0:00:02 > 0:00:08Welcome to Wanted Down Under, the show that catapults a British family to the other side of the world
0:00:08 > 0:00:12to help them make the biggest decision of their life -
0:00:12 > 0:00:16whether to stay in the UK or to move to Australia.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Sally Mills has always wanted to emigrate to Australia.
0:00:20 > 0:00:25It's so beautiful here and I just really wanted to work here.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30She's travelled there before and is drawn to the warm climate and outdoor life.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Husband, Jem, is not so sure.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38Having built a successful psychotherapy business in the UK, he's worried about risking it all.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42If I couldn't work as a therapist in Australia, it wouldn't work for me.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46They get the taste of the beauty and luxury of the Australian dream.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48My goodness - this is amazing!
0:00:48 > 0:00:50- Wow!- Wow!
0:00:50 > 0:00:52It's like a big fairy tale, really.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56But Jem is forced to face harsh realities on the work front.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00It would involve going back to the salary that I was on years ago.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05- The figures just don't add up. - It would be very difficult to consider the move, I think.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08You can't live the dream if you can't afford to pay for it.
0:01:08 > 0:01:14You're almost scared to look, scared to open up your eyes to the kind of life we could have here.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I don't know where I am with it - it's all up in the air.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Will the fairy tale have an unhappy ending?
0:01:41 > 0:01:46Around 150 people a day migrate to Australia in search of a better life.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50And anyone who's under the age of 45 and on the skills shortage list
0:01:50 > 0:01:54could be heading down under at the head of the queue.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59But for all these families, how hard is the decision and do they find what they are looking for?
0:01:59 > 0:02:01We've given another British family
0:02:01 > 0:02:04the opportunity to spend a week down under,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08to see if it's all they've dreamt it would be.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12After that, they'll have to make a decision one way or the other -
0:02:12 > 0:02:16to stay in the UK or to move to Australia.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Sally and Jem Mills live in Eastbourne with their three children,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Jevon, nine, Rowan, five and Hannah, who's four.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Sally visited Australia as a backpacker 16 years ago.
0:02:28 > 0:02:35I know I love it and I know I would probably, as long as the family are happy, move there tomorrow.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37But I am concerned about Jem a little bit.
0:02:37 > 0:02:43Both Sally and Jem work as psychotherapists - they've built up a successful business from scratch.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45I feel a massive emotional attachment to the business.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48There's something special about having an idea,
0:02:48 > 0:02:53seeing it in your mind's eye, and then, over a period of years, watching it come to fruition.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58And because of that, it would be a very hard thing to leave.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03We are very, very happy and proud of what we've achieved through the work we do.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06And it would be... It's a big thing to take him away from that.
0:03:06 > 0:03:12Sally's not one for sitting around. She's been researching a potential move for months,
0:03:12 > 0:03:17and has already found a place to stay on an internet house-exchange website.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20The people with this gorgeous house, really lovely house,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24they're coming to travel round Europe and spend some time in the UK.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- They're architects.- Yeah, they've built this house themselves.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31And they've just said, "Come on, come over and stay in our house."
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Jem has never been to Australia before
0:03:34 > 0:03:36but he is keen to test the water.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Sally is the main driver for this whole thing, really. She's been before.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45I'm a bit fearful, way there at the back, possibly,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48that we'll just end up with an OK lifestyle.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52That it'll be a big move, we'll be away from friends and family,
0:03:52 > 0:03:58and the lifestyle isn't going to be enough of a kind of draw
0:03:58 > 0:04:03to really sit back of an evening and think, "Gosh, that really was the right move for us."
0:04:03 > 0:04:07To make the move, it's got to be better than we already have.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11The Mills have a lot to lose so what will they decide?
0:04:11 > 0:04:1816 years ago, Sally fell in love with Byron Bay, so that's where they are considering starting a new life.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Byron Bay is a beachside town, roughly 100 miles south of Brisbane,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26and is the easternmost point of mainland Australia.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Back in the '60s, its amazing surf breaks and beaches were discovered by surfers,
0:04:31 > 0:04:36and the town soon built up a reputation as an alternative destination.
0:04:36 > 0:04:43The Mills will be looking for a spacious four-bedroom house here to fit their £450,000 budget,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46as long as they can also find good work.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Byron Bay has a variety of lifestyles on offer.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52We've put together three that might suit the Mills.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Let's take a look at the first option.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59The town of Byron Bay has grown in recent years,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and there's a big alternative therapy scene here.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06But there are already many psychotherapists in town
0:05:06 > 0:05:10and opening a brand new business would be highly competitive,
0:05:10 > 0:05:15so they may struggle to match their combined UK salary of £55,000.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17House prices are expensive.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22A three-bedroom town house like this costs around £450,000,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26which is just within their budget but doesn't offer the space they're after.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30So, very different from their life in the UK.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32So what about the second option?
0:05:33 > 0:05:37The rolling hills of Byron County are stunning,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and the Mills would love the spacious properties with big gardens
0:05:40 > 0:05:43but that dream home could be way beyond their budget.
0:05:43 > 0:05:49This spectacular four-bedroom home is a beautiful example of rural, open-plan living,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51but it doesn't come cheap.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55You'd have to pay around £850,000 to buy it.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00Smaller houses within budget will be available but they have to shop around.
0:06:00 > 0:06:06Living out here means the Mills would have to commute for up to an hour.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09All very nice if you can afford it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11What about the third option?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15The coastal options around Byron County are many,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18and will provide the Mills with a family-friendly alternative
0:06:18 > 0:06:20to Byron Bay's bustling streets.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24There may be opportunities to start a business here eventually
0:06:24 > 0:06:28but to begin with, Jem would need to find a salaried mental health job,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31which would pay around £30,000.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Work would be an hour's commute away.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38The Mills could buy a four-bedroom house here for £400,000.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41If their new business took off, they could afford something like this,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44which is on the market for half a million.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47So, three very different lifestyle options
0:06:47 > 0:06:50but the Mills have found their own place to stay.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54They've chosen the coastal town of Lennox Head.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57With its great beach and quiet atmosphere,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00they hope they will be able to settle in and meet new friends.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03We've got some properties for them to look around.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Wow! Look at that view!
0:07:05 > 0:07:11We've set up some meetings with mental health professionals, so they can assess their opportunities.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16But they have a tough week ahead, as they try to make the biggest decision of their lives.
