Nowell/Horton Wanted Down Under

When you want to sell up and move your family to the other side of the world,

your whole life is thrown up in the air,

especially if your partner has reservations about the idea.

Simon knows exactly what he wants.

I'd move tomorrow if I had the chance.

I really want the opportunity to let my family prosper in such a great place as Australia.

But fiancee Laurie doesn't entirely share his dream.

I feel as though, if I was to turn around and say,

"I don't think it's right for us," for whatever reason it might be,

I feel like I'll break Simon's heart and really don't want to

because I know it's something he's always, always wanted.

And if the decision wasn't hard enough already, their family can't bear to let them go.

We don't want to use any sort of emotional blackmail. I think that's unfair...

We say we don't want to but I think, being emotional anyway, it is going to do that.

I feel very torn between my family at home and Simon,

and what would be the right thing to do.

Either way, I'm upsetting somebody very close to me and I don't quite know what to do about that.

-Can you see how hard it would be for me to make a decision?

-Mmm.

Australia is the most popular country for Brits moving abroad.

They may be tempted by its 10,000 beaches, sunny climate

and famous relaxed lifestyle.

But leaving behind everything you know to start a new life

thousands of miles from home can turn a simple dream into

the hardest challenge of your life.

Simon and Laurie are facing a week of tough decisions

as they test out life in Australia.

At the end of it, they'll have to make the hardest choice of all...

to stay in the UK or to move down under.

Newport in South Wales is home to Simon Knowle and his young family,

fiancee Laurie and their one-year-old son Derry.

Simon dreams of a new life in Australia but it's Laurie's doubts that are holding him back.

I'm probably 90% there already.

I thought you were 100%.

I'm not 100% because you're not... you're 50-50.

So if I wasn't so reluctant, you...

-I'd be 100%.

-So really you are.

Only because I don't want to get my heart set on it and you say you don't want to go.

OK, fair comment.

As an experienced car mechanic, he hopes his skills are in demand down under

and will be the passport to a brighter future for his baby son.

When I was younger, I used to be out from nine o'clock in the morning till nine o'clock at night.

I was always out playing in the fields and building tree houses and stuff like that, really,

and I want Derry to enjoy that sort of stuff as well. I don't want him to feel as if he's stuck.

I just want him to enjoy his life, and I think the prospects

for Derry are a lot better in Australia that they are in the UK.

But Laurie isn't convinced Australia has enough to offer.

The thing is, I see that Derry could have a good life here as well as Australia for different reasons.

I think about the fact that Derry will grow up and not know his family

as well as perhaps he would if he was here in the UK,

so I am really very undecided, but something's got to convince me

somewhere along the way, one way or the other.

Although Simon loves his job in the UK, he feels he'll have more prospects in Australia.

I think I'll have better career progression in Australia,

and I'm at a level now where I think I can transfer my skills

and be able to go on further, really make something of myself.

Simon's prepared to risk everything on a new life in Australia

but Laurie, who spent a year working in Spain as an estate agent,

knows only too well that dreams of starting again in the sun

can quickly turn into a homesick nightmare.

I'm not so sure that the grass is always greener.

I've got a lot of ifs, buts and maybes in my head as to whether it would be the right thing to do,

but I do think that living in Spain has really had a detrimental effect on my thoughts of moving abroad.

I think, because she's lived in Spain, when Laurie gets there,

I think she'll be a bit reluctant to let it in,

because I think she'll be thinking about the UK.

I think it'll take a bit to persuade Laurie but I think I can do it.

Yeah, I feel as though, if I was to turn around and say,

"I don't think it's right for us," for whatever reason it might be,

I feel like I'll break Simon's heart and I really don't want to do that,

because I know it's something that he's always, always wanted.

So, whether Simon and Laurie choose to stay in the UK

or decide to leave family behind for a new life down under,

someone could be left broken-hearted.

As a car mechanic, Simon could find work almost anywhere,

but which area would suit the family best?

We could send them to Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory and Australia's most remote city.

