John.

This is Zuma Cafe, a busy cafe in the heart of Adelaide.

I'll just run this out and I'll be back to tell you all about it.

-Here you are.

-Thank you.

Running a cafe is hard work, but it's also a lot of fun.

You can meet great people, be your own boss and enjoy yourself at the same time.

In hospitality, a good team is everything.

A happy team means happy customers, happy customers, good profits.

Karen and Alan, please, come here, the coffee's on me.

I'll show you around.

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

Sandy white beaches and picturesque views

are an everyday part of Adelaide's coastal life.

Fishing, windsurfing or just a seaside stroll are all there for the taking.

You might consider a home in the popular coastal resort of Glenelg.

Properties here are close to the shops and cafes of Jetty Road as well as the marina.

A three-bedroom home, a stone's throw from the beach, will cost you upwards of £320,000.

A short commute inland brings me to this cafe owned by Lisa Fabrey, whose accent is strangely familiar.

I hear you're thinking of starting a small business like ours in Adelaide.

So let me tell you a bit about it.

As you may have guessed, I'm from England too.

We took over this cafe about five months ago.

It's a family-run business. The whole family gets involved and we just have a great time.

The best thing about running a business like this is definitely the customers.

There are so many lovely people here in Australia and they're friendly and accepting.

If you do decide to come to Australia, I'd love you

to come and spend a day with me and I'll show you what it's all about.

So, there are three possible options for the McDermott family to try out in Adelaide.

In the country where there's a fantastic outdoors way of life

and a welcome from Dot and Bob awaiting them.

In the city, where cheaper suburban property

and a day at John's buzzing cafe are on offer, and on the coast,

where they'll experience waterfront living

and ex-pat Lisa will show them the ropes.

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

Which one did we decide would suit them best?

The McDermott family sampled the coast option for their trial week in Adelaide.

After so many years thinking about a new life in Australia, would it live up to their dreams?

A long and tiring 33-hour journey doesn't get them off to the best start.

We've flown halfway around the world and we ended up getting to Sydney five minutes early.

And we've just had the domestic flight from hell.

The first one got cancelled and the second one was three hours late.

Anyway, we're here now.

But the delay hasn't put Karen off and she's ecstatic to touch down on Australian soil at last.

I just can't believe that we're here, after all these years of looking into Adelaide, we're here.

-Amazing!

-With such high hopes, can the week ahead really live up to their expectations?

Adelaide is the state capital of South Australia

and the family aren't the first poms with aspirations to live there

as the city was settled by the British in 1836.

Today, Adelaide has a population of over a million people, making it the fifth largest city in Australia.

For their week trying out the coast lifestyle,

we found them a three-bedroom house in Glenelg South,

a popular beachside suburb.

The house is an old-style property with living accommodation arranged off a long hallway.

It has everything they could need and most importantly, it's in walking distance to the beach.

They can't wait to get inside and have a look around.

-That's nice, isn't it?

-A lovely long hallway.

Yeah.

-Look. Nice bed.

-It's really like an old house, isn't it?

-It is. It has that old feel about it.

-Yeah. It's really charming.

-This is really nice.

-Yes. Big rooms.

Nice, big beds. They're arguing about double beds.

Oh, dear! It hasn't taken long for the first argument to break out.

Let's hope the rest of the tour is trouble-free.

Karen, look.

That's really nice.

Wow, this is lovely.

-It feels quite homely, doesn't it?

-It does.

The family seem ready to move into the rental property

-and having just arrived, Alan is thinking like a tourist.

-First impression's really good.

I think we're only three roads away from the beach so during the summer,

it will be a very nice place to visit every evening and weekend.

Having longed for Adelaide for so many years, it's hard to believe

they've finally got the chance to put the dreams to the test.

We almost feel like we know it apart from we've not actually seen it physically,

and now is a fantastic opportunity for us to have a good look around.

It's like you've read someone's diary, but you've never met them.

-Yeah.

-It's that kind of feeling. To actually be here,

-it almost seems bizarre that we're actually in Adelaide.

-Yeah, I know.

Things are looking positive, but will they able to afford to live here?

Tomorrow, it's down to business.

Back in the UK, the McDermotts are very comfortable

in their four-bedroom family home in Upminster, Essex.

With UK house prices dropping and exchange rates fluctuating,

their money would need to stretch to buy a new business and a new home if they were to move to Australia.