0:07:16 > 0:07:22I don't want to invite the idea of moving to Australia in at the moment,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24because we've not made our mind up.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The journey from London takes 3 flights and 27 hours.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37The Mills finally touch down in the Gold Coast at 9:15am local time.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43They've spent months arranging this trip and it's finally happening.
0:07:43 > 0:07:50My main goals are to see if my husband and the family like Australia. I hope they will.
0:07:50 > 0:07:51I felt really good flying in.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56When we touched down in Sydney, I just felt, this is so great, it felt so right.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Jem is keen to make up his own mind.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02What I'm really looking forward to finding out this week is what the work prospects are like,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05whether the Lennox Head area that we're staying in
0:08:05 > 0:08:09is going to be a community that we really feel we could be part of.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14It is important that if we move out here, that what we have here can really feel like home.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17Tired!
0:08:17 > 0:08:21The Mills are on their way to Lennox Head,
0:08:21 > 0:08:25two hours' drive from the Gold Coast and an hour south of Byron Bay,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28their temporary new home is ready and waiting.
0:08:31 > 0:08:37Sally has been in communication with designer and homeowner, Melina Pandelides,
0:08:37 > 0:08:38to arrange the house exchange.
0:08:38 > 0:08:45To pick this time of year, and especially today, to arrive - it's just going to blow them away.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Because it's even blowing me away - it's just the most incredible day.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00This design is based on a Japanese idea
0:09:00 > 0:09:04in which separate buildings containing bedrooms and studio spaces
0:09:04 > 0:09:07are linked together with walkways and conservatories.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15The result is a spacious, calm environment.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20This house recently won an Australian Home of the Year award.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24In the UK, a place like this might run into millions.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29In Lennox Head, it's valued at approximately £800,000.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Jem and Sally couldn't afford somewhere like this to start with,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37but it will give them a great springboard to explore the area.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43As the Mills arrive, they're full of anticipation.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Sally has been in contact with Melina for months but never actually met.
0:09:48 > 0:09:54Very exciting. We've had a lot of e-mail correspondence together, got to know each other really well.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59I feel a real sense that we do know each other really well, but this is actually the first time we've met.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I'm really looking forward to meeting them.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05I'm a little bit nervous about it,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08but we're all very excited about meeting them.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Hello. It's so nice to meet you!
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I feel like we've already met.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Your house is beautiful.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24Melina and Phil are off on holiday themselves, but just have time to show the Mills around.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26So, this is the link.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Pool.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33And as you can see, it's fenced off.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35It's so lovely.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40- I wouldn't think of swimming in the pool now but you guys might. - Definitely will!
0:10:40 > 0:10:44The spacious design immediately chimes with Jem's love of the Orient.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48It feels very Zen-like to me, the garden, is that the influence?
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Yes, directly from Japanese modular concept.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It's all on a grid module matrix.
0:10:54 > 0:11:00I really love the way you can't tell whether you're inside or outside, wherever you are in the house.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01It's absolutely perfect.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Melina and Phil have a whole wing to themselves.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08This is the bedroom, master bedroom, the parents' retreat.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13- I love that term that you use in Australia. - It's not used in Britain?- No.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It conjures up all sorts of ideas of things we haven't had for a while.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- It's nice when a view is framed, isn't it?- Oh, it's just... Yes.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- There's a bottle of wine missing from there.- It's in the fridge!
0:11:24 > 0:11:25LAUGHTER
0:11:25 > 0:11:30- OK, and this is the master bedroom. - Lovely!
0:11:31 > 0:11:35I hope you guys don't mind light in the morning.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Actually...
0:11:38 > 0:11:43These blinds come down, but they're translucent. So you can never really block out the light.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- A nice cup of tea for me waiting. - That's the deal.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52Melina specialises in top-notch bathrooms with those added extras.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56- A bath with a view. - It's like a big egg.- Yeah, isn't it? - Where did you get the bath from?
0:11:56 > 0:11:58From Bali.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Not the local furniture shop, then?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02I've never seen a water plane before.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08- They're OK. But you can't leave it on for too long, because it's a bit slow in drainage.- OK.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12So it's more beautiful than efficient,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14but it's all about the look!
0:12:14 > 0:12:16This is very important.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21Whenever I design bathrooms, I always try to design a loo with a view.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26So, this is a loo with a view of a 200-year-old ficus.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31I was quite jealous about it because, for a guy, this is great, he gets the view, right?
0:12:31 > 0:12:36That's why I put the mirror here, so that when we're on the loo, we can still get a reflection.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- Very clever. - That is clever, isn't it?
0:12:38 > 0:12:42At the other end of the house, their children have a large space of their own.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48So this is the... Well, this is Clay's wing now - now that she is an only girl, an only child.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Our two boys are out of the home, so this is pretty much her space.
0:12:51 > 0:12:56With this amazing home, the Mills have really landed on their feet.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Have fun. And you look after my cats, too, OK?
0:12:59 > 0:13:04Their newest friends are off on an adventure of their own, leaving Sam and Jem to settle in.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05Take care, bye-bye.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- 24 hour flight and... - It's been about 40 hours we've been travelling for, isn't it?
0:13:09 > 0:13:13I'd be blown away if I was really fresh coming to a place like this.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17On the back of that kind of journey, where you feel a bit weird anyway...
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Just to have this kind of beauty,
0:13:21 > 0:13:22it's kind of blown me away.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Yeah.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27It's like a big fairy tale, really.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30This is just the beginning,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32but how long will the fairy tale last?
0:13:36 > 0:13:42Back in the UK, the Mills have a three-bedroom townhouse in an upmarket district of Eastbourne.
0:13:42 > 0:13:48But it's just not big enough for their growing family and they'd love a bit more space.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52In Australia, they are looking for a four- or five-bedroom house,
0:13:52 > 0:14:00and have a budget of up to £450,000, depending on employment and what they can get for their property at home.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Property one is a four-bedroom house on a quiet estate
0:14:03 > 0:14:08and is on the market at £325,000, well within budget.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11It has an immediate impact on Rowan...
0:14:11 > 0:14:14I think it's very good.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17..but Sally isn't so sure.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21It's not the kind of house we'd go for from the outside, really, is it?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23It's kind of, lots of bricks.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Let's have a look in the bedroom.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30So, is this the main bedroom?