It has the outback on its doorstep and yet is a modern and cosmopolitan city.

Average house prices are high at around £357,000,

which would really stretch Simon and Laurie's budget.

Or maybe the Gold Coast in Queensland has more to offer a young family.

It's Australia's sixth largest city and, as one of the country's fastest-growing areas,

would offer plenty of housing and work options for Simon.

With average property prices at £290,000,

they would need to shop around to find a home they could afford.

Perhaps they could go further down the coast to Sydney,

Australia's unofficial first city and,

with a population of nearly 4.5 million, its largest.

Known as the Harbour City, it's a cosmopolitan metropolis

with a thriving cultural life, but all this comes at a cost,

and Sydney is home to the highest property prices in Australia,

something which will challenge Simon and Laurie's limited budget.

But to which of these three locations did we choose to send them?

We decided the Gold Coast would be the better place for their trial week.

It offers good work prospects for Simon and the lifestyle they crave.

During their week, Simon finds out if working in Australia is really for him.

MAN: Ah-ha, got you! They always do! HE LAUGHS

'Yeah, he strikes me as a nice guy.'

Let's see what he's like when he comes out of his shell. CHUCKLES

The cost of living in Oz pushes their finances to the limit.

-Mortgage is...

-The mortgage is going to be substantially higher.

That's a lot of money.

Laurie has to cope 10,000 miles from family.

For us, seeing them suddenly move on would be devastating.

I can't really explain how it's made me feel. It's been hard going.

Leaving them behind in the UK, and not being able to pop in the car to see them, I think is still an issue.

I don't know how I'm going to get past that, if I'm honest.

In the end, can Laurie be persuaded to make Simon's Australian dream come true?

I think one of us isn't going to get what we want.

I'm not too sure how I'll feel if she does say no.

After a 20-hour flight and 10,000 miles,

Simon, Laurie and little Derry arrive in rainy Brisbane,

and Simon's first impressions aren't good.

Weather's not impressing me at the moment but hopefully that'll pick up and it'll get a bit better.

Despite her doubts about Australia,

Laurie wants to remain positive for Simon.

I'm keeping my mind completely open this week.

I'm not thinking, "I definitely want to come here, I definitely don't want to be here, "

which I didn't think I would feel like when I first got here.

Even on the flight over, I was thinking, "Hmm... " so...

Yeah, I'm definitely pleased to be here and get to see what it's all about and whether it's for us.

With a week of tough decisions ahead, Simon and Laurie are keen to hit the Aussie highway.

They'll be staying in a three-bedroom property in Chirn Park,

one of the Gold Coast's chic suburbs 45 miles from Brisbane.

Centred around Loders Creek River, it's just five minutes from the coast.

It's a perfect base for their week but what will they make of it?

-Oh, this is nice.

-Yeah.

-I like the floor.

-Nice big open kitchen as well, isn't it?

It even brings the outside inside.

-Yeah, I like that.

-Gives you a nice light feeling, doesn't it?

Yeah, definitely.

Outside is a modest patio garden...

Yeah, it's a good size.

and their own private jetty.

Just one problem.

The road does let it down, though, doesn't it?

-It does, yeah.

-And the barking dog.

We live on quite a busy main road as it is, but not as busy as this.

No, nowhere near as busy as this, no.

-Food for thought.

-Definitely.

Simon's trying to keep positive.

He's placed a lot of faith in Australia holding the key to his family's future,

but Laurie's doubts are starting to creep back in.

My biggest fear of this week would be if I don't feel the pull to want to come and live in Australia

as a family because I don't know what that will hold for our future.

Everything is riding on us potentially moving here,

and if I don't get that pull that you have,

that feel that I really want to come and live here, or us as a family,

I don't know what it's going to do.

I don't know where it's going to take us.

-We'll have to wait and see, won't we?

-Yeah.

Whatever happens, someone is going to be devastated.

Back in the UK, Simon and Laurie live in a two-bedroom mews-style home in Newport

with a large garden which they bought for £111,000 in November 2007.

