McCallum Family Wanted Down Under

For anyone thinking about a move down under,

the decision to leave family behind can be a heartbreaking one.

But what if your family has only just been reunited

after 20 years apart?

The McCallums were all set to emigrate to Australia

until their family situation changed.

A year ago, I would definitely have gone to Australia.

Now I'm having second thoughts.

Taking one daughter would mean leaving

another one behind.

As quick as I found them is going to be as quick as I could lose them.

After a week of shocks...

-It wasn't part of the package, was it?

-No.

..and surprises...

SHE GASPS

BLEEP

..they'll face a choice that could leave someone brokenhearted.

This is the biggest decision I'm having to make.

If we do go, there's no coming back.

Australia's famous laid-back lifestyle,

sunny climate and 30,000 miles of coastline

have long made it the favourite destination

for Brits emigrating abroad.

But living down under isn't always the dream people believe it to be,

and many return home with their plans in ruins.

The McCallums have one week to experience the reality

of life in Australia before they decide

whether to make the move for good.

It's a long, long way from their lives back home in Kent.

They fly from London via Singapore,

spending 20 hours in the air

and spanning almost 10,000 miles.

With such a long journey,

they've had plenty of time to think about the week ahead.

We're here now. We've...

It's looking real.

It's just hit us, I think, what we've got to do in the next week.

Hopefully realise it's the right thing.

As they begin a potentially life-changing trip,

it's a world away from their home

back in Gravesend.

Catering manager Michelle lives with her husband Jim

and their nine-year-old daughter Enis.

They both work at the local school and lead busy lives.

Their dream is a familiar one,

and they believe that Australia holds the key.

Over here it's just stress,

hectic lifestyle. Out there we just want

a nice, calm, chilled-out time.

The family were ready

to move down under, but everything

changed for Jim after being reunited

with his first daughter.

Lauren, now 21,

hadn't seen Jim since her parents' separation 19 years ago,

and they've only just started

to build the relationship.

..the whole of next weekend...

'If it was a year ago,'

we would've definitely both gone to Australia as soon as we could,

but now the circumstances have changed a little bit.

My daughter has got back in touch with me

after about 20 years.

That is going to change my view a lot.

My relationship with my dad now, I'd say it is definitely blossoming,

but I wouldn't say it's fully there yet, cos there's still

so much that I don't know,

and so much I want to know.

I know how much they really want to go

and I wouldn't want to stop that, cos...

Oh, I'm going to cry.

After coming so close to moving,

Michelle is still desperate to go,

but her dad's health has become another concern.

It's just that worry in the back of my mind. If anything happens,

we've got to get home.

After losing her mum two years ago,

tearing Enis from her only grandfather

would break her heart.

They were very close,

Michelle's mum and Enis, and now

she's got really close to her grandad.

Dad's all she's got, isn't it?

They've come so close,

but with Enis and Lauren's happiness to consider, the decision to move

is hanging in the balance.

Probably the biggest decision of my life.

I'm thinking about it constantly at the moment,

trying to weigh everything up, and some days I'm thinking,

"Yeah. Let's go for it, we'll do it,"

and then I'm thinking, "My daughter.

"What do I do?"

We have to really get it right.

We've got an opportunity to go. We've got to do it and go and try it.

Otherwise we'll always be thinking, "What if?"

We want to give it 100%.

If we do go, there's no coming back.

It's an almost impossible decision.

Both Jim and Michelle believe that Australia could offer

the life they want, but they know

that emigrating would be a huge sacrifice.

However, if they can't face making that choice,

they'll be giving up their dream forever.

The McCallums want to find out if the city of Brisbane

in Queensland could be the ideal location

for a new start.

With its outdoor lifestyle and warm climate, it should

offer them plenty of chances to enjoy a relaxed pace of life.

But will it come with a laid-back price?

One of Jim and Michelle's big passions

is their shared love of

playing golf, so their base for a week

on a local island resort should suit them to a TEE.