0:14:30 > 0:14:35- I guess it probably is. - It's quite small, isn't it?- Yeah. Smaller than what we'd be used to.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Looks like they're not really using this room.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42The main reception is spacious, if nothing else.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44It looks very formal, doesn't it?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- It does. - No character in here at all.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- It feels a bit like a village hall, in a way.- This room? - It's a bit soulless.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Hopefully the kids' bedrooms will be more to their taste.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Wow! Do you see the fairies? Bet you love this room, don't you, Rowan?
0:14:59 > 0:15:04I don't really like it. There's girls' stuff.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Boys don't really like girls' stuff.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12The thing that I like is this.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15I like this
0:15:15 > 0:15:17but I don't like all the other stuff.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22Will the all-important garden change their minds?
0:15:22 > 0:15:26I've just realised - what else is missing?
0:15:26 > 0:15:31- Swimming pool. - Oh, yeah. No swimming pool. - No room to build a swimming pool.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36- You could dig there but then you'd lose your football pitch. - We've got to have a swimming pool.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40- Mum says we've got to have a swimming pool!- It's essential.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42So, I don't know.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45That means this one's probably out. Yeah.
0:15:46 > 0:15:52The simple red brick house is hardly the luxury the Mills have become accustomed to.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56I guess because we've stayed in Australia's favourite home,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00anything we look at today is obviously not going to come up to that level.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02But we wouldn't expect it to.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07There's beautiful houses in England we can't live in, because we can't afford them. That's life.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Australia's favourite home, would be our favourite home, too.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15Rowan's also decided this house isn't for him, after all.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- I hate this house. - You hate this house?
0:16:17 > 0:16:23Rowan, hate is not a very nice word. You don't like it but we don't have to say hate, do we?
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Perhaps property two might give them what they want.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31It's a four-bedroom house plus study and has a pool and garden.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33It's on the market
0:16:33 > 0:16:37for around £450,000, right on budget
0:16:37 > 0:16:41but they would both need to have jobs or run a profitable business to afford it.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46- I love it. It's really unusual, isn't it?- Now, this house makes the last one look ugly.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- Yes. It does.- It's so beautiful.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51It does. It's beautiful.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55This is much more to their taste, but will the interior match their expectations?
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- Let's have a look. - Oh, this is more us, isn't it?
0:16:58 > 0:16:59Definitely.
0:16:59 > 0:17:05With three massive living spaces and a high-spec finish, surely this house will do the trick.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Wow!
0:17:07 > 0:17:10- This is a nice family room, isn't it?- It is a nice family room.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Again, you've got the kitchen and... Look at that television!
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- It's like a cinema! - I'm disappointed that I like it.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- Cos it's huge!- It's not you at all.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23It's not me at all, but I'm thinking, that's really...
0:17:23 > 0:17:26- I love this window.- Great.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- Wow! This is a balcony. Is that safe?- I think so.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Looks pretty safe. ..Don't play with other people's stuff.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35It's another nice sitting area, isn't it? Oh, this is beautiful.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Now, that's all right, isn't it?
0:17:38 > 0:17:41That's lovely. A balcony, too. This is gorgeous!
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- A bathroom!- Look!
0:17:43 > 0:17:46So I guess you'd get evening sun here.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Yeah, I guess you would.
0:17:48 > 0:17:54The Mills can't wait to get outside and explore the exotic garden.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57It's like a jungle.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- Yeah!- Yeah! Oh, this is nice.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03This pool area is just like the pool area we imagined
0:18:03 > 0:18:06because I want somewhere where we can sit like this
0:18:06 > 0:18:10- and they can just play and we can kind of just be together. - This is what I had in mind.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- BIRD SINGS - Did you hear that? What was that?
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- No idea.- Gorgeous!- Some wild bird.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- I love that nature's so close to where you are. - Yes, right in the middle of it.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23And I imagine, of an evening, that would be even more atmospheric.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- Wouldn't it be lovely? - It's so tropical, isn't it? All the plants and...
0:18:27 > 0:18:32The beautiful outdoor space has sparked the whole family's imagination.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37It's good for playing pelican chess. Check, pelican!
0:18:37 > 0:18:42With a home like this, the Mills' dream could become a reality.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45It's time for property number three.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51This is a four-bedroom house on the same road as the house they are staying in.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52It's on the market
0:18:52 > 0:18:56for over £500,000, and is over the Mills' budget.
0:18:56 > 0:19:03But they want to see what may be possible if they can settle in and build a successful business.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Not many properties have a bridge to the front door.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Wow! Look at that! You can see straight through the door.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Wow! Look at that view.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Unbelievable.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20It's gorgeous.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22This house seems to suit their taste.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Why wouldn't it?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Balcony!
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Oh, my goodness. This is amazing.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Don't touch it.
0:19:32 > 0:19:38- Don't touch the balls. Look at that. - Just incredible, isn't it?
0:19:38 > 0:19:42- Wow!- Wow! This is amazing.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45This is such a nice, big space, isn't it?
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- Look at the kitchen. Isn't it lovely?- Really good.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49It's really gorgeous.
0:19:49 > 0:19:56Jem and Sally seem to be blown away by this home's slick and contemporary finish.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59But is it really a family home?
0:19:59 > 0:20:03In the master bedroom, there's a romantic theme.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- I don't think we would be that obvious.- No.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09- That would probably have to go. - If we had a bit of an argument or something.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- Yes!- I'm having a bath and I'm putting the blind down!
0:20:13 > 0:20:15I'm taking the "love" away as well!
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Shall we go down and see the garden?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22It's wonderful.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24- Barbecue, look.- Up the hill!
0:20:24 > 0:20:31Despite the lack of a pool, there's communal land at the back of the house for the kids to run around.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36For Jem, the stylish properties have opened his eyes to the potential of Australian culture.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40One thing I was concerned about coming over here was that it's a relatively young country.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44That maybe there's a lack of depth of culture and stuff.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47But I think one thing I've realised is,
0:20:47 > 0:20:53there's a huge amount of creativity, a lot of richness of ideas and community,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55that I maybe wasn't expecting.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00I think there's areas within Australia that are as you imagine them to be -
0:21:00 > 0:21:04quite suburban and, dare I say, soulless.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08But there's something really special about this area around Byron and Lennox Head.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11I think it's quite different to stereotypical Australia.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- It's quite special.- It is a very special area.- A special place.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Although they are excited by possibilities in the area,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20the Mills have still got their feet firmly on the ground.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22This is the top end of our price range.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25- It depends what kind of work we get.- Yeah.
