Huddlestone Wanted Down Under

Hello and welcome to Wanted Down Under,

the show that catapults a British family right across

the other side of the world to help them make

the biggest decision of their life.

Jason and Ninu Huddlestone and baby Naia are dreaming

of a new life down under where they can work to live, not live to work.

We would like something more laid-back, and we think that Australia might provide that.

But the reality of house prices in Australia's most expensive city are a shock.

Yeah, in a way, I got my wow factor today.

It's just not the wow I was looking for!

And could they bear to leave their friends and family behind?

To be thinking about moving away when, you know, the family might need us...

So will their idea of the Australian dream tempt the Huddlestone family

to go where they're wanted, down under?

With the global economy in meltdown, perhaps now is a good time to go walkabout

in Australia, where at least the sun is shining.

Last year, over 60 Brits a day swapped the grey skies of home for the blue ones down under.

But how tough was that decision, and how carefully did they think it through?

We've put another 20 British families through their paces

as they face the reality of life down under.

After just one week, they'll have to vote, once and for all.

Do they stay in the UK or do they move to Australia?

Jason and Ninu Huddlestone and baby Naia are about to leave their home

in outer London to test Ninu's idea of setting up home in Australia.

I probably approached Jason with the question about three years ago,

and he was really up for it, so he said, "Oh yeah, you know, it would be really good."

Ninu has idyllic memories of her carefree childhood.

'I grew up in Kenya and I came over when I was about nine to this country.'

I am a sun person, and I kind of get a bit depressed when it gets quite wintry.

Jason enjoys his work as a software engineer, but not his daily commute negotiating London's traffic.

That hour-each-way drive is hard work, and it would be nice to go somewhere

where that wasn't the case, where we could, you know, live a lot closer to where I work.

He phones me to say, "Oh, I'm gonna be an hour late,"

or, "I don't know what time I'm gonna get home,"

so, to live in an area with less roads would be a great thing, or motorways that are not a car park!

Jason and Ninu both grew up in Feltham and both their families live nearby.

I have thought that they moved when we were quite young

to a new country, so it can be done, but you can tell that they're not very happy about the decision.

Baby Naia has been a great hit with her grandparents.

My parents have another grandchild, but Ninu's parents don't have any other grandchildren,

so to take Naia away from them would be pretty hard, I think.

And they're not sure if Feltham's the best place to bring up their children.

It's got its problems. Most people have heard of it because of the Feltham Young Offenders.

There are many different types of people round here and the diversity's increased,

which is good in many ways, but it does generate friction, and Ninu's had some tough times.

I've been spat on when I was pushing Naia in her pushchair,

and you don't know whether to say, "Excuse me, that was very wrong,"

or to just carry on because you don't want to cause any arguments.

-Why are all the

-BLEEP

-taking over Feltham?

I mean, I'm not sure if it's as prevalent in Australia as it is here,

but I would hope it's definitely less of a threat for families.

Going to a multicultural environment's very important,

because otherwise, we'd just go to a totally white area.

I mean, it could be very difficult for her to feel at home.

There needs to be a mixed community.

It'll be interesting to go and see if I do fit in as a person.

But how will they cope when it's just the three of them?

If you're suddenly alone, you're plucked away from all your friends and family,

all you've got is each other, so you have to pull together,

otherwise we ain't gonna be out there very long.

To help the Huddlestones make a decision that would be right for them,

we gave them a trial run of life in Sydney for one week.

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 way of life for them to enjoy on their budget.

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

Sydney's sunny countryside is alive with exciting wildlife

and is perfect for anyone who loves the great outdoors.

With fabulous parks and plant life, there's plenty to do and see

and for horse lovers, rural Sydney is the place to be.

Country living is better value than the city.

For around £300,000 - £400,000, you could buy a large four-bedroom family home.

Gosh, you could even get a pool!

A software engineer at this IT programming company will take home a salary of around £40,000.

Supervisor Clinton is keen to meet Jason.

We primarily design and develop websites, so there's lots of room for creativity.