They hope to have £300,000, roughly 600,000 Australian dollars, to spend on property.

Their ideal home would be the same size as their UK one, but in a beachside location with a pool.

Given current prices in Adelaide, this could be a tall order.

We found three properties to give them an idea of what they could

really afford if they made the big decision to emigrate.

Property one is just down the road from their rental accommodation in Glenelg.

It's just five minutes from the beach and has three bedrooms and the all-important pool.

It's on the market for 620,000 Australian dollars, around £325,000.

-Alan's not getting a great first impression.

-Oh, it's a prison. It's got bars on the window.

-Don't say that.

-SHE LAUGHS

Oh, dear! But hang on a minute, here's something that might change their mind.

-Ooh, look!

-Look at that.

-Well, now, children, this puts a different perspective on the place.

What's the water like?

It's really cold.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

Well, it is the middle of winter, Bradley.

It looks like it needs work doing down there. All that moss.

Alan's already spotted room for improvement.

It looks like you might have to get the paint brush out, children.

Let's hope inside's in better condition.

-This is quite nice, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

So different to the outside.

But Alan's still not happy.

It just feels on the dim side, doesn't it?

In the first bedroom, suddenly, Karen's eyes light up.

-Is that a closet?

-A walk-in wardrobe.

-Your ultimate desire.

-Right up my street.

Well, at least somebody's pleased.

This property has two further bedrooms, but are they as big the McDermotts would like?

It's quite a small room, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

-It's all right for a guest bedroom,

but I think for one of the children to use it all the time,

it's a little bit too small.

Let's move on.

-This fire's quite nice.

-Yeah, I like that. I do like that.

It's a surprise to find a fire, but given the cold Adelaide winters, it's a must.

In lots of Australian homes, open plan is the norm

and this cosy living room backs onto a very modern kitchen.

The kitchen's nice. It's all one room.

I think I prefer a lounge that's segregated off from the kitchen.

-A separate lounge as well?

-Yeah.

Well, guys, you could be in luck.

-Down at the other end of the corridor leading from the lounge, is a spacious living area.

-Surprise!

-There is a separate lounge.

-Yeah.

What is it, study, lounge?

That's really good, isn't it?

It's very big.

Ah, things are looking up until Alan looks up.

Fluorescent strips, not my cup of tea.

So, after a good look round, what do that McDermotts think of property number one?

Personally, I don't really like the place.

It is 500 metres from the beach.

Even so, I don't feel that it's close enough.

If we're going to live by the sea, I want to live by the sea.

-You want to overlook the water.

-I'm quite shocked how pricey it is around here.

You don't really get a lot for your money.

Space is at a premium in properties by the coast and they always cost more.

So maybe the family will be happy with property number two.

It's in Aldgate, a town in the hills surrounding Adelaide,

around a 25-minute commute from the city.

The McDermotts are after space and this property has plenty of it.

But it comes with a price tag.

This three-bedroom home is on the market

-for 680,000 Australian dollars, around £355,000.

-Wow!

-This is nice.

-Ooh!

-This is lovely.

-Fantastic!

This is lovely. Yeah.

-This is better than the last one.

-This is really nice. We do like this.

This property appears to be much more up their street, even though it is 20 miles from the coast.

As with the last house, the kitchen and living room are open-plan,

but this time, Alan doesn't seem to mind.

-I can see myself cooking here.

-Yes.

I really could. It's decorated well.

Even the kids seem taken with the place.

-I love this.

-So do I.

Daddy could cook in here.

He could cook one of his famous rogan josh.

Well, the kitchen gets a thumbs up. What about the rest of the house?

This is quite spacious, isn't it?

This could be, um, I don't know, could it be, like, a study?

I think it could be a bedroom.

You could probably use it as an office too.

So far, so good and they seem to have forgotten about wanting a property on the beach.

One thing I've noticed about the rooms is there's no heating.

There's no heating and there is no air-conditioning in any of the rooms. We need to understand...

-A little toilet.

-Bathroom.

This is a really big bathroom.

The traditional-style bathroom is to their taste.

This is really nice.

-It's lovely.

-Look at the feet on that bath tub.

Lovely.

And once they see the size of the garden, they can't wait to get outside and explore.

-They'd have great fun out here, wouldn't they?