0:21:25 > 0:21:31At this stage, we don't know how that's going to pay, how much work we are going to be able to get,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33whether we're able to do some private practice,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37- which would support an income to help us to do that.- Yeah.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42The Mills have seen three very different properties
0:21:42 > 0:21:47and have been inspired by the impressive design and architecture.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50So, how will they vote on property?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53So, we've been looking at properties in Australia today.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Now, it's time for us to decide.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58And we're going to vote...
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Australia!
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Those properties really whet the Mills' appetite
0:22:13 > 0:22:17but they've got to get the kind of work to pay for that dream lifestyle.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20So, are they going to find it?
0:22:20 > 0:22:25Back in the UK, Jem and Sally run a successful psychotherapy business.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30They specialise in cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34I absolutely love my job.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Really, really do. It's kind of...
0:22:37 > 0:22:41It sounds like a corny cliche, but a lot of the time,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45it feels like a privilege to be in the situations that we are in.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49But it is their original nursing training that will provide the entrance visa.
0:22:49 > 0:22:55In Australia, without degrees in psychology, they are not qualified to practise psychotherapy.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58The work thing is the real thing for me, with him
0:22:58 > 0:23:05and I'm just wondering, these difficulties with recognising nurses doing cognitive behavioural therapy,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07whether he's going to feel that he fits in there.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Jem hopes his CV is good enough to buck the system.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14If I couldn't work as a therapist in Australia,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16it wouldn't work for me.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20He'd love to build his CBT business down under,
0:23:20 > 0:23:26but, initially, he'd like the security of a salary while the family settle in.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31He's come to meet Richard Buss, the head of mental health services in the area.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35- Jem, hi, pleased to meet you. Richard Buss.- Thanks very much for your time.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39That's all right. Welcome to the north coast. A long way from home!
0:23:39 > 0:23:41It's a large facility, for the whole area.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45We've got 48 beds here, community mental health and area mental health.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Jem knows only too well what's at stake.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54We've only been here a couple of days, but everything's so lovely and so perfect.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59I was worried that I was going to find something that would be a deal breaker.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03And I suppose this could be it, really.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08Jem, I've been looking at your CV, which you kindly sent us, so thanks very much.
0:24:08 > 0:24:09Great experience,
0:24:09 > 0:24:15a very different experience than a traditional pathway that a nurse in mental health would take here.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Jem's keen to impress.
0:24:17 > 0:24:24I personally think it's very important to feel like I can contribute to my fullest extent.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28One of the things that I'm really keen on is professional development,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32just trying to be the best mental health worker you can be.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34But will Richard be able to help him?
0:24:34 > 0:24:39Mostly, cognitive behavioural therapy is being done by psychologists.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44So, I think the thing is, if you were to look at a job here,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47you would probably be going into a nursing role,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51and then using your skills and your CBT skills in that role, in nursing,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54as opposed to being employed as a psychotherapist, to begin with.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57That's a huge blow.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02Being a nurse will not only result in a cut in salary, to around £30,000,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05he'd also have to work shifts.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08It would be much more of a struggle than he had hoped.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13That would involve going back to ways of working, and in some cases, the salary that I was on years ago.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15I haven't worked shifts for 14 years.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19I think the biggest challenge for Jem would be fitting back into the system,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and back into a nursing role,
0:25:21 > 0:25:27and then implementing and introducing his ideas around CBT to an acute care team.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29That would be the biggest challenge.
0:25:29 > 0:25:37If we had everything else in place, but I was doing work that I didn't find exciting and energising,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41then it would be very difficult to consider the move, I think.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46# Opportunities available in all walks of life in Australia... #
0:25:46 > 0:25:51Sally's trying to forget her worries about Jem.
0:25:51 > 0:25:57She's taken the kids shopping in Byron Bay. She was last here 16 years ago.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04When I was here as a backpacker, it was great that it was hippified
0:26:04 > 0:26:06cos that was where I was at then.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11But now I've got a family, it's kind of really lovely to know that it's more family focused now.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16That makes me even more excited about the whole idea of moving out here. So that's great.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19She's doing some research of her own,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24to find out if their ultimate goal of opening a private practice might be possible.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Catherine Chugg has a successful psychotherapy practice in Byron Bay.
0:26:28 > 0:26:34Would you mind telling me a little bit about what would perhaps be the main challenges for us,
0:26:34 > 0:26:40coming into the Byron Bay area to set up a private practice in psychotherapy?
0:26:40 > 0:26:47It would be building a reputation, going to meet GPs and being really clear and specific what you do.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49It's finding the right way to get known.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Sure, it is. You've just got to go out there and meet different people,
0:26:53 > 0:26:58- speak to people like yourself and get some leads and make some contacts, really.- Yeah.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03I don't want to be rude or anything, but is it OK to ask a little bit about our earning potential,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06perhaps the charges that you may have for clients?
0:27:06 > 0:27:12Generally, people in this area, they don't want to pay more than, you know, 100 bucks an hour.
0:27:12 > 0:27:18It's not like a city, where you can charge 150 or 200 an hour. It's...
0:27:18 > 0:27:22You have to be mindful of the economic status of people here.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Of course you do. OK.
0:27:24 > 0:27:30Byron Bay is a highly competitive environment. So opening a practice straightaway would be risky.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33I just don't think we're going to be able to match what we have already.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36We have got our own business in the UK.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38It's successful.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40We've got great people we work with.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44I don't know how or whether we are going to be able to match that at all.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Her hopes ride on Jem.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50She knows how ambitious he is.
0:27:50 > 0:27:56He has to be able to know that he can enjoy his work here, that there's prospects for him.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Thank you very much. Very good, yes, lots to talk about.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03He's very happy in the work he does in the UK.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07So, yes, it could jeopardise the whole thing, really.
0:28:07 > 0:28:13Moving to the other side of the world would be a huge gamble, personally and professionally.