We've been expanding at a rapid 15% per year, so it's a very exciting time to come on board.

Jason, we certainly hope that you contact us as soon as you arrive in Australia.

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

so let's see what might be possible in the city on their budget.

Sydney is a collision of colour and excitement

for kids and adults alike.

And if you're a fan of trendy markets, sightseeing and culture, you'll feel right at home.

Chilling out in a stylish, small, suburban apartment

will set you back around £300,000, but for designer luxury, expect to pay way over a million.

Well, we can dream, can't we?

A job as a software engineer at this IT programming company will earn Jason a salary of £50,000.

The MD is Joseph Serr.

This is our games room.

This is where we come when we want to relax and chill out.

Jason, we're always on the lookout for people of your calibre.

I'd like you to come and see me when you're in Sydney.

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

but what about a new life on the coast?

Sydney's world famous coastline is a sight to behold.

And if surfing's your thing, you're going to love it here.

Although waterfront properties cost megabucks, a small family home

a short drive from the beach will set you back around £300,000.

An experienced software engineer at this kitchen management software company

could earn you a salary of £50,000.

Business partner Enda Hughes explains.

Our software design has been in operation for six years.

We found a niche in the market for kitchen management software.

If you've got a sweet tooth, you'll just love working

alongside their sister patisserie company.

Having a sister company does bring many perks.

Chocolate, we all share.

The staff do the sampling, a perk you won't get elsewhere.

Jason, give me a call when you get to Sydney. Look forward to seeing you.

All the jobs offer Jason a good salary, but have very different lifestyles attached.

There's the country with its wide-open spaces

and beautiful properties.

The vibrant city centre and workplace

where the competition's not just round the computer.

Or the coast, with its magnificent beaches and added perks of the job.

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

So which one did they think would suit them best?

For the Huddlestones' trial week in Australia, we chose the city option.

If Jason wants to spend less time travelling to work,

they'll need to live close to Sydney's business district.

After a 22-hour flight, the Huddlestones arrive in Sydney, eager to explore their accommodation.

They're staying in the inner-city suburb of Stanmore

in a three-bedroom, period brick-built home, but with a light, contemporary interior.

-After you.

-Wow!

Interesting. Nice high ceilings.

-It's a lovely hallway. Oh, wow.

-It's so big.

-Interesting.

-Interesting, yeah.

-It's a lot of space.

-Big table as well.

They're impressed with the size of it and the quirky combination of styles.

I reckon this is the bathroom. The echo gives it away.

It's a huge bathroom!

More rooms. How big is this place?

-It's a nice-sized room. It's a bigger bed.

-Lots of wardrobe space.

All the comforts of home. There's even a larder.

We could have a larder!

But what's that noise?

Planes.

Just like back at home!

Jason seems to be putting on a brave face about such an intrusion.

Planes, we're used to that. I've lived under a flightpath all my life, it's no big deal.

-We'd like to move away from planes!

-Yeah, it would be nice.

I think from my point of view, an Australian home was more new.

-Yeah, more modern.

-Yeah, a more modern, suburban type property,

-so this is really different.

-Something with this space, though, fantastic.

Something with this space would be great.

With the flight behind them and the unpacking ahead, they're really feeling just how far they've come.

The flight was hard work. You can't do that trip often. It would kill you.

I think it made me think more about my family while I was on the plane.

Yeah, if you are to come here, you know you're not gonna see your family

-more than probably once a year, sort of thing.

-The distance is...

-Massive!

-Massive, yeah.

-We realise now that it's not an easy journey.

-No, definitely not.

-No.

Is Ninu already having second thoughts?

I am very attached to my parents, my sister and brother, and I think for me it would be more, more questions

and a bit of soul-searching for me, whereas I think for Jason,

it would be a lot easier for him to say, you know, "I love it, let's go!"

-Or not, depending which way it goes.

-Or not!

One of the deciding factors on making the move down under will be finding that house of their dreams.

I want to have a wow factor when I see a house.