Oh, I want to live here. Golf course!

I've always wanted to live on a golf course.

Well, their drive seems to have ended well.

But will their accommodation be par for the course?

This looks all right, doesn't it?

It's more like a holiday home than...

Yes.

I don't know if we could live in it.

But this isn't going to be a holiday for the McCallums.

They're facing a massive decision.

-It's sort of hitting home, isn't it?

-Yeah.

How close we are to coming out.

Well, if we do decide to stay or not.

Still undecided.

-You are.

-Yeah. I am.

-You'd come out tomorrow, wouldn't you?

I'm a worrier.

-Yes.

-I'm worried that...

..if we can't get work out here...

I think if we couldn't afford a nice house,

that'd be one of my fears.

That would put a stop to it straight away.

Obviously, we've got to think

what we've got back home.

We've got a nice house, we're in a nice area,

we've both got good jobs.

-Mmm. Yeah.

-See, that's made you think! Hasn't it?

-Mmm, true.

This week, we've got to really do some serious thinking.

-That's what we're here for.

-That's what this week's all about.

Back in the UK, the McCallums live in this four-bedroom detached house.

They've upgraded their home over the years

and believe it's worth around £300,000.

Having paid off their mortgage,

they have a budget in mind of around 280,000,

with Jim hoping to live mortgage-free in Australia.

But for that price, there's a few items on their wishlist.

I'd like a single-storey, at least three to four bedrooms,

with a swimming pool.

That's the must-haves, isn't it, really?

Anything else is an extra, but it must have a swimming pool.

We've promised Enis a swimming pool.

We're giving the McCallums a taste of Brisbane's housing market

by showing them three typical options

based upon what they want from their ideal property,

what they can afford, and the real cost of homes down under.

After seeing for themselves what's on offer,

we'll reveal the price of each of the houses.

The search begins in the suburb of Helensvale. It's a family area

with lots of new development just minutes from the coast,

and should offer a good location and decent value.

This three-bedroom house is a traditional

Queenslander home, but will the McCallums like it?

Ooh. Bedroom at the front.

-What do you reckon, Enis?

-It looks a bit old.

The en suite's all right.

-Seems very old.

-Very old!

Mmm.

I don't think it's that old.

Oh, this is nice and big, isn't it?

-Oh, yeah. Mmm.

-It's Grandad's sofa.

-Where? Oh, it is, isn't it?

-Looks a bit like it, yeah.

It is a bit like it.

Enis doesn't look convinced. Perhaps it's best

to check out the bedrooms.

Oh, this is nice.

-It's good size, isn't it?

-Yeah. It's not bad.

-Mmm.

If it's room you're after, Jim, then take a look

through the study.

-Oh, you could have a self-contained apartment.

-Oh!

-Grandad annexe.

-Yay!

He could live in this bit,

couldn't he? This would be ideal

as a guest suite. It's growing on me.

-Do you like it, Enis?

-Yeah.

-Yeah? You're not sure, are you?

-No.

But what will Enis think of the outside space?

-Oh, look at that.

-Oh!

Could you see yourself living here?

It's a bit...in the country, and it's got spiders and... Oh!

-There's not that many.

-It's a bit olde-fashioned.

We could update it, spruce it up a bit.

The annexe and pool haven't done enough to win Enis over.

But what about Mum and Dad?

They have a budget of £280,000.

-Will the price of this house bring the chance of moving any closer?

-Oh.

Are we going to have a guess on the price?

You go first, then, Enis.

-450?

-450? We'll buy two!

450,000? Yeah.

475. 490.

MICHELLE GASPS

460,000. You were closest.

God, that's quite good, isn't it?

That's not bad!

I'm more interested now I know the price!

SHE LAUGHS

It's a relief, isn't it?

I was relieved that we can afford something.

-It's in our price range.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, quite happy.

-Yeah, very happy.

-Yeah.

Not bad at all.