Simon and Laurie want more space for their growing son, and the Gold Coast has plenty to offer.

Finding the dream home will depend on where they look,

but ultimately getting the right price for the sale of their UK home.

In Australia, living in the city can be expensive.

This house in the suburb of Molendinar

has all the bedrooms they could want and a swimming pool for Derry,

but all that space can be pricey and would be a stretch on only one salary.

But there are other, more affordable areas

which would give Simon only a short commute to work.

More rural suburbs could give

Simon and Laurie the village feel of their childhoods.

Pimpama is 15 minutes from the coast

and would mean a longer commute for Simon, but a home like this

would give them the outdoor space they'd like for Derry.

If it's life on the coast they want,

then living in the heart of surfers' paradise could be for them.

This two-bedroom flat is only minutes from the beach

but its prime location does come at a cost.

Average flat prices start around £220,000,

so it could be a push for them with Laurie not working.

They may need to look further afield.

The Gold Coast has some wonderful places to live,

but property prices there, like everywhere, have boomed in recent years.

And, on their limited budget, Simon and Laurie will have to shop around

to find a home they can afford with the space they want.

They're going to start their search in the suburbs,

with this house located in Nerang 15 minutes from the beach.

Welcome to Nerang. Alex Hayes.

Property one has three bedrooms, one bathroom and a small garden.

It's part of a residential complex and comes with access to communal facilities.

Nice and bright and airy in here, isn't it?

Yeah, it is.

It's on the market for upwards of £150,000.

That's right on Simon and Laurie's projected budget, but will it

set their imaginations alight?

Not our choice of kitchen, but it's still a nice workable space.

We would need to change it, but it's liveable. It's liveable.

Yeah, it is.

The house has to be more than just "liveable" if Laurie's going to even think about

leaving her home and family behind.

-Maybe the upstairs will be more inspirational.

-This looks like

your master bedroom, and it's got an en suite which also is...

Main bathroom. Definitely a nice workable space.

Needs a little TLC, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's a good size for a bathroom,

-but it's...

-Needs new...

-It needs replacing, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-Things aren't living up to Simon's hopes, but Laurie's putting on a brave face.

Is there any chance the garden can win them over?

It's quite small. I'm assuming that that's next door, so you've got just there to there.

Yeah, it's, um...

-not very private. A lot smaller than what we've got, isn't it?

-It is, yeah. It is.

This is all they can afford, so they're going to have to stretch their budget

if they want to find a home to make such a huge move a real possibility, so it's back on the road.

-Bye.

-Thank you. Bye-bye.

Simon and Laurie are going to have to take a long hard look at their finances if they are

to afford a property with a garden big enough for Derry to play in,

but, for now, he's off to the babysitter

while Simon and Laurie have a proper snoop around the next house.

Property two is a three-bedroom house in the more up-market area of Pacific Pines.

Like the first house, it's part of a residential complex and comes with access to a tennis court and a gym,

but it also comes with

a higher price tag of around £180,000.

That's 30,000 over-budget.

-It's quite nice.

-Nice and modern, isn't it?

Yeah.

-Nice tiled floor.

-Yeah.

Makes it feel really airy.

That's a nice kitchen. It's modern as well.

-Yeah.

-I like the colours, lovely back splash. I like the black tiles.

-Yeah.

-This is more positive, but is there enough space outside?

That's nice.

Yeah, pretty. It's a bit small.

There's not much space for Derry to run around in, is there?

Well, no, not really.

You could do away with the table and have a smaller table.

But it's not much room for him to run around.

-No, no.

-Although I like that it's private.

Well, that's a bit of an improvement, and the three bedrooms

upstairs are much more impressive than the first house,

but if Simon can't find a job that pays as much as he hopes, they just won't be able to afford it.

-Oh, a walk-in wardrobe!

-Yeah.

-Nice.

-You're happy.

-Yeah!

I like the dual aspect.

Yeah, it's nice. Nice outlook as well.

-However, I think that might be a road right behind.

-Yeah, it sounds like it.

For Laurie, traffic seems to be a recurring theme.