It's that sense that you walk into a home

and it just really impresses you.

To get that in the UK, you have to spend so much, we hope we might

be able to get something like that for a little less over here.

In the UK, the Huddlestones live in Middlesex, a great location if you want to catch a plane.

Their home is a modern three-bedroom house in a gated cul-de-sac, but they dream of a more spacious

house in Australia with a big garden for their growing family.

Jason wants to reduce his commuting time to work, so we've lined up three houses for them to view

in Sydney's inner west, all within easy access of the city centre.

The Huddlestones' budget of £250,000, roughly 500,000, is a start.

But for a house close to the city, they'll still need to take out a mortgage.

Property one is in the popular suburb of Croydon, just a 10-minute train ride into the city.

Estate agent Peter Hearnfield is there to greet them.

It's a three-bedroom family home.

It's on 351 square metres, so it's actually quite a good size block.

It's going to auction and we're thinking it'll probably sell

something above 750,000.

-Very quiet, isn't it? It's really nice.

-It's a great location.

And there's no planes over here.

-Yes!

-Great!

-Definite bonus.

-Peace and quiet on the outside.

Let's have a look inside.

-Right, then.

-Wow! It's old.

It's got high ceilings again, hasn't it?

It's not a main bedroom. It would be a good spare bedroom for guests.

-Spare bedroom.

-It'd need a lot of work, though.

A bit colourful. Green walls.

Yeah, again, it would have to be totally redone, wouldn't it?

Mmm. Is Ninu having difficulty seeing beyond the dated interior?

-There's lots of cracks and...

-Yeah. The whole house would need renovating.

-Oh, it's the dining room.

-Yeah.

-The kitchen.

-Now I'm transported!

-Yeah.

-Back to...

-We're in a museum, aren't we?

-We are.

All the fixtures, fittings, everything would have to go. Have to start again.

-But can Jason see its potential?

-This is quite nice, isn't it?

-This would be a nice spot to drink a glass of wine, wouldn't it, in the evening?

-Yeah.

-Pleasant.

-Yeah.

-This is a bit bigger than our place at home.

-Yeah.

And what about the price?

The pricing's quite expensive, actually. £325,000.

The house has potential.

-I mean, you can probably re-plaster, repaint, new kitchen, new bathroom, new flooring.

-New everything.

Even though I can imagine it, I don't think it's a project that we would take on, yeah.

Yeah, in a way, I got my wow factor today.

It's just not the wow I was looking for!

Sort of an anti-wow, maybe, I don't know.

Jason is anxious to discover why it's so expensive.

Three bedrooms, needs some work, but the position is very good.

It's highly sought-after because you've got some very good primary schools in the area.

Only three minutes' walk to Croydon station. That takes you directly to the city.

I've got a few others I could show you.

-Would you be interested?

-Definitely.

Property number two is more their style.

We had an offer of 720,000 on this one.

The price is different because we're further

from the station and it's a smaller block. But it's a beautiful home.

720,000 will buy it for you today, if you like it.

So have a look through and maybe tell me what you think.

No pressure, then! But it is slightly cheaper than the first house. About £360,000.

And, hooray! The renovations on this property have already been done.

Guest bedroom, I suppose.

Oh, bathroom is still quite small, but it's in much better condition than the other one.

It might be small, but there's a big surprise round the corner.

Oh, this is nice. I like this.

Oh, wow! Yeah, this is nice.

This is unexpected.

Oh, wow! Oh, that's huge. Oh, excellent.

-Oh, this is much more like it, isn't it?

-This is wow factor.

This is much more wow factor, definitely. Shall we have a look at the garden?

It's a nice garden.

That's really nice. It's really well done, isn't it?

-So what you think about it compared the other one?

-So much better. And it's cheaper.

It has definitely got the wow factor.

So, has our estate agent got a deal on his hands?

Jason, Ninu, what did you think?

-Oh, it's much nicer, isn't it?

-It's different, isn't it?

-Much more what we're looking for.

-Why is this house cheaper than the last one?