So with this house, the McCallums would stay mortgage-free,

but finding an ideal home could mean pushing their budget.

The next stop is closer to the coast.

And, on the ninth fairway of the Helensvale golf course,

it should offer the McCallums the perfect lie.

"Please do not knock."

Oh, wow.

-Well, this is nice.

-Children's room, Enis.

-Or, I suppose, a study-come-spare room.

-Yeah.

-Bedroom number two, nice.

-Hmm.

Small, but it's all right.

SHE GASPS

-What?

-It's a water bed!

Look at that.

It's like my belly!

Perhaps it's best to move on

to the living area.

Nice bright kitchen, Michelle.

It is nice, yeah.

-Got a big fridge.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

I like the bar, Michelle.

The house may come with its own golf course,

but Enis has noticed something is missing.

The only thing it hasn't got

-is a pool.

-I know.

Enis is a tough customer -

so will the bedrooms tempt her?

-Another bedroom.

-Ah, this is a bit bigger.

-Yeah.

-It's nicer.

-It's huge!

-Yeah.

See if we've got another water bed.

Oh, it is. Michelle?

-What?

-Another water bed.

Oh!

This house offers an ideal location for the family,

even if it's missing a pool.

But will it still fit in with their dream of being mortgage-free,

or could price put it out of bounds?

-Who wants to guess the price this time?

-Michelle?

-No, you...

-It's hard, isn't it?

-I wouldn't even know.

-What do you say, Enis? Have a guess.

-She wouldn't know...

-4...60?

-Right. Oh, same as the last one? Want me to have a look?

-310,000.

-That is a lot of money. I think that other house

-was much more...

-You get much more for your...yeah, so do I.

You're actually paying more because it's on the golf course.

Mmm.

Still in our price range.

I think the last one, you'd get more...

You could get more, couldn't you?

Yeah. Definitely want a swimming pool.

Both expensive and underwhelming,

this house is another failure.

The final stop is just a few minutes away,

situated next to the clubhouse.

After two disappointments, everything

hinges on the McCallums liking this house.

-This is nice.

-Yeah.

-But I think

-it's a mortgage job.

-I think you're right.

-Look at this, Jim.

-I like it already and I've just walked through the door.

-This has definitely got the wow factor.

-Yeah.

-W-O-W.

-Wow.

I love it!

-This is nice, isn't it?

-It is nice. Yeah.

That's three very happy-looking McCallums and there's still

the garden with wood-fired oven and alfresco dining area to see.

I think I wouldn't have to look any further.

I think this has grabbed me already.

Wicked.

With the outdoors also impressing,

all that's left to check out are the bedrooms.

-It's only three bedrooms?

-Surprising, yeah.

I thought it'd be more.

But the size of it downstairs,

you'd think they'd have had another bedroom, wouldn't you, really?

It's nice, though, because you want more space downstairs, really.

-You only go into your bedrooms to sleep, don't you?

-Yeah.

So I'd rather have it bigger down here.

With its stylish interiors and open spaces, it looks as if

this house is an ideal fit for the McCallums.

But will its price seal the deal?

-Oh, here we go. Moment of truth.

-Try and guess the price.

-Or do you want to just go straight for it?

-Go straight for it.

-Go on then, Enis. You haven't done one yet.

-Go on.

MICHELLE GASPS

I'm surprised.

I was going to say about 750 and...

560,000! There's obviously something

-wrong with it.

-Hmmm. Is it sinking?

MICHELLE LAUGHS

Must have lots of golf balls come through the windows.

I know we said we'd like to come over here

and have no mortgage, but...

to get a place like this and have a tiny mortgage,

it'd be worth it, wouldn't it?

It would be worth it, yeah.

It's something to think about.

-What's been your favourite house?

-This one.

-And mine.

-Even though it hasn't got a pool?

-So?

-Could build one.

-We could put one in.

That's something that we could do in the future.

It's been an eye-opening day for the McCallums.

The first house would offer them

a mortgage-free start to life down under.