-I think they would.

Ever practical, Alan has spotted some potential problems.

-You can hear the train in the background.

-Yeah.

-That's the only thing I'm not so sure about.

-What, the road or...?

Yeah, you've got the road, you've got the train up there as well.

-You know...

-Yeah.

-I suppose you don't hear it from inside.

-You don't hear it at all inside.

-But sat in the garden, particularly at weekends,

-might it grate you?

-I don't know.

This view of other people's roofs, I'm not sure about that at all.

They love the house, but not everything in the garden is rosy.

I think the building, on its own, in isolation, is superb.

We really like the inside.

It's very spacious. We like the garden.

There are some down sides. I don't want to sound negative, but it is a long way away from everything.

There are no shops in walking distance.

-Some people might like that, but for us, we like to be reasonably near to civilisation, don't we?

-We do.

This has been a bit of a learning curve, hasn't it?

And for Zara, there's one important thing missing.

-I think we would rather a swimming pool in the garden.

-Well, there you go.

That's something we thought was the norm, a given, in Australia.

We're not sure it is now.

Adelaide property is turning out to be a reality check for the McDermotts.

Will house number three help them make up their minds?

Situated in the city suburb of Woodford, this four-bedroom house is older in style and needs updating.

It's the cheapest of the three properties and is on the market

for 600,000 Australian dollars, around £315,000.

Wow, look at this.

-Fantastic.

-It's got everything.

This is a study.

Yeah. It looks like a split-level home.

It does, doesn't it? It's going to be an interesting home, isn't it?

-It certainly is.

-This is going to be interesting.

-Is this a games room?

Yes, we could spend a bit of time in here.

-Do you want one of these?

-Yeah.

-It has a nice feel, this room.

-It does, doesn't it?

It's looking promising, but will the upstairs layout suit the family?

Alan's not sure about the decor.

It's a bit '60s.

It does, yeah. It feels very '60s.

When you stand outside a property,

you normally...comment on the brickwork,

but looking at the brickwork internally, it makes it feel a bit dull and dark.

I think a lot of Australian homes have got this.

-Have they?

-Internal brickwork effect.

-But it's a dark brick.

It really does dim the place down.

Oh, dear. The heavy Ramsay Street style brickwork leaves a lot to be desired.

A nice sized kitchen.

It's quite nice, isn't it?

-It needs updating.

-It does need updating.

-It does.

Everywhere they look, they see work to do and money to spend.

At least the master bedroom is a decent size.

You have the walk-in wardrobe so you don't need a massive room.

You don't, actually. En-suite bathroom.

-Again, it needs updating, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

Maybe the garden will have that much-needed wow factor.

Look. There we are.

-Barbecue area.

-This is nice. This is nice and tidy round here.

It's quite a small garden, really.

-I expected it to go back much further.

-Yeah.

In Australia, you expect triple the size, easily, wouldn't you?

-Yeah.

-OK.

The family had presumed that a big garden with pool would be the norm in Australia.

It just isn't the case.

Overall, property three has left them unimpressed

and their high expectations

of how far their money would stretch are not being met.

I think, compared to our property at home, this doesn't really stack up for me.

We've got what appears to be a lot more space,

we've got it on two levels, so it's almost double the size

and we've got a garden

that's probably twice the width and three times the length.

So, to us, that feels closed in.

But then, again, this is half the price of our property at home.

It's obviously not going to be a direct comparison, is it?

-No.

-If we're spending less money,

if we keep comparing,

then we will always be disappointed with what we see.

Words of wisdom from Karen,

but they can't hide the fact

that they've found the property they've seen very disappointing.

You think you'll come out here and find something absolutely fab for next to nothing.

And then you suddenly start to feel that,

"Hm, I think we're going to have to come out here

"and work just as hard as we work in the UK."

-It's knocked a dream into a bit of a reality check.

-Yeah.

-Definitely has.

-Things are a bit more expensive than we thought.

-They are a lot more expensive than we first thought.

-Yeah.

The beach property in Glenelg was expensive for its size.

The family fell in love with property two, but it was too remote from the city.

The third house fell short in every respect.

So, after all that, can they still see themselves moving to Australia?

Based on the properties that we've seen today

compared to our property in the UK,

our decision is...

-..England.

-Australia.

It's a 50-50 split and Karen is voting with her heart.