It is cheaper because you're further away from the station.

The station does sort of indicate a higher price, because it's more accessible to the station.

Quicker time to and from the station.

They really liked this house, but it's still a period property.

Could they compromise and give up their dreams of a modern new build?

The third house has been renovated inside and out and is the biggest of the three properties.

-I'm Shelly.

-Nice to meet you. Jason.

-Ninu.

What we have here is a Federation home. Four bedrooms.

We do have a slight noise problem. It is a main road.

But what the vendors have done is enclosed the balcony to reduce that noise level.

-How much is it on the market?

-700,000 plus.

-Have a look around and we'll chat afterwards.

-Thanks very much.

-Thanks.

Jason and Ninu seem a little taken aback

by the £350,000 asking price. Will they think it's worth it?

-A-ha! Bedroom.

-Yeah.

-It's a big room.

-It is, isn't it?

It's got a fireplace as well. Excellent.

Nice space.

Yeah. Interesting sort of design.

The little arches and stuff.

I reckon this is a baby's room.

-Good size for a children's bedroom.

-Definitely.

That is interesting, isn't it?

Oh, wow! I've never seen a bathroom like this.

Ah, now this sounds a bit more hopeful.

Could this stylishly renovated house with rooms that just go on and on be closer to their dream home?

-Fantastic.

-Nice space. Lovely, open space.

Floorboards, that's good.

-Dark wood.

-Air con.

-Nice kitchen.

-Garden.

-This would be lovely in the summer, wouldn't it?

That's a good space, isn't it?

Barbecue spot.

-Nice glass of wine.

-Lovely garden.

-Maybe it is what they're looking for.

-So, what did you think?

Not quite what we're looking for.

-The main road out the front is a real issue for us.

-OK.

If you're looking to buy in the western suburbs of Sydney,

you're either going to get planes, trains or automobiles.

The aircraft noise isn't an issue here, but yes, we do have the main road.

How long to get to the middle of Sydney?

You know, you're looking at eight minutes.

You're central to pretty much everything. 20 minutes from the beaches. It's very multicultural.

Would we assume that new builds would be more expensive?

The newer buildings, the more contemporary, aren't as popular,

and for whatever reason, they're not as solid.

You know, they don't make 'em like they used to!

So, have the Huddlestones been won over by the older style properties in Sydney's inner west?

The first was a three-bedroom bungalow, but it was almost a museum piece in need of a total renovation.

The second house was another three-bedroom period property, but with a striking modern interior.

The last house was the biggest, with four bedrooms, but an old style property and on a busy main road.

So, how will they vote on property?

The UK or Oz?

Little disappointed by what we've seen.

Not what we expected,

so my vote on property, based on what we've seen is most definitely...

UK.

My vote for properties we've seen is...

UK.

Well, not a great start.

Jason and Ninu have obviously not been won over by these traditional style Sydney houses.

The Federation style is interesting, but it's not really to our taste.

Initially, I expected the houses to be slightly bigger.

If we can't get the house we want, I would rather have a nice house

and commute a long way than commute a short distance and live in a place I don't like.

It's not value for money here.

With the high cost of houses in central Sydney, the Huddlestones may have to look further afield,

or pay a lot more if they want a modern house.

So there's a lot of pressure on Jason to find a suitable job to help him support Ninu and Naia.

He's spending the day with an IT company in North Sydney,

to compare his work in the UK with how it could be down under.

Jason is an experienced computer software engineer.

They're very much in demand in Australia.

Still, he's keen to impress the boss, Joseph Serr.

-So, can you tell us a little bit more about yourself?

-Well, I'm 34 years old.

My wife and I are looking to move to Australia for what we hope is a better life.

In London, it is pretty hectic.

It's very work-centric. I think we would like something

a little more laid-back and we think that Australia might provide that.

I think you're on the right track, in terms of the balance.

We try very hard here to get a balance.

We've got sports rooms and that sort of thing.

Although it's not a big company, we do really focus on other issues, other than work.