But they didn't like it.

The second didn't convince either,

and the price worried Jim.

They all liked the final house,

but it would stretch their budget.

So, have these properties

done enough to convince Jim that a move is

worth the cost?

We're now going to vote on

what we'd prefer, UK or Australia.

I'm going to go...Australia.

-UK.

-Australia.

-UK?!

-Yes.

-Why?

I like my house!

-But did you not like them other ones?

-I did. But I still

like my house better.

If we could bring it with us,

we'd be sorted.

-Oh, all right.

-I'm entitled to my opinion!

I could imagine us staying in the last house,

but then again, we'd have to take a little mortgage on that

and I'm still undecided about whether we should

go for another mortgage. That's why I voted for a house in the UK.

It's mortgage-free.

I am voting Australia

because the houses are much nicer here.

You get more for your money, a lot more for your money.

Enis, why are you voting Australia?

-Cos you can get a pool and a bigger house near the beach.

-Oh, good girl.

And it isn't a pebble beach!

Jim isn't convinced that a move to Australia

is financially wise, and Michelle

has a lot of persuading to do if she wants the dream to become a reality.

I was very surprised about Jim's vote.

I honestly thought he would've voted Australia.

But he's the worrier.

You have to have one sensible one,

and I suppose Jim's that.

We've got a good life back in England,

and we did speak to...one of the priorities to come out here

was that we wouldn't have to have a mortgage again.

It's something we have to think about.

You're it.

MICHELLE LAUGHS

Seeing Brisbane's housing market has left the McCallums divided.

On top of the emotional cost,

Jim's money worries mean they face not one, but two big problems.

If this move really is going to work,

it's vital Australia can provide good work opportunities.

Back in the UK, Jim works as a school lab technician,

and although he's ready to find work in Australia,

it's Michelle's chef job that's secured their visa.

With everything riding

on her shoulders, we've arranged for her

to spend the day in the kitchen of a luxury resort.

The Gold Coast is packed with similar hotels

and demand for chefs is high,

so it could offer Michelle plenty of work opportunities.

-Hiya.

-You must be Michelle.

-Yeah.

-My name's Obi.

-Nice to meet you.

She's here to meet Head Chef Obi, who'll show her the ropes

while Jim and Enis have some time to check out the grounds.

-You ready to do some cooking?

-Yeah, sure!

-OK.

-Lovely, thank you.

-See you later. Have a good day.

-Bye!

-Nice, huh? I'll chuck you in...

-Aargh!

Enis isn't the only one being thrown in

at the deep end.

Michelle's being put straight to work in the kitchen.

-Are you looking to continue cheffing?

-Yeah, I'd like to.

I work in a school at the moment, and I do school hours,

-which is nice.

-About seven to three

or something like that?

Eight...half eight till one-thirty.

-Oh, wow!

-Even better.

It's just part time. Ideally, I'd like to

-go back to school and be a school cook, really.

-That's funny,

we don't really have school chefs here. Not that I've seen.

Your mum packs your lunch and it usually goes soggy about lunchtime!

HE LAUGHS

-So you have no school canteens?

-No school canteens.

No dinner ladies,

making you eat your final mouthful of dinner?

God, you kids have got it easy over here!

In the UK, Michelle's flexible working hours are a big plus,

and working here could mean

less time spent with Jim and Enis.

-What do you reckon to Mum working in a hotel?

-Good.

-Yeah?

Do you think we'd get free food?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

But are the financial rewards worth it?

-Yeah.

-And what's the pay like here for part-time chefs?

Commis chefs, which is the first level,

-you're looking at probably about 43,000 a year.

-That's good,

compared to my job. I mean, I'm only a school chef, I only do part-time,

but that is really good money.

You'd probably have to be a bit more flexible

with the hours you want to work,

only due to the cheffing industry.

-Usually you have to work a lot longer.

-Yeah.

-But, I mean...yeah, like seven to three, something like that.