What does this mean for the McDermott family's dreams?

After the shock of Adelaide's property prices,

it's vital for Karen and Alan

to be sure their idea of buying a business is going to work.

But do they really know what they're doing?

Visa requirements mean that the McDermotts would have to buy a company outright.

Their dream is to run a coffee shop, but neither of them have any experience of the work involved.

After dropping the kids off at a local tennis club, Alan and Karen head for a small neighbourhood cafe

to try their hand at the daily grind of running a business.

And already, nerves are beginning to kick in.

I'm a bit worried about it, especially if they try and get us to use one of those coffee machines.

I don't quite know how we're going to get on with it.

That is kind of important.

Alan is thinking strategically.

It will give us a good opening,

I think, into the operational side of things.

What it's like dealing with the public

and putting up with the rush hour

and the peak times and I think that's going to be quite interesting.

The pressure's on as this is their chosen way into Australia.

It seems amazing that they've come halfway round the world to get to grips with a cappuccino.

Proprietor Lisa Fabrey wastes no time and puts them straight to work.

First things first, as chef Manu makes sure Alan is suitably attired.

You know how to put it.

-You put it round the front?

-Yes.

-OK.

-That's it, nice and tight.

I don't want it to fall down, do I?

While Alan is getting stuck in in the kitchen...

..Karen is preparing to face her fear of the coffee machine.

Things start to heat up in the kitchen as the lunchtime rush begins.

Charged with burgers, samosas, pizza and salads, Alan is feeling the pressure.

Meanwhile, Karen is wrestling the coffee machine under Lisa's watchful eye.

Coffee nice and smooth, yeah.

Always conscious of the finances, Alan appears to be a little stingy with his portions.

The chef soon puts a stop to that.

-More generosity. More.

-More?

Yeah. That's really healthy food, that's really good for your brain.

-So you want a lot.

-I definitely need more of that.

I think Alan's loving his experience of being in the kitchen.

It really is his thing to be out there cooking

and especially for other people.

He's thoroughly enjoying it, I'm sure.

I've been doing this for a few hours and at the moment, I'm enjoying it,

but I'm sure at the end of the day, when my legs and arms are aching,

and I've probably cut a few fingers off,

I suspect I might have a different view on life.

A burger coming through.

While Alan and Karen are finding their feet in the cafe,

Zara and Bradley are fast on theirs around the tennis court.

Back in the UK, that kids love to play at their local club

and Bradley qualifies for extra coaching

from the Lawn Tennis Association.

The outdoor lifestyle and coaching opportunities in Australia could really raise their game.

I think Australia is definitely better than England,

because it's got everything England has and more.

But Bradley's aware of a difference of opinion.

Our mum really likes it, but our dad is just 50-50. He's not sure.

Do they think their parents could really make a go of a coffee shop?

My mum would be very friendly. A friendly person to work with.

And my dad would be a brilliant chef.

He'd be very demanding sometimes.

Back at the cafe, it's the end of a hectic shift

and Karen and Alan take a well-deserved break to quiz Lisa

about the ups and downs of running your own business.

Just like the McDermotts,

Lisa and her husband had no previous experience of running a coffee shop

when they opened their doors five months ago.

It's time to share a few home truths about what's involved.

You've got to think about the upfront costs of buying a business,

but then, you're not going to make a profit for quite some time.

-Probably a year?

-Well, a year would be good, I think, from what I hear.

Is this after you've paid yourself a wage or are you taking next to nothing?

Well, what happened for the first four months was

that I paid myself a wage and then I put it back in again.

So I considered that my investment in the business.

-Apparently, it's really good to get a wage out of it at all in the first year.

-Really?

Oh, dear! That's not such a great prospect.

Do you still get social time, though?

-Me?

-With family?

As a family?

Not very much at the moment.

I still see us in the very early stages of setting up a business

And I don't expect not to be working a lot.

But I think that gets easier because there's so much to put in

at the beginning, you've got to lay those foundations.

It looks like a huge investment of time and money would be needed.

I'm always here during opening hours.

I do all the work at home as well,

all the accounts and book-keeping, all the admin.

All the baking of cakes and things, I do all that at home.

It's not a nine-to-five existence.

They're beginning to wake up and smell the coffee.

Are you glad you did it?

-Yes.

-You are?

-I have my moments.

A slightly delayed reaction there.