Unfortunately it's at the level that your bedroom's at, which is a bit of a downside, I guess.

Yeah, but we've got the noise at home, haven't we? And we're on the road side as well.

-Still, it will be noisy, I think.

-Yeah.

Another no for Laurie.

Is Simon's dream slipping away?

The first house we saw wasn't for us, didn't give me

any inclination to say, "I'd prefer to live in Australia to the UK,"

whereas this second house here is a lot nicer, a lot more the sort of thing that we'd be looking for.

However, for the price, I don't know whether it's better than the UK because, if you're spending this kind

of money on a property in the UK, you might get more for your money.

I think Laurie's a bit surprised about what you get for your money.

I think anything bigger than our house is a bonus in my eyes.

Optimistic Simon has his work cut out to completely convince Laurie,

but he thinks his earning potential could be greater in Australia, allowing them to afford

a bigger mortgage, but it's only worth it for a house they both love.

-Simon.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hi, Nicola, I'm Laurie.

Nice to meet you. Come through.

And that could be where property three comes in.

Although it's the same price as the last house - £180,000 -

it's a compromise. There are only two bedrooms

but it does have the bigger garden they want.

This is quirky.

I like it.

Nice, though. I like the tiles.

I like it. I like the colour as well.

It's cream rather than white so it feels a little bit more homely.

It does, yeah. It's got a lot of light coming through so,

yes, good first impressions.

But what about the rest of the house?

Will it have the space they need?

I guess this is the master bedroom.

OK size. Not massively big, is it?

No, not too bad, but it's got built-in storage on both sides by the looks of it.

Yeah, but it's a nice room.

-You could move into it and...

-Yeah.

-..and use it as it is. You wouldn't have to change anything, would you?

-No.

It may be a nice room, but does the house have enough space for a growing family?

The garage.

You could convert this into another bedroom, really.

-It looks like it was a room, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

It's got the coving and the painted walls etc.

-Shall we view the garden?

-Yeah.

Well, that's a possible solution to the bedroom space, but making the garden bigger is slightly harder.

Lack of outdoor space has been the deal-breaker twice already.

Look at that tree! It's really tall.

-Good size.

-Mmm.

I think this is more the sort of thing we'd be looking for.

-Yeah, definitely.

-I like this.

After three houses, are they impressed by what they've seen?

The first house was right on budget,

but it was tired and the garden was tiny.

Property two was modern, airy and much more to their taste

but its price, together with the busy road, ruled it out.

And finally, the last house was just as expensive

and only had two bedrooms, but it had a bigger garden and a garage

which could be converted into a third bedroom.

So will they choose Aussie homes or side with the UK?

We're going to vote for...

-Not sure.

-Not sure.

It's been a bit of a varied day, hasn't it?

-I need to see more properties like this...

-I think I agree with that.

..to be able to make my mind up.

I can't go just on this property.

I need to see more of these properties to make my mind up.

-I agree.

-I'm very picky.

That's an understatement!

I think if you come to Australia expecting to get a lot more for your money than you can afford,

you're going to be significantly disappointed.

Properties are more expensive than I think people expect them to be, but as long as you're

mindful of that, then you're not going to come here and be completely disappointed in what you can afford.

It is difficult for us to get a three-bedroom house here in Australia

for the money that we can afford, but hopefully we'll be able to afford a bit more if the job

goes well and I get paid a bit more than I expected to be paid,

so just keep our eyes open and see what happens.

With Simon and Laurie unsure about property, it looks like HIS Australian dream is slipping away.

Simon knows he'll need to get a good job if they're going to afford

a house they like and if he's going to keep his dream alive.

Back in the UK, Simon is an experienced

car mechanic and earns £23,000 a year working for a dealership in his home city of Newport.

But after seeing the property they can afford in Australia,

he now knows he must increase his salary if he wants to keep his dream alive.

Work is really important.

There is a lot lying on the work

and I'm hoping that Australia will be able to deliver.