So, here, you'll find we work a 40-hour week.

For the sort of experience that you've got and your age,

we would probably be looking at around about 100,000 a year.

That's nearly £50,000 - £8,000 more than he earns in the UK.

All right, Jason. What I think we'll do now is just show you around.

While Jason gets to work, Ninu's on a mission.

If they move to Australia, she and Naia will have a lot of time to fill.

So Ninu's come to Bondi Beach to join a local music playgroup.

OK, guys. I just want to introduce you to Ninu with Naia.

-Today, she's going to be sitting in to the class.

-Hello, everyone.

Yes, Ninu, I remember. It's like your first day at school.

-We've got quite a full day here today.

-Back at work, Jason gets the grand tour.

This is where you would be sitting.

-Piece de resistance, which is our games room.

-Fantastic.

This is where the guys come every couple of hours and take it out on a ping-pong ball.

Fairly fixed in their position all day, so being able to come here

and belt the ball around is just the right tonic.

-So I hope you're good at ping-pong.

-Rubbish, but I can learn!

-Dan, this is Jason.

-Nice to meet you, Dan.

Dan can show you a bit of what we do.

So, we primarily use FileMaker for a lot of the database work here.

Now, while we leave Jason to the intricacies of File... whatever it is,

has Ninu settled into her first day?

# Hello everybody, hello everybody

# It is good to see you. #

THEY CLAP AND CHEER

This is the first time Naia's seen so many babies.

For a week.

The lifestyle, the beach and it's beautiful.

If your husband is working hard or you're working hard, it's like

being on holiday on the weekends, because it's just beautiful.

Being by the water is so lovely.

And you see whales. I see whales and dolphins.

Goodbye. Nice to meet you.

'Sunny, beautiful summer's day.

'I can't imagine every day being like this.

'The main difference I've found was this was more laid-back than the UK.

'Meeting the mums here was great.

'They were really welcoming and open and friendly.'

I was a bit surprised by that. I thought I would be the newcomer,

they'd be a bit distant, but they were great.

They were like I had been friends with them for years now!

Meanwhile, back at the office...

Ah, I see.

Talk about a relaxed working environment!

It certainly seems to be working for this company.

I think the major difference there was their working culture was a bit more laid-back.

You could see from the games that we were playing

that it was more fun, I suppose.

I mean, we wouldn't do anything like that back at home.

From what Joseph said, there's a skills shortage of my skill set at the moment,

which is obviously good for me. So I could perhaps demand a higher salary than I'm on at the moment.

Work is the primary factor when moving to Australia, because without work, you can't do anything else.

You need the money to have the lifestyle you want, to get a nice house.

Without a good job, you can't get any of that.

So it's all about the work, from my point of view.

So, how will Jason vote for work? UK or Australia?

It's very difficult to actually choose between the UK and Australia,

but I suppose, the one thing that was different, which is the fun factor, I will have to make my vote for...

Australia.

These days, Australian cuisine has the reputation to rival anywhere

in the world, and nowhere more so than in the restaurants in Sydney.

We found out what's hot and what's not on the menu.

Sydney stands alone as one of the food capitals of the world.

It does its own thing. It does some really great food,

which brings together a lot of food styles from around the world

that reflects the people who live here, the chefs who work here.

They come from Indonesia, they come from Ireland, they come from America,

they come from Thailand. It's fantastic, because you can see

that they can bring different types of skill.

The surge of migrants means that Sydney's food scene is now ranked within the top 10 in the world.

A lot of people who've moved here, they've gone looking for the things

they had back home, not found it, so started growing it.

What we see down here is the freshness, the availability, the sunny country.

It's really the best place to be a chef, because we have beautiful produce from the sea,

we have beautiful produce from the land, and really, there's nothing better for a chef to work with.

A lot of the styles of food, like Thai food, Vietnamese food,

is really quite relatively cheap, so you will eat out because you just don't feel like cooking.

Anyone interested in food really should come to Sydney,

because it's a great place to come and eat.