-Yeah.

That's not too bad, though.

I'm quite pleased that you can do those sort of hours

-and it's not split shifts.

-Yeah.

So that'd be good, actually.

Oh, wow.

It's looking better already. I might not want to go home!

Cheffing could offer a salary of £28,000 for Michelle -

18,000 more than she earns at home.

But it will mean going full time.

And she knows it's down to her to make the dream move work.

There's a lot of pressure on me

to get a job,

but I know Jim won't sit around at home.

He will look, he will take any job.

So I think, as long as I can get a job pretty quick

once we're out here, Jim'll follow and I think we'll be fine.

So is she prepared to swap a job she loves

for a chance at the life she dreams of?

It was good to find out that I could earn a decent wage here

to support my family

as the main applicant.

So for that reason, my vote goes to...

..Australia.

But it's not really Michelle

that needs convincing.

Australia has always been her dream. And for Jim,

the whole point of the move was for the family to spend

more time together.

It may take more than a five-star meal

to convince him that the move would be the right one.

Compliments to the chef.

I'll get used to this at home now!

It's been a pleasure.

Thank you. It's been a brilliant day.

Thank you very much. Cheers. See you, bye.

How's your food?

-It was very nice.

-Would you like me to take your plate, sir?

-Thank you.

-Any extras?

-No.

-Oh!

The possibility of working flexible hours

and earning a higher salary is music to Michelle's ears.

But a good job won't mean anything

if the McCallums can't afford the house and lifestyle they want.

So could seeing what their UK home is worth help ease Jim's worries?

With the property they loved in Australia over budget,

getting a good price for their home in Kent is crucial.

They think it's worth at least £280,000.

We've sent two local estate agents round to get

their opinion of what it may fetch.

Oh, yeah.

Very smart. Very smart.

Yeah, impressive, this house.

Yeah, I like what they've done here.

'Good size kitchen-breakfast room.'

Actually makes a great use of

the space you've got here.

Good size conservatory.

They've obviously got children

who like cars and...Barbies.

MICHELLE LAUGHS

Yeah, this is the...

the master bedroom.

Actually, a good range of fitted wardrobes in here as well.

Very nice indeed.

Children's room.

Not sure about the green.

MICHELLE GASPS

Everybody loves the green!

-What's she know?

-Yeah.

This is a fabulously well-presented property

and I'd be happy to market this in the region of £300,000.

So, lovely detached four-bed house.

I'd value it, in the current market, at around the 260.

-She's obviously never...

-Yeah!

-She doesn't know what she's...

-That's a big difference!

-Yeah.

I was expecting it to be between 280 and 300.

Yeah, like the first one. I did say that.

-How come no-one liked my room?

-Awww.

-Is that what you're worried about?

-Yeah. I'll change the walls.

-No, it's nice colours.

-No, to a brighter pink, see if that works.

If they can't get the right price for the house,

a mortgage may be the McCallums' only option.

But is the extra pressure worth it? We've prepared

a breakdown of the family's expenses.

Based on their calculations, they'll find out

if they really can afford

to live in Australia.

I can't believe the price difference, Jim.

I think you're going to lose weight living over here!

Can't afford to eat! Right, so what's the difference, then?

A week's shopping in the UK would cost about £67,

and the same shopping in Australia would be £92.

MICHELLE INHALES

That is quite a difference.

That has shocked me, that really has.

-Everything is nearly double.

-Yeah.

The weekly shopping bill is more expensive,

so it's crucial that the mortgage payments on their dream home

are affordable.

Out of the three houses

that we saw, the third one was the one

-that appealed to us most.

-Yeah, property three.

That means we'd have a mortgage of

-757 a month for 15 years.

-Yeah.

Would you be prepared for that?

I thought the whole idea of coming out here was to be mortgage-free.

And it was to have a nice house as well.

I suppose we'd have to look at what we'd earn over here

if we could afford a mortgage.