Simon's piling the pressure on himself. What he thinks

of his work opportunities will have a dramatic effect

on their decision of whether or not to move down under,

and ultimately the future happiness of Laurie and baby Derry.

The salary will be the most important thing,

but I think equally he needs to know that

he can feel comfortable working here

and that he can have better prospects here in the future,

and know that it's going to be right for us as a family.

I think he is a little bit apprehensive about that at the moment.

We've arranged for him to spend a day at Mike Smith's garage

to see what he makes of Aussie working practices.

-Hi, Simon, I'm Mike.

-Hi, Mike.

Pleased to meet you. Come in. We've got some work for you.

Will it offer him the prospects that he wants so badly?

-Got a nice Australian car for you to work on.

-Oh, brilliant.

Simon, we're going to do a basic service

and a safety check on this vehicle, so I'll get you set up, get started and get it up in the air.

We have to pull it back a little bit to get it

into some sort of position.

Simon needs to test out whether working in Australia is for him.

Ha, got you!

They always do.

Tip it up vertically and then just pull it through the hole.

The aim is to try and keep yourself clean.

I'll leave you to finish this off.

Check the brakes, look at the suspension, give the exhaust a rattle, see if there's any

loose catalytic converter or anything,

and I'll leave it with you and go and get this filter for you.

OK, brilliant.

This is his one chance to find out if his skills match up to those

needed in Australia and see whether he can earn enough money to afford the life he wants for his family.

Yeah, he seems to have the skill set.

It'll be interesting to see how he goes with some of the vehicles we have that he's never seen before,

but a car's a car underneath it all so...

He strikes me as a nice guy.

I'd like to see what he's like when he comes out of his shell.

If they make the move, Simon will be the sole wage earner for the first few years at least.

Laurie will be looking after Derry.

She'll be away from her support network, which could be very isolating,

so she's come along to the local mother-and-baby group

to find out more about raising children on the Gold Coast.

-Hi, I'm Laurie. How are you?

-Good.

-Good, good.

-Come and join in.

Come and just introduce yourself to everyone as you go.

This is Carrie and Ava.

-Hi, Carrie.

-Hi, how are you going?

-I'm good. You?

-Good, thanks.

-This is Ava?

-Ava, yeah.

-Hold old is she?

-She's 19 months.

The Gold Coast has a high transient population made up of immigrants from outside Australia and Aussies

in search of a better life, so groups like this

are essential to fill the void left when friends and family are so far away.

So you're thinking of moving to here?

-Yes.

-To this part, to Labrador or...?

Not necessarily this particular spot, but the Gold Coast.

We're still quite open-minded at the moment.

-Originally it was the Brisbane area, but...

-The beach is nice.

Yeah.

Back over at the garage, Simon's coming to the end of his service.

-Leave it where it is for now.

-OK.

-Let's go and have a chat.

But he's not finished yet. There are some important questions to answer.

-What did you think?

-I enjoyed that.

-Yeah?

It was good, yeah. At the end of the day, a car's a car.

-They all look the same from underneath so...

-Yeah, they do.

-That's true.

-It seems you work the same systems as we do in the UK.

At the end of the day, it's pretty much the same.

More diesels over there, though.

There are. We do quite a lot of diesel management.

-We're just getting into that here.

-Yeah.

It seems a lot more laid-back here in Australia compared to the UK. The UK's just go, go, go, constantly.

-We have sunshine.

-Yeah.

It may be more laid-back in Australia, but if Simon

can't increase his salary, his hopes of a move will remain a very distant dream.

It's time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

How much would I be expected to earn here?

How much do you anticipate that you would want to be paid?

Well, I haven't really got a ball-park figure, but I've done a lot of research in the area,

-and I'd probably like it to be around 50,000.

-Mmm.

So that's probably what I'd be looking for.

That's a pay rise of around £7,000, but has he got the experience to command this salary?

You might get 50,000 if you had a lot of breadth in your experience.

My tradesmen here, I've got one guy who does both electrical

and mechanical and he's earning 52,000, which is about £30,000.

But he can swing from one side of a job to another which is really handy.