0:28:13 > 0:28:19Jem has to drop the bomb shell to Sally that nursing might be the only option to start with.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22It would be going back to shift work.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Some of the shifts go on till 10 o'clock at night.
0:28:25 > 0:28:32And it's working weekends. And the starting salary, before you get to the clinical nurse specialist,
0:28:32 > 0:28:37is something like 60,000, just over.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41- So that's just over 30... So it's going back 15 years. - That wouldn't really work for us.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44You want to walk into your permanent dream job,
0:28:44 > 0:28:48but if you get over here and you're somebody that can make things happen,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50then, the world's your oyster.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Exactly. You and I are not going to have a cast-iron guarantee.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58- No.- If we decide to do this, we're going to have to accept the risk.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Do we just try it, see what it's like for us, or not?
0:29:02 > 0:29:06So I think we're going to have to be quite brave to do it with the three kids.
0:29:06 > 0:29:12It's quite a thing to, you know, hoick them out of school.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17But then again, the pay-offs, if it does well, potentially, are enormous.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20So it's just like, which way do you go, really?
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Right here, right now, in terms of what's on offer,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28it has to be the UK.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33- And for me, it's in the middle.- Ooh.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38Without the work they love, the Mills' Byron Bay dream hangs in the balance.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45The Mills' work prospects are in doubt
0:29:45 > 0:29:49and they'll have to think seriously whether they can afford the move.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54A lot of this will depend on what price they can get for their house back in the UK.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Sally and Jem own a three-bedroom house in Eastbourne.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03They bought it back in 2005 for £200,000.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Today, they believe it's worth around 300,000.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09Let's go.
0:30:09 > 0:30:15We sent two estate agents to their home for an up-to-date valuation.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18A nice, spacious hallway.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23From the outside, it looked a little bit like it needed a bit of TLC and cleaning.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27TLC and cleaning up on the outside?
0:30:36 > 0:30:41It's a very good location with the primary school opposite.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45- It's your school. - Couldn't be any closer. It's great.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Oh, this is a lovely room.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55I love the fireplace. It's nice to have some old features in there.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Very nice.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05My room!
0:31:05 > 0:31:07For the third bedroom, it's a nice size.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Again, original fireplace is nice.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16What's negative for some is good for others.
0:31:16 > 0:31:21I mean, the school opposite, for some, is a fantastic point. For others, it's not so good.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23I think, at this moment in time,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26the true value of this property stands to be around 250,000.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29- Goodness me.- I think we could market it slightly higher.
0:31:29 > 0:31:30It's very low, isn't it?
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Obviously, the only slight disadvantage is the smaller back garden,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38which tends to be showing, probably, in the price.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41250 is the area I'd expect to achieve.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Really? Gosh.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46I might put it on the market at 259,950 to allow for offers.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54I'd have expected it to be more around the kind of 300.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57- Yeah, I suppose, we hoped, really, didn't we?- Yeah.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02- We haven't been following the market.- I think it's just the current market, really.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06I think that's the reason why, if we made the move, we wouldn't sell it anyway.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08We'd wait for property prices to go back up.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13After the disappointment with work prospects, this is yet another blow for Jem and Sally.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18It almost feels like I don't want to see how wonderful it is and how beautiful it is.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21I look at the view and I think, "God, it's just so gorgeous."
0:32:21 > 0:32:23You're almost scared to look.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28You're scared to open up your eyes to the kind of life we could have here
0:32:28 > 0:32:31because, if we can't get it all to fit together,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33then it might not work for us, you know.
0:32:36 > 0:32:37It's like we're here,
0:32:37 > 0:32:45but I don't want to invite the idea of moving to Australia in at the moment
0:32:45 > 0:32:47because we've not made our mind up.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51And it's a bit sad, really. It's kind of...
0:32:51 > 0:32:53You can see the beauty, the possibilities,
0:32:53 > 0:32:58- but emotionally we're just holding off a bit because of that.- Mm-hm.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06I don't know where I am with it all, really. It's all up in the air.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08We have to see, really.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13It seems to be going from bad to worse for the Mills.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18If they're going to keep their dream alive, they're going to have to work out all their finances.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22We've compared their living expenses in the UK and Australia
0:33:22 > 0:33:26so they can work out if they can afford to live down under.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Shall we do the pool?
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Pool, yeah.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35- £100.- Wow. Is that all of it?- Yeah.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Now what about the children's clubs?
0:33:42 > 0:33:49OK, so, £100... I mean, this is expensive for children's clubs.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53With a large family, the price of groceries is a big weekly outlay.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Bagels are 4 for a four-pack.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59They are roughly twice the price.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02- Twice the price, goodness me, look at that.- Blueberries...- Gosh!
0:34:02 > 0:34:04..are very expensive.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09I think anything they have to import will be a lot more money.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12It's all the processed stuff that's really expensive.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17- No more luxuries then.- No more luxuries? We don't do luxuries!
0:34:20 > 0:34:24The cost of living in Australia isn't as low as many people imagine.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26It's time for the final reckoning.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33We would be £511 worse off.
0:34:33 > 0:34:39£511 worse off.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43- This is a bit close to the line, is it?- I think so, yeah.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46You're more likely to be... If big things come up...
0:34:46 > 0:34:48Yeah.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52We don't want to be over here struggling.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55- Yeah.- Having to go into the overdraft, credit cards.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00Jem and Sally have had their eyes opened by the financial reality.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05Yesterday, I was saying that, from a vocational point of view or a career point of view,
0:35:05 > 0:35:09I wouldn't be that interested in coming back as a registered nurse.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13It actually transpires that we probably couldn't afford to, either.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20In terms of our current lifestyle, the money we spend on the children, we could be quite stuck.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24We wouldn't want to come here to the other side of the world, away from our families,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27and just be running out of money every month.
0:35:27 > 0:35:33Jem and Sally aren't ones to give up easily. For them, where there's a will there's a way.
0:35:33 > 0:35:38The fact that we've discovered financially that it's not doable as a registered nurse,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41just tells me that's not the way we're gonna do it.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- It's not the path to take. - Another way will emerge.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46I want to play hide and seek!
0:35:47 > 0:35:52We very, very much believe that if you hold that idea in your mind,
0:35:52 > 0:35:55then you're much more likely to be able to see the opportunities for it
0:35:55 > 0:35:59and end up achieving, ultimately, what you want. I still believe that.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02And if it's meant to be, it's meant to be - it will happen in that way.