If both Michelle and Jim worked full time,

could this improve their financial situation?

So, we take home 2,769

with me working full-time.

Well, you're definitely working full-time now!

And back home, with me working part-time,

is 2,886.

Even with two jobs, the dream house would mean

they were over £100 a month worse off than in the UK.

It's a huge blow for Michelle.

That doesn't sound good to me, coming out here to work full-time.

-That's right.

-Just to be up on a bit of money

and to have a mortgage. I can't see me

spending more quality time with the family if I'm at work more hours.

-That wasn't part of the package, was it?

-No.

-No.

-I think there might be a rethink.

The cost of living seems to be much worse than the McCallums hoped for.

Is Michelle's dream of a perfect life down under

out of reach?

After having a look at the cost of living comparison

between the UK and Australia, we are going to vote for...

..the UK.

UK.

We've got a very good life back home.

We've got a nice house, we live in a nice area.

Is it worth giving all that up to come out to Australia?

To come out here for me to work full-time.

And start with another mortgage again.

Finding out the cost of living in Brisbane has come as a big shock.

But for Jim and Michelle, the dream has always been

about Oz offering a better family lifestyle.

With so many question marks over the move,

it's crucial Australia can deliver the answer.

The Gold Coast is a magnet

for Australia's rich and famous, who enjoy the high life

on Millionaires' Row.

The McCallums are taking the opportunity

to join a river cruise and get a closer look.

They won't be going by boat, but by amphibious vehicle.

Some of these houses are worth over 8 million -

a little over budget, but definitely worth a peek.

Do you reckon you could live here? Yeah?

We wouldn't do this every day, though.

MICHELLE LAUGHS

You'd still have to go to school.

Thank you. Thanks.

-It was brilliant. Really enjoyed that.

-Really good day out.

-And you wasn't seasick, either!

-No!

-Well done!

It's a fun start to the day, but the main event is yet to come.

Next stop is back at Helensvale to test out the golf course,

something the family have been itching to do since they arrived.

BLEEP!

In Australia,

the weather would allow them to play their favourite sport

all year round,

offering them the opportunity to spend

more family time together.

-Good shot.

-Oh, well done.

Better than Dad's!

Ooh, unlucky.

Oh!

Oh!

Oh!

Oh, BLEEP.

BLEEP.

Hmmm. At least someone knows how to drive!

-I hit it.

-Well done.

Oh, lovely. Bunker. Go on.

Get in there.

-Oh, go on.

-Whoa.

-Oh, you lucky thing.

-That'll do!

Did I hear you say, "Get in the bunker"?

-No, no, I said "watch that bunker"!

-I think you did.

MICHELLE AND ENIS LAUGH

Oh, that's unlucky.

-Ooh!

-Unlucky.

That was for the game.

-Well played.

-Well done.

A round of golf together has made the McCallums' day,

but has it done enough to put the move down under back on track?

-Well played.

-Unlucky, loser.

-Shut up!

We've had a great day today, doing a lot of fun family things

together, and to top it all off, I beat Mum at golf.

-I let you win.

-And now we're going to have a vote.

Australia.

Australia.

Australia.

Hooray! We all voted the same at last.

Wahey! Well done.

-That's the first time we've all voted the same thing.

-Yeah!

-So is Australia looking good now?

-Yeah.

-You think so?

-You changing your mind?

-Yeah.

-Good girl.

-Yeah.

I mean, we've still got a lot more things to think about,

but in terms of lifestyle, the fun we've had today,

it's made me think Australia.

I have picked Australia because we've had a good day, haven't we?

And it just shows you what we've been missing back home as well.

I know we can do it at home,

but we're going to have more opportunities to do it here.

I've picked Australia because

it would be a better life for all of us.

Finally,

they all agree on something.

And maybe Jim is starting to see a future in Australia.

The last few days have just shown me what Australia's all about.

Such a family-orientated country.

I mean, this is what I'd love,

to bring my daughter up in a country like this.