How much electrical experience have you got?

-I do more electrical than mechanical.

-That could be handy.

It really is quite handy in this shop because we do both sides in here.

That's what I was hoping to achieve,

so that sounds all good.

-Do you have any more questions, Simon?

-No.

-OK. Go downstairs and finish that car.

-Brilliant. Cheers.

-All right.

Well, that's encouraging news on a potential salary,

but what does Mike think about Simon's chances of getting work?

I think he'll fit in OK.

He brings a new skill set into the workshop.

We don't have a lot of experience with diesel

so I think he'd be good.

Mike seems confident about Simon's prospects, but is it what Simon wants?

The work here is pretty much the same as what it is in the UK, the hours are the same.

The big bonus is the wages are a lot more so, with this in mind, I'm going to vote for...

-Australia.

-Simon's convinced the work is for him, but there are many

more challenges in the week ahead, and his dream of a new life is far from secure.

Back in the UK, Simon and Laurie live in a two-bedroom modern home in Newport.

They bought it in 2007 for £111,000

and have spent £5,000 making it their own.

Laurie's worked as an estate agent and so is confident

she's on the money with her valuation of around £115,000.

But with the high cost of property, can Simon and Laurie afford to make the move.

It's time to take a close look at their finances.

So we've sent some local agents round to give us their opinion.

Is Laurie in for a shock?

This is a very modern kitchen. It has all of the necessary appliances

and would be ideally-suited to a young couple or first-time buyer.

A good-sized double bedroom,

twin aspect,

nice and light and bright.

The second bedroom, a good-sized double. Very nice for a second bedroom.

Good condition. Very nice.

This is a mid-link terraced house which is ideal for the first-time buyer or single purchaser.

I would value this property at £120,000

although, for a quick sale, I would sell it at £110,000.

I'm not surprised at that, really.

-It's about smack on what you said.

-Yeah, I'm not surprised.

The plus points, it's in very good condition, the kitchen and the bathroom, the size of the garden.

A couple of minus points, perhaps the lack of double glazing

and perhaps the approach to the property.

I would put the property on the market at £115,000,

expecting to achieve £110,000.

For a quick sale, though,

you might have to come down to £105,000.

I think 105 is silly-low, but that's... You know,

a house is only worth what anyone's prepared to pay for it and, of all people, I should know that.

But I think, realistically, 110-115 is what we'd said, really, wasn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

-So, yeah...

Well, at least there are no surprises with the value

of their home, but it does mean they could lose money on a quick sale, so can they really afford to move?

We've prepared a breakdown of their everyday living costs in Australia

to see if they can really pay for the life they want.

So you've got

the main income

in the UK which is before tax, so we're looking at a salary of £8,000 more if you were living in Australia.

Your council tax

is more again, so you're down £77 again.

Phone and internet... it's £25 at home, £60 here a month.

That's a lot of money.

What about the shopping list?

It's interesting to know what things are going to cost us.

It's an extra £88 a month,

so that's an extra... say £1,000 per year.

I think we knew that the cost of living here was going to be slightly higher.

The properties. Right, OK.

Mortgage is...

It's going to be substantially higher.

If you're comparing it with what our outgoings are currently,

-it's a bit of a shock to the system, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Looking at the total outgoings, um...

per month, there's a huge difference.

I think that we'd be £2,500 worse-off living in Australia.

-Yeah.

-So there's a lot less money spare for...

To be honest, this was one of my main concerns,

the financial side of it, because if that didn't stack up, all the rest of it is just a waste of time.

If Simon can't overcome his financial worries, his dream of a new life in Australia could be over.

It's time to find out.

-Australia.

-Not sure.

I thought you'd go for that.

-Did you?

-Yeah.

-I thought you'd go for Australia.

-Yeah.

-I just think I need to have a bit more information to be satisfied in my own head.

Of course, this is only based on one wage as well.

Yeah, and based on specifics, isn't it?

I know you're thinking of going back part-time so that will help

quite substantially, so it's definitely worth considering.