Jason and Ninu Huddlestone and baby Naia from Middlesex want a bit of

the laid-back Aussie lifestyle with less of a commute to work for Jason.

That hour-each-way drive is hard work.

It would be nice to go somewhere where that wasn't the case.

They hope they'll get more for their money, but the older properties in Sydney were a huge disappointment.

Initially, I expected the houses to be slightly bigger.

I think all houses have been quite small, compared to our expectations.

At work, Jason experienced the Aussies' chilled-out attitude first hand.

But how will they cope with leaving friends and family behind?

You know, the family might need us.

Yeah, I think that's the most difficult.

The Huddlestones are keen to swap the hurly-burly of life

in outer London for a more sedate way of doing things in Australia.

For instance - climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Leaving Naia with a child minder, their tour guide, Adam, fills them in on Sydney's landmarks.

Is that a little fort or something in the middle? What's that?

It is, yeah. That is called Fort Denison,

a defence system we used to use in the early days of Sydney.

In case we're going to be attacked from anyone, we built the fort

to make sure we could protect Sydney, protect its early settlers.

Wow! Talk about outdoor living.

-How high are we now?

-Round about the halfway mark, so I'd say about 80 metres above sea level.

Even up here, they're still looking for their dream home.

They want a bigger house, but maybe they're thinking too big.

That's called Admiralty House. It's where the Governor General of Australia lives,

so, obviously, very secure. That's the Prime Minister's residence there as well.

You're really in the midst of some of the hierarchy of Australia right there.

The higher they go, the more they realise just how vast Sydney is and what it could offer.

Amazing!

Well, we're on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and it's absolutely fantastic. You can see everything.

The entire harbour here.

You start to really get a feel of the size of the city and how it's just sprawled out for miles and miles

and miles all way across to the blue mountains in the distance. It's an amazing view.

Yeah, and what's also great is you can see how close the beaches are.

So, Bondi and Manly Beach.

It's got all the landmarks that you expect to see. I mean, you're on one of the big landmarks.

The opera house over there and the harbour stretching out in front of you.

-So it's exactly what you wanted to see.

-It's beautiful.

With their feet firmly back on the ground, do they think Sydney

can offer them the way of life they're looking for?

Sydney offers just as much, if not more, than London.

And with the fantastic experience we had this morning, as well,

it's clearly got a lot to offer on the lifestyle side of things.

From what I've seen at the top of the bridge, Sydney is vast and it has parks and bushland.

I think, yeah, compared to England, the weather will just be fantastic.

Well, yeah, it's spring now and it feels about 20 degrees.

It's lovely and sunny and you wouldn't get that in the UK, so I can't imagine what summer's like!

I think it has lifted the kind of disappointment that we felt initially regarding Sydney.

Yeah, it makes life feel a little better.

Ninu and Jason have been won over by the beauty of the harbour,

but if they have to live and the outer suburbs, all this won't be on their doorstep.

So, how will they vote on the Australian lifestyle?

Comparing Australian lifestyle and family activities to the UK, I choose...

Australia.

And my vote is...

Australia.

Jason and Ninu would both struggle to cut family ties in the UK.

If they were to emigrate to Australia, they'd have to be sure

they'd find a new social circle of friends to alleviate their loss.

Finding a shared interest is a start.

So Jason and Ninu have come to a wine-tasting class.

And who better to introduce them to Australian wine than Stefan?

He's what Aussies call a Fraussie.

From England!

-That's a French-Australian to you and me.

-Thank you very much.

What I'll do, just to crack the first bottle of wine and let's get started. Be right back!

THEY CHAT

I have been here for 15 years, and I didn't know about Australian wine before.

A lot of people says, "Oh, what do you reckon about the Aussie wine, compared to the French wine?"

Very, very hard to compare them.

I am an Aussie as well. I should say my son is a little Fraussie.

Anyway, now, on the first nose, very fresh.

Four words to describe wine.

Fun, friends, love, passion. If you don't like it, leave it.

It doesn't matter, we will go to the next.