The day has been ideal for the family,

but Jim's thoughts are never far from home.

I'm sure if Lauren came over, if Enis keeps at the golf,

she might be able to teach her big sister how to play golf.

You never know. One day she might get out here with us.

That would probably make the family complete.

-That was a fantastic day. Not a lovely, fantastic.

-Oh!

-And to top it off, I beat Mum at golf.

-Oh, who cares!

-That's all we're going to hear about, Enis.

-Who cares? I care!

With decisions looming,

the McCallums are meeting up with old family friends and ex-pats

the Wallises.

Danielle and Matt emigrated nearly four years ago,

and might be able to help Jim with his dilemma.

What do you think of it out here, lifestyle and all that?

It's definitely better for the kids.

It's hard work at first,

making friends...

I think we'll make friends quite easily.

And we're lucky we've got youse out here already,

so that's a start for us.

-Very lucky.

-So what do you miss

most about home, then, not being there?

Probably family.

I wish we could bring everyone over here to live with us.

Is there anything you think you'll really miss

or any big doubts in your mind that could stop you from coming?

My dad is mine, isn't it, and obviously

Lauren is yours, isn't she?

Who would you miss if you came out here to live?

I would miss my grandad, my family

-and friends from school a lot.

-Yeah.

Do you think your family maybe and some friends would come over,

say, for visits, maybe?

Obviously, yes. Lauren might move over.

-She might!

-Yeah.

Suppose so. My big sister.

As they come closer

to making the biggest decision of their lives,

the reality of moving

to the other side of the world is hitting home,

and for Jim, leaving his daughter Lauren

is weighing heavily on his mind.

Getting back in touch with my daughter Lauren

earlier on this year after 19, 20 years of not seeing her...

the last few months we've got to know each other again,

it's been fantastic. We've got on really well,

we've got a really good bond between me, also Enis and Michelle.

I just wonder is it worth the upheaval of

moving over here and sort of breaking that bond with her again

that we've built in the last few months.

That's one of the major factors in

my decision about coming back over here.

It's going to be hard

to leave her again. It's a lot to think about.

Meeting friends has reminded the McCallums

what they could gain in Australia, but also what they stand to lose.

And it's that big loss which has been at the heart of their worries.

So will seeing messages from back home put an end to their dream?

Now we're going to see family and friends' messages.

-Are you OK to watch this, Enis?

-Yeah.

-You might get a bit upset.

-You sure? Yeah?

-OK.

Hello, guys. Hope you're well.

Love you all, hope you're having a brilliant time out there.

Oh, they're a very close family, they're a very good family.

They do a lot for their little girl. Their life is Enis.

She's gorgeous. I love her to bits.

She's great.

She makes me feel a lot younger than what I am.

I just feel that I've just found them,

and then as quick as I've found them

could be as quick as I could lose them.

I will miss them terribly. Two streets away, you know?

All our lives.

Well, Enis, Jim and Michelle, I'm going to miss you loads

and you're a lovely family.

All the best for you.

If you do go to Australia,

I'd like to wish you all the best and you'd really be missed.

I love you all loads.

I think it'd be the best thing you do if you do go.

I wouldn't want to stop that, cos I know

how much you want to go. But I'll miss you loads and...

I want you to stay, but I want you to go.

Sounds really weird, but just do what you believe in doing.

Sweet.

Oh, bless her.

Yeah, I can imagine for her, though,

just finding you, one minute,

like what she said, and then the next minute

we're being taken away from her.

Must be awful.

Mmm.

-And it's not even been a year yet, has it?

-No.

After all this time apart, getting to know each other again.

You've always wanted a big sister, haven't you?

And Dad, that's quite sad.

I know he doesn't want us to go, deep down,

but he knows it is going to be a better life for us.

Makes you feel like you're a bit selfish.

But at the end of the day, we've still got to do what's best for us,

haven't we, and as a family?

Seeing the people they care about

has left the McCallums right back where they started,

caught between their dream and what it may cost.