They've enjoyed their day helping out in a cafe,

but the harsh reality of running a business has finally hit home.

I think we've realised that we would have to make much more of a financial

investment and we'd have to put in a lot more hours than we first thought.

How will this affect their vote on work, UK or Australia?

-England.

-England.

It's a vote for home and a huge blow to the family's plans.

Karen and Alan McDermott and their children, Zara and Bradley, have long craved a new life in Australia.

'We have been thinking about this for such a long time now. We really want to do this.'

It will be a fantastic new beginning for us.

But their trial week in Adelaide is waking them up to the realities of a potential move.

I think we now realise that...

-things are a bit more expensive than we thought.

-They're a lot more expensive than we thought.

And after a hard day's slog in the mad rush of a busy coffee shop,

Alan and Karen now appreciate the sheer effort and risk involved in setting up a business.

I've realised that, actually, it's going to be, financially, quite challenging for us.

We need to turn over something like 200,000 to run a business per annum.

Shall we say, our naive approach has been dented severely.

It's not just about the money,

as the emotional cost of a family move to Australia

could prove to be the most serious price to pay.

The true cost of living in Australia

has shattered the McDermotts' illusions.

But lifestyle is a major part of the family's decision to move.

Will spending some relaxing time together focus them on the quality rather than the cost of a new life?

The family are spending the morning getting to know Glenelg

and it seems the Adelaide lifestyle has their vote.

It doesn't feel like a city. It's more like a big town.

It just has a really lovely feel.

It's great for the family. Great for the kids.

As a treat for Zara and Bradley,

Mum and Dad are taking them to a local family attraction.

With the hours that Karen and Alan put in back in the UK,

this is a rare chance for the family to spend some quality time together.

Kids, look at the sea. Can you see the sea?

For the time being at least, life in England seems a long way away.

The kids have never been happier, but Karen and Alan can't put the day

at the coffee shop out of their minds.

When we spoke to Lisa yesterday at the cafe

about not only the amount of commitment and hours

that she has to put in, which we kind of expected,

it was just the thought of the financial side of things

and the fact that she's, you know, not making the money

that we would expect her to make.

In fact, she's lucky to break even at times. It's a bit of a worry.

As Bradley and Zara run free, their parents are slowly realising their dream

of buying a business, their only route into Australia, is too much of a gamble.

It's clear to us now that there are a lot more hours

that go on behind the scenes and that you have to be open at peak times.

So, I think the job is more like 60-70 hours a week

and 400,000 worth of investment.

Alan and Karen are trying to make the most of their difficult situation

and the kids are blissfully unaware.

And at the end of the day, they've only got good words to say.

I don't want to go home because England is cold and it doesn't have

anything like this and it's amazing to be here.

It looks like the children have fallen under Adelaide's spell.

It's here that everywhere you look, there's something you want to go to.

So how will they all vote on lifestyle, UK or Down Under?

Based on the Australian lifestyle we've seen today, our decision is...

Australia!

While their parents are having a rethink, Bradley and Zara have seen their future and it's in Australia.

Buy a house here! Buy a house here! Forget England.

Yes. I want to live here now.

For all the family, this week has proved just how much is at stake should they move to Adelaide.

How will they feel when they hear from the people they most dread leaving behind?

We gave the family some messages from their loved ones.

Hello!

I hope you've had a good time this week and seen lots of Australia.

-Kangaroos!

-And kangaroos.

Hi, Karen and Alan. Message from Mum and Dad to you and the kids.

I hope you've had an absolutely wonderful time there

and seen everything you need to see

before you make a really big decision.

To be honest with you, there's no friend like Alan.

He's probably the closest thing I've got to a brother.

Karen, she's my big sister.

She's wonderful.

She's a very sociable person.

She's very outgoing, very easy to talk to.

Gets on with everybody, really. She's good fun.

-Karen...has been a feisty individual most of her life, hasn't she?

-A trifle.

Very strong-willed and very positive in what she wants in life.

She was quite ill a few years ago

and she faced it and dealt with it in an amazing manner.

The courage and dignity that she bore that illness with was fantastic.

She was always up and, "Right, I'm going to get through this day."

And was just fantastically strong throughout the whole thing.

Our biggest concern really is her health.

If she should become ill, we won't be there...

-..which we were before.

-The other thing is

the change in direction...