0:36:02 > 0:36:09Even positive thinking can't change facts and, on the cost of living, it's time to vote.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13This morning we've been looking at the cost of living comparing Australia to the UK
0:36:13 > 0:36:17and, with everything in mind, we're going to vote...
0:36:17 > 0:36:18in the middle.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Now, if you're the active type, then Australia has something for everyone.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33And Byron Bay has built its reputation on one thing - surfing.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38And it's largely due to its prime geographical position.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41The largest island on the planet sticks into the biggest ocean
0:36:41 > 0:36:43and this is where it happens -
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Byron Bay, the eastern tip of the Australian continent.
0:36:46 > 0:36:52Byron Bay was discovered as a great place to live by surfers and hippies in the '60s.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57It's a working-class town. They had a couple of policemen, one sergeant.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00It was sort of like the old Wild West with the sheriff.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04You could come with your surfboard, walk onto the beach, stay with friends
0:37:04 > 0:37:06or just camp out on the beach.
0:37:06 > 0:37:12Since then, surfing has exploded around the world as a way to exercise both body and mind.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Surfing is a sensory sport. It stimulates all the senses.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19You can smell it, you can see it, you can touch it, you can feel it.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23And it actually works on subliminal levels as well,
0:37:23 > 0:37:28where you're mentally becoming aware of things in a way that you're not normally in your everyday life.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30You're going along on a wave,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32everything's fine then you get a section,
0:37:32 > 0:37:37something breaks in front of you and you gotta go down and around it or up over it or through it
0:37:37 > 0:37:41so it's an interesting sort of way to look at life, too.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46But, if you're new to surfing, make sure you get a lesson.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51Take the time to come and pay a small amount of money to get some basic information
0:37:51 > 0:37:55to go and have a safe, fun experience in the ocean. It's money so well spent.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58When you go out surfing, you're going in another environment.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02You can step on a rock, you can get eaten by a shark, you can get run over.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04A lot of things can happen.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06So, it calls for real awareness.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10So, if you've got the nerve, surfing is a great sport to try.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Come to Byron Bay. It's a dynamic area, it really is.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16It's a beautiful beach environment. We're lucky.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Byron Bay is one of the surfing Meccas of the world.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25Jem and Sally Mills dreamt of a fairy-tale lifestyle down under
0:38:25 > 0:38:30and when they arrived at their luxury pad they thought they'd found it.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35- Oh, my goodness - this is amazing! - It's like a big fairy tale, really.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39But the reality of jobs available and their finances hit home.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43That would involve going back to the salary that I was on years ago.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Listening to messages from loved ones is never easy.
0:38:46 > 0:38:51They are a very important part of my life. I shall miss them. A lot.
0:38:52 > 0:38:57Sally is desperate to make the move but will she ever be able to convince Jem?
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Life out here could be so good for us, but is there going to be enough for him workwise?
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Are we going to be able to resolve those issues?
0:39:04 > 0:39:07It's kind of resting with me a bit.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10And... That's a bit of pressure, I guess.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15Who knows what they'll decide? But one thing's for sure -
0:39:15 > 0:39:20the Mills will want to make the most of the sporty Australian outdoors.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23But is it really better than the life they have in the UK?
0:39:27 > 0:39:33Back in the UK, Jem and the kids enjoy all aspects of oriental culture including meditation and karate.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43So, in Australia, we've set them up with a martial arts club in Byron Bay.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47It's an important part of our life. The boys love their karate after school.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51If we came over here, we would really be looking for something to replace that
0:39:51 > 0:39:54and hopefully, fingers crossed, this is going to be the one.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- Nice to meet you.- You too.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Sam Calibro is the instructor.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04He's keen to see what the kids are made of.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24As Jevon and Rowan use up their excess energy,
0:40:24 > 0:40:31Jem takes the chance to question parent and ex-pat James Robinson-Gale about the hardships of emigrating.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Those first few years, it was really difficult. I really felt...
0:40:34 > 0:40:37- Homesick?- Yeah, absolutely homesick.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39But now, this is it.
0:40:39 > 0:40:45It seems odd to go back home now. I mean, I miss several things. You get nostalgic about things.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- Do you go back much?- Unfortunately my father died recently...
0:40:49 > 0:40:54- I heard. I'm sorry about that. - ..so I had to go back, so that sort of wrench is very difficult.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59If you can get over all those feelings of loss, being away from the UK,
0:40:59 > 0:41:06it's a wonderful standard of living, quality of life - particularly with little ones.
0:41:16 > 0:41:17It's Jem's turn to have a go.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22He's learned a different form of martial arts in the UK so could be in for a battering.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29# Jungle boogie
0:41:30 > 0:41:32# Jungle boogie Get it on
0:41:32 > 0:41:33# Jungle boogie
0:41:34 > 0:41:36# Jungle boogie Get it on
0:41:36 > 0:41:38# Jungle boogie... #
0:41:38 > 0:41:39That was great. Really enjoyed that.
0:41:39 > 0:41:45It's a really good workout and some of the younger ones, especially the guy at the end, were beating me up.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46I've got a lot to learn!
0:41:46 > 0:41:51For Jem, it's not just about the karate, it's about the people.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56One thing I get concerned about is whether or not we'll fit in, make friends, that kind of stuff.
0:41:56 > 0:42:01It's hard to imagine there could be an easier place to make friends - they are so open and friendly.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04I really appreciate it. Thank you very much, sir.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07So, how's he going to vote on the lifestyle?
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Australia!
0:42:09 > 0:42:14Jem's feeling more at home in Byron Bay but will Sally find what she's looking for?
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Back in Eastbourne, she's a member of a local running club.
0:42:17 > 0:42:23After years and years of struggling with a regular exercise routine, I've finally,
0:42:23 > 0:42:28over the last couple of years, established one, which I'm really happy with and really enjoy.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30It's been fantastic, so I'd really miss that.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38In Australia, it's 5:30am.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45And some of Byron Bay's roughest and toughest are up for a spot of light exercise.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Right, starting straight into it, guys!
0:42:48 > 0:42:52Fitness instructor, Daniel Clifton-Northey runs boot camp courses every week.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55He can't wait to put Sally through her paces.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04The runners go. The bag throwers go.