But with their week in Brisbane over,

it's time for them to make their final decision.

This week has a been a real eye-opener for us.

I'm still undecided on a decision.

I think that's going to be a last-minute thing.

I'm still trying to weigh it up in my own mind whether...

what way to go.

There's doubts now, you know.

I'm thinking I wanted to come over here to be better off financially,

more time, and it's not looking that way at the moment.

If I don't do it this year, I probably will never do it.

So I think we've got to make this decision sooner rather than later.

I've done so much thinking.

Now I know how Jim feels.

Poor man, he must be so stressed.

Even for someone as laid-back as me,

I am starting to get a bit stressed with it all

and I do feel for that man.

He must be in knots.

It must be about a hundred times worse than anything else

I've ever worried about before.

I think I could live here some days and I couldn't the others.

I don't know why, but that's just what I feel.

It's finally time for the McCallums to make

one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

We've had an amazing week here in Australia.

It's opened our eyes

and we've realised

it's difficult than...

what we expected it to be,

and as a family we're going to vote for...

..Australia.

UK.

Wow. Couldn't get any more split than that, could we?

This could be a tricky one.

I'm not surprised you voted UK, really,

because it is a big decision

and I know you do worry, and you've got so much going on in your life

at the moment with Lauren and that.

It's probably a lot harder for you

than it is for me and Enis, so...

I'm just worried about the financial side of things.

It's a major upheaval to move out here.

I'm still just not sure it's going to be beneficial for us.

I don't want to go to Australia

but some days I do, and I can't make my mind up.

After an eye-opening week in Brisbane,

Jim's money and family worries have left the McCallums

unable to choose the right path for the family's future.

One month on, and I've come to Kent to find out

if they're finally ready to make their big decision.

Since we last saw you,

I know you wisely spent a little bit more time in Australia.

What's happened since then? Has anything changed?

Do you have any news for me?

Well, the week we had afterwards,

we went and had a look at

a few houses, didn't we? We saw that

within our budget, we could still have a nice house

without needing a mortgage.

And Jim, for you things have slightly changed, haven't they?

-They have, yeah.

-Tell me what's happened.

I got in touch with a job agency

and they asked me to come in for an interview with them.

I went in and they seemed really keen.

They said they'd definitely find me a job out there.

The salary was really more than what I was expecting.

I was quite shocked by that. I thought, "It's good."

The main reason I voted the UK

was my other daughter, Lauren, but since coming back,

we've spoken to her about it and she's really keen on us moving out there.

So we've had a good discussion about it

and we've weighed everything up

and we're definitely going to move to Oz.

That's fantastic news!

And what a weight off your mind,

that she's given her blessing.

-Will she come out to see you?

-She said so.

She's started a new job and she says

the first thing she'll do is save up for the flight.

And how have your family taken it, Michelle,

that you've decided to go?

-Cos I know your dad's been really poorly.

-Yeah.

Dad's very poorly still and he's getting better every day,

and he's talking about coming out

to see us as well,

so given another six months, he can probably do the flights.

Enis, you're very close to Grandad, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-Is it going to be sad saying goodbye to him?

-No, because he's coming out to see us.

-I love that attitude!

And does he know that?

-Have you told him he's got to come out and see you?

-Yeah.

So, this is all sounding very, very positive.

How quickly are you going to

want to make the move to Australia?

We've been back a month now, and I'd say within six months

-we'll be back out in Australia.

-That quickly!

Our aim is six months, isn't it?

That's what we're aiming for.

We left you with such a question mark,

-but it's come good in the end.

-Yeah.

Listen, we're delighted for you all.

Have the most amazing time.

-The most amazing new life down under.

-Cheers, thank you.

Well, what a fantastic result.

After having serious concerns while he was in Australia,

since being back in the UK, Jim has decided,

much to Michelle's delight,

that the McCallums' future lies down under.

And what's more, they're planning on moving in the next six months.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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