Be objective and have fun. Very, very important.

-I love the fact that with wine, there's no such thing as a right or wrong opinion.

-Of course not.

It's about what you like and about what you want to eat it with.

Put your nose into it and tell me what you think.

As I said before, everyone has got five senses. A woman has got six, especially Ninu.

Now, guys, how do you like that?

Strong, citrussy and sweet.

Sweet? It is like, in the end of it, citrussy, definitely.

You're absolutely right.

You see, on one nose, it goes, "Oh, my God!"

You have got memories coming out. I remember,

10 years ago, I lost my father, and my father used to have Chablis.

Chablis, Chardonnay-based.

When I put a Chablis on my nose, I think about him.

So, it's more the story behind it.

Let's get to the next.

Oh, you can't beat the French for romance.

As the wine continues to flow, what did Jason and Ninu think

about the idea of making friends over a glass or two?

Or is that three, Jason?

The combination of the jet lag, the lack of sleep because of the baby waking us up at 4.15am

and three glasses of wine or however much, I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, actually, yeah.

The people are very friendly, they're very keen to share their thoughts

and they are generally really happy, friendly people.

Initially, I was quite apprehensive about not making friends, being quite lonely,

but by doing an activity like this, it has opened our eyes up that we can make friends.

Even just walking around in the street, people are actually not afraid to look at you.

In London, you're not even allowed to make eye contact, almost, with people.

-It's all very confrontational.

-For the stage of life that we are at, raising a young family,

it probably is a better place to be than back home.

Is there no end to the Australian hospitality?

We'll drink it now.

If you put it one more year in your cellar, what's the use?

No, the point is it's ready to drink. That's my philosophy on wine.

When it's ready, drink it.

I am so happy for you guys,

you have just arrived in Australia and I am giving you that pleasure.

I love giving not only one person pleasure, I love giving 200 person pleasure.

And we're nearly neighbours!

I am from Dieppe!

That's pretty close.

-Chin-chin!

-Chin chin! Thanks, mate.

-Cheers, mate.

Sorry to put an end to all this jollity, but it's time to vote on making friends.

For the potential of making friends in Australia I vote...

Australia.

Most Australians we've met so far been very friendly, so I've no doubt that we could make friends

over here, so my vote for making friends in Australia is most definitely...

Oz.

As the end of their week draws near, Ninu and Jason reflect on their life-changing decision.

We almost offended the estate agents we spoke to when we said

we don't like Federation, the older style of housing that's all over Sydney.

We didn't know that in Sydney that was the type of house that was

sought after and it was, you know, the most expensive sort of type.

The more Federation elements you had in your house, the better.

It's a bit of surprise, actually, because we expected something significantly more

than what we think we've already got back in the UK, and I don't think we saw that.

It was and is still surprising that Sydney is so expensive

and to afford the house we would like, our dream house, is probably not within our budget.

Certainly, if we moved to Sydney, we would be downsizing,

which is a bit of a disappointment.

With the work side of things, it was a nice surprise in that they seem to have a lot more fun,

or at least tried to have more fun than the work environment that I'm in.

Hopefully nobody at work sees that bit, but I'm sure they'll understand.

Australia is a lovely place to be. Sydney is a wonderful city.

It's lots of fun, everyone seemed really laid-back and friendly,

because we have heard that some parts of Australia can be slightly racist.

And we didn't see any of that in Sydney.

It was, every culture, big pot of everybody just getting on with it

and being friendly, happy and getting on with their jobs.

There might still be areas on outskirts that are not so sort of multicultural,

but I don't think I'm too worried now, having been, so...

A decision, I don't think, is any clearer in my head as to what we're going to do.

If you're trying to set up home, you need to find a house you love,

and until you find that, it is very difficult to have any serious thought of coming.

I don't know how to make this decision, to be honest.

It's going to be hard. It's going to be very hard.

However friendly the locals, the fact remains, they could never replace family entirely.

We showed the Huddlestones some messages from their loved ones back home.

First up are Ninu's mother and father, who has recently been unwell.

-Ready, then?

-OK.

Hello, Jason. Hello, Ninu. Hello, Naia.

Me and Ninu have a really good relationship

and we can be very open with each other and very honest.

She is a very caring older sister.

-Ninu is delightful.

-Yes.

-She's a lovely girl.

And now she's given us a little granddaughter, which I think is an absolute miniature Ninu.

-She's gorgeous!

-Ninu is a brilliant, brilliant sort of girl.

And she is a lively person, you know.

She is very hard-working, yeah.

And we think whatever she pursues in life, she is definitely going to make it a success.

Naia's made a huge difference to our family.

She's probably the best thing the family has got at the moment.

Naia's a very cute girl.

Small little cutie thing.

She was very, very excited,

but I was feeling kind of, oh, you know, I am sad.

-I don't really want her to go.

-I was really angry, actually.

For purely selfish reasons.

I was like, "How could you consider leaving me and the family?"

If, in Sydney, they could meet or make friends with other cultures,

it would be better for Naia, because we would like her to be brought up in a society where

it's not just only whites or Indians, but it's multicultural.

It is very difficult when you go to another country and you start from fresh, you know.

And you have to build up new friendships.

It's gonna be hard. I know, because I have been through this.

I'd just miss not being able to see my son mature

and I shall just miss not being able to watch Naia grow.

Considering our family situation with my dad's health, it is a difficult situation.

I have to be honest.

In my heart, I would like to say to them, "Please don't go,

"because we're going to miss you and we'd like you to be here."

But I have no right to do that.

It's not happened.

And until it does, you don't really know exactly how you're going to cope with it.

But so far, we've coped with everything that has come along and I think we'd cope with that.

Well, we'd have to, wouldn't we?

You know, you're such a good emotional support for me

and I think this'll just force me to grow up a bit.

I do hope you enjoy your time over there.

I hope you enjoy all the experiences...

and I'm getting emotional!

-We want you to know that we love you.

-Yes.

So, bye for now, and take care,

-and remember, we love you.

-And see you soon.

See you soon, yeah.

Mentioning my dad's sort of ill health at the moment...

Yeah I think...

to be sort of thinking about being away

or moving away when perhaps,

you know, the family might need us...

Yeah, I think that's the most difficult...

Almost, in their hearts, they're almost letting go already,

and we haven't even made our decision yet,

so that makes it quite, erm, hard to see.

They're full of love for us and us for them.

-So we wish we could just bring them with us.

-Yes, it's...

The distance is too great. You can't just suddenly do a halfway house on this.

You go and you leave them behind and you may see them once, maybe twice a year at most.

The more I think about it, the more I don't like that idea.

-No, it's not a nice idea.

-No.

It's the end of their trial week in Sydney and the Huddlestones have packed a lot in.

They've hit the heights...

Now I'm at the top, it feels amazing.

..and the lows.

It's old. It is totally not us.

They're looking for some peace and quiet.

Planes.

Just like back at home!

Jason's scored at work with the salary and the fun factor.

But for Ninu, leaving her family would be the hardest thing she's ever done.

To be thinking about moving away when, you know, the family might need us...

So, will their dream of a new life on the other side of the world

be dashed by the pull of friends and family back home?

It's time for the final vote.

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

I think, at this stage,

it hasn't quite been what I was hoping for and therefore,

for my life, in the future, I will have to...

stay with the UK.

For now, if I really, really had to think about which country I need

to pick after my just one week in Sydney, I'd have to say...

UK.

Sorry!

I haven't found a house. It's as simple as that.

Sydney just wasn't quite all that I wanted, because of the house.

For me, I am completely shocked today that I would prefer

to stay at home, but it is purely because of family.

With so many things to consider, this has been the biggest challenge of their lives.

Despite being disappointed at the type of properties they could afford,

the Huddlestones found life in Australia very much to their taste.

But in the end, the pull of family and friends proved too much,

and it seems they won't be moving where they're wanted, down under.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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