Mmm, yeah.

Simon is happy that the figures add up,

but Laurie still has serious doubts.

He knows the way to win her over is to convince her that Australia will give Derry a better life.

Simon and Laurie have come to Broadwater to hook up with Skye,

one of the women from the mother-and-baby group,

husband Nick and their two young children Oscar and Noah.

-Hiya.

-Hi, how are you going?

-Hiya, all right?

Skye and Nick spent three and a half years in London away from loved ones, so know exactly

the heartache that lies in store for our family IF they move.

-Do you want me to take Derry over to play with Noah?

-Yes, please.

Yeah, that would be great. Cheers.

I'm still a little bit unsure about making the move here.

Tell me what the really good thing about living here is for me, for Simon, for us as a family.

Sure. It is a big decision, to move your family from the other side

of the world, but Australia's a fantastic country for a young family like yourselves.

We decided to move to this specific spot because it does allow us to have more family time.

When we lived in London, we were always running, we were always busy, busy,

and I think here we can take time out for our family.

And there's so many things to do, that are pretty much free, on our doorstep.

So, knowing all that Australia can offer Derry and Simon,

will Laurie bring herself to leave the UK behind?

It's a long way to live from your families.

How do you feel about that?

It's my biggest reservation about moving here.

One, I'll miss them, obviously, and they'll miss us.

But I kind of have a guilty feeling about taking Derry away from them.

I'd love him to have this lifestyle

over here, which is one of our main reasons for moving here,

I feel like I'm taking him away from his family.

If they did make the move, there's a very real risk

Derry could grow up never forming that special bond with his grandparents

if he only sees them once a year.

Soon Laurie and Simon will have to face hearing from loved ones back at home,

but, for now, how will they vote on what life could offer down under?

We're voting for...

-Australia.

-Australia.

-I knew you'd go for Australia.

-Yeah, on this, definitely.

Yeah, the lifestyle and the social life here, yeah.

Yeah, I think we'd fit in quite easily.

Yeah, I think they're so friendly, I don't think we'll have a problem fitting in here.

I think, when you came back from the baby group,

-you were...

-Really positive.

I think, if I hadn't met Skye at the baby group, and then obviously seeing Skye and Nick's two boys again today,

really just sort of backed it up.

Yeah. I'm glad that you've made that right choice.

-Only one of them, though.

-Yeah.

Despite that positive vote, Laurie's time in Australia has left her

with more questions than answers, and from the start, her biggest worry has been the wrench

of leaving her family,

so will reminders from home be the final nail in the coffin of Simon's dream?

We've prepared a DVD of messages from friends and family back home.

Hello, Laurie.

Hello, Simon, and Derry of course.

Hi, Sime. Hi, Laurie, Derry.

Our Simon, he's a gentle giant.

He's quite quiet, really, isn't he?

-He's quiet.

-Yeah. Wicked sense of humour.

He's just a really, really nice guy.

You know, he's somebody that you're proud of.

Simon's a good, loyal friend.

If Simon moved,

I'd probably miss our Sunday chats.

We want to know how the weekend's been,

the week's been and what we're looking forward to Monday to Friday.

Yeah, I would miss that, the chats.

Plus he's my personal mechanic so, if anything goes wrong with my car, who's going to fix it?

Laurie's full of life,

full of personality, very chatty,

very, very close to us as well.

Obviously, as parents of Laurie and grandparents of Derry,

you know, we're not quite so happy because we would really, really, really miss them if they did go.

For us, seeing them suddenly move on and going to Australia would be devastating.

I can't really explain how it's made me feel. It's been hard going.

We don't want to use any sort of emotional blackmail.

I think it's unfair. I think...

We say we don't want to, but I think, being emotional anyway, it is going to do that.

I think we've made our position quite clear, but, at the end of the day, they have to make up their own minds.

Seeing Derry grow up, missing out on Christmases and birthdays,

and just doing things like taking him to the park or babysitting, you know?

That's what I'll personally miss.