0:43:04 > 0:43:10Patrol between logs. Stop, this team.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12I hope you didn't do your nails.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19No one's counting, especially Sally. Start again. Let's go!
0:43:21 > 0:43:26This team over here working well together. This is your last lap.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Come on, Sally, put your back into it.
0:43:29 > 0:43:30Come on, guys, let's go.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33Don't let them beat you this easy. Let's go. 30 seconds.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Rather you than me, Sally!
0:43:45 > 0:43:48- Oh yeah, mate. Oh yeah.- All right?
0:43:53 > 0:43:58Let your elbow go just behind your shoulder and you'll feel it right across the front of your chest.
0:44:06 > 0:44:11The setting here is just absolutely gorgeous. I mean, look at the views. They're spectacular.
0:44:11 > 0:44:16A really nice group of people. Similar to Eastbourne, similar kind of guys.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17Really friendly.
0:44:17 > 0:44:22So I'm really pleased to see that there's something I could do here, fitnesswise.
0:44:22 > 0:44:28Byron Bay has everything to offer a family like the Mills but Sally is feeling the strain.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30It's a feeling of unsettlement
0:44:30 > 0:44:34and I think that's a feeling that other people that are trying this can relate to.
0:44:34 > 0:44:42Nothing seems familiar so it's a kind of sense of vulnerability, being here and being away from home.
0:44:42 > 0:44:49It's scary, in a way, the thought of moving away from everything familiar and coming to a new place,
0:44:49 > 0:44:53even though the new place offers everything you could possibly want it to.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57It's still quite a scary thing to think about doing.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03The reality of the move is kicking in.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06Is Sally now changing her mind?
0:45:06 > 0:45:11The Mills have had a long week and lots on their mind.
0:45:11 > 0:45:17Will seeing messages from loved ones back home make the decision to move down under even harder?
0:45:19 > 0:45:22Hi, Jem, hi, Sally. Hi, Jevon, Rowan and Hannah.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Hi, it's Mum here.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27I'm hoping you're having a wonderful time.
0:45:27 > 0:45:32You know, people say that their brother is their best friend.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Well, in Jem's case, that's true.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39He's been a rock to me through some very traumatic, dark times in my life.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42He's like a best friend, as well as a brother.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44Sally, yes, she's very laid-back.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48She's a really lovely mum and good with the kids,
0:45:48 > 0:45:50and very good with me.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52She's always willing to listen.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Sally was one of the inaugural members of our running group.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58She's always there, smiling, keeping people going.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00She's one of the only people
0:46:00 > 0:46:03who never ever gets disturbed by the trainers.
0:46:03 > 0:46:04She's such a kind, lovely person
0:46:04 > 0:46:06and we really would miss her.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10She's not just one of our clients, she's a good friend, so it would be sad.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12What kind of person is Jevon?
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Kind.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18And he listens.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21He's my best friend.
0:46:21 > 0:46:22We'll miss all of them,
0:46:22 > 0:46:27particularly seeing our grandchildren growing up.
0:46:27 > 0:46:32They're young now, I know, but Australia is thousands of miles away.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35It's a long way away, so we will miss that.
0:46:35 > 0:46:41I've been spending time with them, and I know they'll only ever be a phone call away,
0:46:41 > 0:46:45but it's not quite the same as spending time with them as a family.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48It would be difficult.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53OK, you can have webcams and whatever the modern technology is,
0:46:53 > 0:46:58but actually being accessible so you can ring them up and say, "Can I pop over?"
0:46:58 > 0:47:03or, "Would you like to come over?" and feeling them, you know?
0:47:03 > 0:47:10Part of me hopes they don't want to go, and part of me thinks it would be lovely if they do. So...
0:47:11 > 0:47:14I just want them to be happy.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20Yeah, I shall miss them. A lot.
0:47:23 > 0:47:29I really do miss my nanny and grandad, especially my uncle,
0:47:29 > 0:47:33because they are very kind to me.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37I miss my friends and family and...
0:47:42 > 0:47:44..it made me feel a bit emotional.
0:47:44 > 0:47:49I think the hardest thing for me was watching my mum
0:47:49 > 0:47:55and kind of feeling the sadness that she would obviously experience
0:47:55 > 0:47:58if we were to move away.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03As she says, you can Skype or keep in contact,
0:48:03 > 0:48:07but it's not the same as being able to just pop round. That's really sad.
0:48:07 > 0:48:13It's special with my brother because he's there for the weekend every fortnight
0:48:13 > 0:48:17and the kids really love him and so do I.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21That's going to be a real difference for us.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23On an emotional level, it's really hard,
0:48:23 > 0:48:28because you're attached to people, your family and your friends,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31and it's a big wrench to leave them.
0:48:31 > 0:48:37But, on the other hand, you have got to think of what you're offering your immediate children,
0:48:37 > 0:48:41your immediate family, and the lives that they can have and our grandchildren will have.
0:48:41 > 0:48:48Listening to messages from home has left them feeling torn and it's confirmed how big this move would be.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51The Mills are still undecided.
0:48:51 > 0:48:56Now, they are coming to the end of their trial week and it has been full of ups and downs.
0:48:56 > 0:49:01They've been swept away by the stunning landscape and lifestyle of Byron Bay.
0:49:01 > 0:49:06- They've seen some stunning houses. - Oh, my goodness! This is amazing!
0:49:06 > 0:49:08- Wow.- Wow.
0:49:08 > 0:49:13But the job prospects are far from encouraging - a lower salary could leave them broke.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17- It's a bit close to the line, is it? - It would be difficult to consider the move.
0:49:17 > 0:49:23You're almost scared to look, scared to open up your eyes to the kind of life we could have here.
0:49:23 > 0:49:28There's a big question of whether they can afford to move financially and emotionally.
0:49:30 > 0:49:35Will meeting new friends at Lennox Head help them make that final decision?
0:49:35 > 0:49:40Sally's been on the case as usual and has contacted Carol Piper through a friend back home,
0:49:40 > 0:49:42before coming to Australia.
0:49:42 > 0:49:48We've been in e-mail correspondence with them but we've never met them before so, it's like, great.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52It'll be nice to put a face to name and really see them in person,
0:49:52 > 0:49:53get to know them a little bit.
0:49:53 > 0:50:00The Mills have come to Lennox Beach to meet Carol, husband, Andrew, and their kids for the first time.