The fact that they're looking to go into a totally different field.

I just think it's barmy, but there we are. LAUGHTER

If he does it fine, good luck to him.

We'll help as much as we can, but I think...

it's not a good thing to do.

I think they would make a go of it

but I'd have concerns about how much time and energy it would take,

and the impact that would have on Karen and the children particularly.

Alan is driven, he would put 110% into what he was there to do.

But I would have reservations about

how much it would impact on the rest of the family.

The main thing I'll miss is having that person

that I know is always there.

If you do go...

-we'll be with you.

-We'll be there.

If this is what you really want and this is your dream, go for it.

I hope you've got your sums right, kids, I'm sure you have.

But do double-check your figures, but, erm...

Whatever your decision is, you know we're with you. We'll see you soon.

-Bye from both of us.

-Bye!

When you watch something like that, it really hits you hard, about how everybody feels.

It's not just about how we feel about being here.

It's how it's going to affect those that we might leave behind.

-We'll always love them.

-Of course we will.

Having seen that video or DVD,

of people that we know and love and are close to us, um,

I don't think I've got over the shock.

In fact, your mum and dad are more concerned about your illness than you are.

We're trying to move on, we're trying to turn over a new page.

Your mum and dad are going to live with that.

You're right. I don't want to be a slave to having an illness like cancer.

I'd like to be able to put it behind me and just move forward now, really.

It made me feel very sad.

It made me think of what I've got and how lucky I am to have everything,

have Nan and Granddad always there for me.

I've got a really great family and I just don't want to leave them now.

Zara's announcement is a complete turnaround from how she was feeling just a day ago.

But the whole week has been full of surprises and the McDermotts are in a state of shock and confusion.

We've seen so much and done so much in a short space of time.

It's just too much, it's information overload.

We need time for it to sink in now.

Having finally made it to Adelaide, Karen fell in love with the place.

It's been a fantastic visit to the city, which I'd recommend anybody to come here.

Anyone who wants to come to Australia, who wants a quiet, laid-back lifestyle, come here.

It's fantastic.

But the family's expectations were sorely tested by the real cost of living.

We now realise it's not as cheap as we first thought.

Aged 45, the McDermotts' only hope of a visa would be to buy a business.

Their fantasy of running a coffee shop ran up against harsh reality.

We've realised that we probably wouldn't really want to take on that kind of risk.

It's too big a risk for us.

Although we came out here thinking that possibly we would do it,

it's highly unlikely that we'll go the business route now.

We've realised that it's probably going to be more time, more hours

and more investment than we first thought.

That has made us extremely nervous.

Financially, I think it would be suicidal for us to come out and do something like that.

Ultimately, it was hearing from family and friends

that forced them to confront the true cost of starting a new life in Australia.

You never know what you've got until it's gone.

You think you can wave bye-bye to those people quite easily, and off we go, headstrong, somewhere else.

But you think...

there would be a lot to give up there. We've got some really strong bonds with people

and, you know, it would be upsetting for me,

I think, to lose some friends that I've had for so many years.

It might be a dream for us but it could end up being a nightmare for us as well,

and for our friends and family at home.

So what does this mean for their long-held dreams to emigrate?

For me, I don't know whether we'll make it or not.

So, watch this space.

The McDermotts have finally had their chance to put Australia to the test.

As their trial week comes to a close it's time for them to make up their minds in one last vote.

Will they decide that life in the UK is the best way forward,

or follow their dream and choose a new life Down Under?

It's been a roller-coaster of emotions this week.

We've viewed properties, we've worked in a cafe, we've met new people.

It's really been a fantastic experience for us.

It's really put us into turmoil now.

It's been very hard to take in how different it is to England.

-That's true.

-It's going to be a tough decision, isn't it...

-Yeah.

-..at the end of the day? Because we've had fun, we've had emotion, we've had tears.

So where does the family's future lie?

Our decision is...

-UK!

-Australia!

Australia has split the McDermott family in two.

Bradley and Zara have voted with their hearts

but Mum and Dad aren't prepared to gamble on the cost of their dreams.

For Karen and Alan, this week has proved a hard reality check.

I can see they'd love the lifestyle on offer in Adelaide,

but they've admitted to being a little naive about what running a business could mean.

So, the future for the McDermotts probably won't include a move Down Under.

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

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

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.

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