It's not our right to have those opportunities, but it's something

you perceive that will happen, and if that's taken away,

you then have to redress it, what would I do?

And we'll just miss so much.

We'd like you to think seriously about whether you move to Australia,

more from a selfish point of view than from anything else.

But it's got to be the right move for all of you as a family.

We fully understand

that it's perhaps a fantastic opportunity to experience Australia,

but we would really, really, really miss you if you did go.

We can't stand in your way, but we'll cut to the chase and say that's how we feel.

If they say, when they've come back, "Oh, actually, we've decided we are going to go, it is for us,"

then obviously we would have to

dig deep and say, "OK, fine, they need to go and experience it."

I didn't realise your mum was...

They've hidden that well, haven't they?

Yeah, I didn't realise quite how upset they were

about it. They certainly haven't let on.

Both of our parents made it clear what decision they'd want us to take,

but we shouldn't lead our life through our parents.

Can you see how hard it would be for me to make a decision? Because...

..whatever decision I make,

-I'm upsetting somebody.

-Yeah, yeah.

And they're the people closest to me.

I can understand how hard it will be for you, so I'll be behind you 100% whatever you decide.

Albeit upset?

Albeit upset? Well, yeah, I probably will be, you know, cos it's my dream.

My main concern still is leaving my family behind and the fact that they won't be able to see Derry grow up.

I know they'll be able to see him.

I'll still speak to them all the time.

Nothing would change on the fact that I would still speak to my mum all the time, my family,

but leaving them behind in the UK and not being able to pop in the car to see them, I think is still an issue.

I don't know how I'm going to get past that, if I'm honest.

I think one of us isn't going to get what we want.

I'm not too sure how I'd feel if she did say no.

So smiley!

It's been a challenging week for Simon and Laurie, and while Simon

has remained positive, Laurie's played her cards very close to her chest.

So, as the final vote approaches, will her decision be any clearer?

Australia has been everything Simon hoped for.

My tradesmen here, I've got one guy and he's earning 50,000.

Yeah, that's what I was hoping to achieve.

But Laurie still has her doubts.

I think there are lovely things for life,

especially for outdoor activities, for a better lifestyle, but I haven't...

If I'm quite honest, so far nothing has really

given me that pull yet and I don't know whether I'm going to get it.

If Laurie's not happy, it's going to be a big issue.

Laurie loved the mother-and-baby group, but she wasn't sold

on properties and worried about the cost of a new life in Australia.

I think if you come to Australia expecting to get a lot more for your money than you can afford,

you're going to be significantly disappointed.

Properties are a lot more expensive than I think people expect them to be.

And it was always going to be a heart-wrenching decision.

We don't want to use any sort of emotional blackmail.

I think that's unfair.

We say we don't want to, but I think, being emotional anyway, it is going to do that.

I feel very torn between my family at home and Simon, and what would be the right thing to do.

Either way, I'm upsetting somebody close to me and I don't know what to do about that.

-Can you see how hard it would be for me to make a decision?

-Mmm.

So has Laurie been won over by the benefits of a life down under

or is Simon's dream about to be shattered?

How will they vote?

We've thoroughly enjoyed being in Australia.

It's totally lived up to our expectations and it's been a brilliant trip.

We got to meet people that we wouldn't have met had we not been on this trip, we got to see things,

find out information about the place that we wouldn't have been able to find out ourselves.

With this in mind...

we're going to vote for...

Australia.

Not sure.

-I knew you'd go "not sure".

-Did you?

Yeah. There's too much doubt in your mind.

-You've been not sure on quite a few things.

-Yeah.

I think the reality of the financial side of things is my concern, and the properties that we've seen

aren't necessarily quite what we're looking for.

Yeah, we need to find out a few more things

and do a bit more research, I think, and take it from there.

-Sure. Yeah. I agree.

-Good.

It looks like Simon's hopes of a new life down under are over, at least for now.

Maybe, in time, he'll be able to persuade Laurie that their future really does lie in Australia.

Join us next time and find out whether another British family

can bring themselves to make the move where they're wanted down under.

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