0:50:03 > 0:50:08The Pipers are both teachers and emigrated from the UK two years ago,
0:50:08 > 0:50:13so are perfectly placed to give them the real story about making such a big move.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17So, what are your initial impressions of the whole area and Australia?
0:50:17 > 0:50:22Well, it's beautiful, we're just stunned by the scenery here. It's absolutely gorgeous.
0:50:22 > 0:50:27And the people have been brilliant, people we've never met before, like yourselves.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31They've been so generous and so giving with everything.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33It's just been fantastic.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37It's kind of everything I hoped it would be, really, and more, definitely and more.
0:50:39 > 0:50:40Catch!
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Has there been anything since you moved out here that you miss?
0:50:45 > 0:50:53Obviously you miss things about the UK, but things that you feel aren't quite as good over here or...?
0:50:53 > 0:50:57I really miss the English countryside.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59We lived in Cornwall before we left,
0:50:59 > 0:51:04and we walked a lot with the dog in the English countryside.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06That's something you can't do here.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13Jem's keen to find out how the Pipers made their decision.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17One of the things we're thinking about doing is trying it for a couple of years
0:51:17 > 0:51:22and then deciding, once and for all, whether or not to put our roots down here.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25I know all you've been here for a couple of years now,
0:51:25 > 0:51:28so I'm wondering what it's like at the two-year mark for you.
0:51:28 > 0:51:33I guess when we left the UK, we didn't want to leave that get-out clause for ourselves.
0:51:33 > 0:51:39We felt that, psychologically, we'd always be thinking about returning if we kept one foot in the UK.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42So we purposely sold up and we moved out completely.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46And even now, we sometimes think back to the UK
0:51:46 > 0:51:49and think, "We miss this," or, "We'd like to go and see that."
0:51:49 > 0:51:51Do you have any regrets at all?
0:51:51 > 0:51:57No, really, life just gets better because you just get more established, you make friends...
0:51:57 > 0:52:02Is it beginning to feel like home? Because Jem and I feel...
0:52:02 > 0:52:06We think we could move out here and have a beautiful life, a beautiful place to live,
0:52:06 > 0:52:10a great culture, but will it ever feel in our hearts like home?
0:52:10 > 0:52:12For us, it really feels like home.
0:52:12 > 0:52:17Really? Did it early on? Or did it take a while?
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Um, no, really pretty much straightaway.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Because it's such a huge thing, that move from the UK,
0:52:23 > 0:52:30that when you arrive, you've arrived and then you live it.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32When you're not working and you're on the beach,
0:52:32 > 0:52:36you just think, "Oh, my goodness, this is lovely - this is the life."
0:52:36 > 0:52:40But, for sure, it doesn't feel like it's artificial.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42Because it's not - this is all real, isn't it?
0:52:42 > 0:52:47There's one thing that is always on Jem's mind.
0:52:47 > 0:52:53One of the things we've been looking at, and it's a fairly challenging area for us,
0:52:53 > 0:52:54is thinking about work.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58It does take time and you need a little bit of luck.
0:52:58 > 0:53:03But you've got to make your own luck and put yourself in the right place to find it.
0:53:03 > 0:53:10I think, in some ways, we were hoping that we'd get a tailor-made, ready-to-fit-into job,
0:53:10 > 0:53:15to give us that security of coming all the way over from the UK.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19It just seems a real challenge
0:53:19 > 0:53:23to just cross your fingers and hope that it's all going to turn out.
0:53:23 > 0:53:27I believe it, though - you make your own way,
0:53:27 > 0:53:32and if you've got a positive way of approaching things, you'll succeed.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35That's the golden rule, really.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39And Jem and Sally certainly are positive thinkers.
0:53:39 > 0:53:44But will they find the courage to take the plunge?
0:53:44 > 0:53:46This whole week's been a roller coaster.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49On one hand, you can feel very positive about something,
0:53:49 > 0:53:51and on the other hand you can have some doubts
0:53:51 > 0:53:54and there's the fear associated with such a big decision.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58But then, you have a bit of a talk to yourself and think,
0:53:58 > 0:54:05"There's so much out here for us, what could we possibly lose?"
0:54:05 > 0:54:10But there's the security of what you know, what we know in the UK,
0:54:10 > 0:54:14the security of having our friends and family around us.
0:54:14 > 0:54:19To just up and leave is quite scary. Yeah.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23It's funny - today, about the move, I've been feeling...
0:54:23 > 0:54:29I've gone through different phases, just today. It's just gone up and down, up and down.
0:54:29 > 0:54:36Sally's been the main driving force for this whole process, really.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39In a way, it's kind of resting with me a bit.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43That's a bit of pressure, I guess.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47If he votes for England today, that means at this point in time,
0:54:47 > 0:54:51from the information he's had this week,
0:54:51 > 0:54:56that he's not satisfied that we could just drop everything and move to Australia.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00I think that would mean it was still work in progress for me.
0:55:00 > 0:55:07You know, if I decide that it's just a stretch too far,
0:55:07 > 0:55:09from the work point of view,
0:55:09 > 0:55:14then what does that mean in terms of the impact on the family and what they want?
0:55:14 > 0:55:18So, you know, what's it going to be?
0:55:19 > 0:55:23It's time for the Mills to make their final decision.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27What will Jem choose for himself and his family?
0:55:27 > 0:55:31We've had a fantastic time in Australia, we've met some wonderful people,
0:55:31 > 0:55:37and this is the time when we finally vote for whether or not we want to move over here.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39And the vote's going to be...
0:55:42 > 0:55:46ALL: Australia!
0:55:46 > 0:55:48You voted Australia?
0:55:48 > 0:55:50It was that last conversation with Andrew,
0:55:50 > 0:55:57where he said that if you're prepared to step back a little bit and network
0:55:57 > 0:56:00and really fit into the Australian way of life,
0:56:00 > 0:56:04then this is a country where people with our kind of drive, passion and creativity
0:56:04 > 0:56:09can really make something of themselves. I just think, what the heck? Give it a go.
0:56:09 > 0:56:10Aw, bless you.
0:56:11 > 0:56:18The Mills have been on a real journey of discovery and have made a brave decision.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20Let's hope it works out for them.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:56:38 > 0:56:41E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk