Buchanan Family Wanted Down Under

Convincing your family to move halfway around the world

is a very tough sell.

Especially if they've got big doubts.

But what if the reality of moving so far away

doesn't match your dreams?

You risk hurting the people you love.

If your ideal Aussie home turned out to be a nightmare...

Oh, God, there's a cockroach.

-It's horrible.

-Yeah.

..your daughter was torn by the idea of moving...

I suppose one way or another,

one parent's going to be heartbroke.

..and your friends didn't want you to leave...

It's going to just break my heart to say goodbye to them.

..would you be able to hold on to your hopes

of starting a new life down under?

Australia's sunny climate and beautiful coastline

have long been a magnet for Brits seeking a new life abroad.

On average, almost 100 of us emigrate to Australia every day.

But the dream doesn't always match up

and roughly a third end up returning home.

But that doesn't stop people from trying.

The Buchanans want to find out if living in Australia

could offer their family a better future.

They'll have one week to experience life down under,

before facing a huge decision,

whether to stay in the UK or to make the move for good.

Their journey from Scotland to Queensland

is a massive 10,000 miles and 24 hours,

and it's already got them worried about what they're taking on.

-That was tough.

-I don't think we could get used to that.

Nobody could get used to that.

If we make the decision to stay here,

-I think the visits back home will be limited.

-Yeah.

Luckily, it's only a short trip from the airport

to their base for the week.

Back in the UK, the Buchanans live in Armadale,

a small town near Edinburgh.

They're Angie and husband Jason,

along with Angie's son, Jordan, who's 18,

her daughter, Sophie, who's 13 and their baby son, Jay, who's two.

They've been married for six years

but since the beginning, Jason has had one dream for the family.

I visited Australia about nine years ago

and ever since I've met Angie, I've wanted to go back.

Unfortunately for Jason,

Angie has very different ideas about where their future lies.

I've never fancied going.

I've always been... I'm Scottish, I stay in Scotland,

this is where all my roots are.

I like being a mum, having foundations for your family,

whereas Jason would pack his bags and go tomorrow.

However, concerns about the children's future

have pushed Angie to finally consider Australia.

We believe, after hours and hours of discussion,

that it would be best for all of us in the family,

in particular, Jordan.

I think Jordan would benefit the most out of everybody.

18-year-old Jordan has several disabilities that need extra care.

Jason and Angie believe the Australian climate and lifestyle

could improve his life dramatically.

Jordan flourishes in the summer. When we go on holiday...

Yeah, if we go on holiday, Jordan becomes a different boy altogether.

The weather affecting his joints, and stuff like that.

So, his mobility, his posture...

He really finds it difficult here.

When it comes to wintertime, Jordan basically hibernates in a room.

We certainly believe he's got more potential than sitting in a room.

Angie may have her doubts,

but it's her daughter Sophie who's most worried about moving.

Out of the whole family, she stands to lose the most.

I don't' fancy living in Australia at all.

My biggest fear would be I would never, ever see my little sisters

or my dad or my friends, or stuff, ever again.

So it would be quite upsetting to leave them and stuff.

It's hard cos I don't want Sophie leaving our family,

her dad and her sisters and step-family, but...

the thing with Sophie is, I'm trying to better Sophie's life for her,

give her more opportunities,

and I think when we go to Australia, she'll flourish.

So, I need to make sure that Sophie's OK in going to Australia.

And with a close family network,

Angie and Jason are also aware of what they could be giving up.

My biggest concern would be leaving my mum.

We see her almost daily. So, not only am I leaving her

but I'm taking her grandkids away as well.

Half of me feels that I should stay for family ties.

My family mean the world to me.

I have daily contact with them and I know that they'll visit

but it's no' the same seeing them week to week.

They've finally decided to give Australia a try,

but with only one week to persuade his family,

Jason knows the pressure is on.

It's the two girls we have to convince

to ensure that this goes through. Sophie and Angie.

Jason would be there tomorrow.

It's his dream. But, at the end of the day,

it's not just Jason's choice, it's Jordan and Sophie and Jay's as well.

It's a family thing.

The Buchanans want to find out if Brisbane in Queensland

could be a good place for a new start.

As well as offering all the benefits of city living,

it's warm climate should give them an opportunity

to enjoy the outdoor Aussie lifestyle.

But can it deliver everything they're looking for?

They'll be staying in the Redcliffe area,

20 miles north of the city.

Home for the week is a traditional Queensland timber house.

As it's Angie and the children's

first experience of living in Australia,

Jason knows it needs to impress.

Oh, this is big, Jay.

Oh, this is a dining room.

-Oh, this is Jay's room!

-Let me see!

-Cool.

-Oh, wow.

-And that's Jordan's bed.

This is bigger than your room, isn't it?

Cool.

Well, that's all sounding positive.

But once they've had a chance to unpack,

there are a few second thoughts.

First impressions on the house, very old-fashioned.

Definitely wouldn't be something that we would look at.

Since I've got here, it's not really blown me away

as much as I thought it would, so I hope it opens up to me

a little later during the week.

If Sophie decides that Australia's not for her

then we've got to look at family dynamics,

but Sophie fits into anything, and she's just tired, grumpy

and I think she will enjoy it.

If Sophie can't be convinced by Aussie homes,

the week ahead is going to be an uphill struggle.

Hopefully a good night's sleep will help everyone settle in.

But as day breaks on their first morning in Brisbane,

it becomes clear they've had anything but.

When we came in yesterday,

I don't think either one of us were completely happy with the house,

but it just got worse. Behind the surface, the house was disgusting.

We saw a mouse. And that, kind of, scared me.

So, like, as far as it goes for me,

I'm not convinced at all that I would like to live here.

It's a bad start to the Buchanans' week,

and a blow for Jason's hopes of convincing them to emigrate.

Hopefully, a rapid relocation to a modern apartment,

free of visitors, and right next to the beach,

will help raise everyone's spirits.

This is nice.

This is much better.

-This one is, aye.

-I like this one.

To afford their ideal property,

the Buchanans are planning on selling their home in Scotland.

But with low exchange rates and high prices,

many new arrivals have found Aussie homes out of their reach.

So, will the Buchanans have their work cut out

finding a house they can love and afford?

Back in the UK, the family live in a modern, five-bedroom home.

It's their pride and joy, and they have strong ideas

about what houses down under will need to offer.

We need a four-bedroomed house

because of the different ages of the kids.

Hopefully, a newer-build house.

The dream is to go there and have a nice standard of living,

which, in the first place, equates to a nice house.

They think their house is worth around £180,000

and could have a budget of £250,000

but they know that finding somewhere they can all be happy with

won't be easy.

Today, we've arranged to give the Buchanans

a taste of Brisbane's housing market. We'll show them

three typical options

based upon what they want from their ideal home,

what they can afford

and the real price of property down under.

After seeing what's on offer,

we'll reveal to them just how much each house costs.

The first stop is the suburb of Scarborough,

about 20 miles north of Brisbane.

Close to beaches, parks and shops,

it should be a good location for the Buchanans' out-and-about lifestyle.

The first house is in need of renovation,

and could offer good value as well as the four bedrooms they want.

But will it be something to write home about?

-That's a bit strange, eh?

-What's this?

Whoof, oh, there's a big cockroach up there.

Eugh. That's not a good start to any house viewing!

-Oh, my God.

-It's horrible.

-Yeah.

Oh, God, there's a cockroach.

-This is the living area.

-The living area?

It's just strange. I can't get my head around it.

It's not getting any better upstairs

but Jason does have an idea on how to improve things.

If anything was to be done with this house,

-I think it needs knocked down.

-Yeah.

-And rebuilt.

What about little Jay? He seems pretty relaxed.

-Do you like this house?

-No.

OK, then. This house is definitely not the start Jason wanted

and that's before they've even found out the price.

Will their budget be enough to cover the property and renovation costs?

-No way.

-£217,000.

-No chance.

-No chance.

Totally surprised at how much this is valued.

I just think it's so run down.

We'd need to spend that to get it up to standard.

-That's really surprising.

-I'm shocked.

I really thought half of that.

Really, really shocked.

It might be affordable,

but this house has got Jason's dream off to the worst possible start,

and a future in Oz is looking a long way away.

Also in Scarborough, the second house has four bedrooms and is located

a short walk from the waterfront, with its parks and cafes.

For Jason, it really needs to impress.

-Oh, this is nice.

-Seems cool.

-Much better.

Oh, look at that, Jay!

Wow!

This is more like what we were...

-I love it.

-..looking for.

The pool is an ideal start, but they've yet to set foot indoors.

-Oh, that's nice.

-Oh, that's just lovely.

-Oh, wow, look at that.

Great. Spot on.

-It's lovely.

-It's lovely.

-It's absolutely lovely.

I love the ceiling, I love the windows...

Just the whole layout, it's just perfect.

This is music to Jason's ears. And eyes.

Oh, look. That teddy's got bagpipes on it.

-Look?

-It's a sign. Is this Jordy's room?

We'd need to get this decorated for you, wouldn't we?

You'd get everything in here.

Do you think this would be the perfect size for you?

This house has done a much better job

of impressing the Buchanans than the first

but will its price keep up the good work?

So, this is the price of this house.

Ready?

365.

-I would say that was definitely...

-Worth it.

..at the very limit of what we could afford.

-Mmm.

-I think.

I'm not surprised it's that much because the house is stunning

and it's really, really big.

It's everything I would want.

It may be out of budget. We need to look at...

It looks like Jason's hopes of moving his family are on the up

but the price is stratospheric.

Can the final house convince everyone without breaking the bank?

It's in the area of North Lakes, slightly closer to central Brisbane.

But, being 15 minutes inland,

it should offer more value for money.

As a four-bed new build, it sounds like it could suit everyone.

This is lovely.

But I cannot see how we could afford this.

Wow.

This is nice. This...is...nice.

If we could get something like this, I'd die a happy man.

I think that means Jason is impressed.

And this is nice, eh?

-This is lovely.

-His-and-hers sinks.

His-and-hers showers, look! That's crazy.

I just... I like the modern build house,

and, for me, this... It ticks all the boxes.

This would be my dream home.

That's good to hear, but do the rest of the family agree?

I love this house.

I'm beginning to like Australia, I suppose.

I guess it's safe to say this house is a hit, inside and out.

-There's a pool.

-Never mind the pool, look at the barbecue.

Unbelievable.

And it's even prompted some second thoughts from Sophie.

-I think I would consider moving...

-For this house.

..if this was our house.

Much to Jason's relief,

this house seems to offer everything the Buchanans want.

But, is the dream house just that or could it be a real possibility?

-350,000. It's cheaper.

-It's cheaper.

I can't believe that this is cheaper than the other house.

It's kind of shocked me.

With this being more modern, newer,

I thought it would be more expensive.

This is great news for Jason's dream,

but, at £100,000 over budget, it comes with a hefty price tag.

The Buchanans' day started with a horror show at the first house...

But everyone's spirits picked up at the second.

And the third was everything they wanted down under.

So, what's the verdict on property in Australia versus the UK?

ALL: Australia!

That was a bit of a surprise, then. Bit of a turn up for the books.

Well done, son.

Well, compared to Armadale,

I think the houses are a lot more better here than they are there

and I think I could see myself living in a house here

rather than, kind of, the same style of house over there.

Definitely. Australia all the way.

With Angie and Sophie falling in love with property in Brisbane,

things couldn't have started any better for Jason.

But neither of the houses they liked will come cheaply,

putting pressure on Angie to find good work prospects.

In the UK, Angie currently works in social care

but she would like to get back to her original profession

if they move to Australia.

I've been with the council for just under five years.

I took a short break in nursing and I came here.

Ideally, my main aim is to go back into children's nursing

because I'm a qualified children's nurse.

It's Angie's qualifications that hold the key to getting a visa

but she knows that moving will involve a sacrifice for her,

to afford the lifestyle they want.

I don't want to be working full-time.

But I do understand that I might have to

for the sake of the children. But in an ideal world,

two days a week would be great. To go back into nursing.

The whole move rests on her shoulders,

so we've arranged for Angie to visit Brisbane's Redcliffe Hospital,

to get a feel for working in Australia.

-Hiya.

-Hello, I'm Emma Fitzhenry, the Nurse Unit Manager for Paediatrics.

-How are you doing?

-Nervous.

-Oh, you'll be all right.

-Come with me, we'll go up to the children's ward.

-Thank you.

While Angie gets to see the hospital,

Jason is taking the children to the park.

If they do emigrate, he'll look after them while they settle,

before finding work.

Back home, I owned my own business dealing with office technology,

in particular, photocopiers, printers and scanners.

However, coming to Australia, at this stage,

I wouldn't have any ambition to start up my own company,

coming over here.

I think it would be wise to find employment

and see where that goes.

Back on the ward, Emma is putting Angie's bedside manner to the test.

Has she still got what it takes?

-So, I might just introduce you to Calum.

-Hiya. And what did you do?

-I didn't do it. Someone fell on top of me.

-Playing football?

Skateboarding? Or chasing girls?

-Can I see your arm? And show us?

-Wow.

And did you get to choose your own colour?

-Have your friends wrote on it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

While Angie's back in a familiar routine,

Sophie's thinking about a new life

and what that could mean in Australia.

It's been really good since we're here, surprisingly.

Didn't think it'd be as good as it has been.

I think the thing that's most pushing me towards Australia now

is just being here and experiencing it for yourself is...

It's not like a holiday, it's actually somewhere you could live.

But she still has a long way to go

before she can choose where her future lies.

I think the hardest thing for me

would be leaving my dad and my sisters and my stepmum

and I think...

I try not to think about it, to be honest.

Back at the hospital, Angie is getting down to business with Emma.

At home, I worked part-time, so, what,

is there vacancies for part-time staff or...

Yep, most of my staff are part-time.

-Oh, right.

-It's the minority that are full-time.

So, you know, it's a great work/life balance.

There are vacancies available?

We don't have any vacancies at the moment

but with six beds opening at the beginning of next year,

I'll have eight full-time positions.

Thank you. When it comes to salaries,

what is, like, a full-time employee and what's part-time?

So, it's dependent on your experience

and where you would sit on the pay-scale.

As a registered nurse, you could earn anywhere from 58,000

to 78,000 at the top end of the scale.

Oh, that's great. But Jason wouldn't want to work if that was the case.

That definitely sounds like good news.

It means she could have a starting pay of £37,000 a year,

£19,000 more than her current part-time salary.

Today has been very, very positive. I feel a lot calmer.

I'm a bit excited, actually, being honest with you.

Angie's prospects look good

but will they make up for the sacrifices

she'll have to make in order to move to Australia?

I really had a nice day.

The girls in the ward have been really nice and very helpful.

So, yeah. Very, very positive experience.

So, how will she vote?

Australia!

For me, as the main applicant,

I feel that I've got no worries getting a job.

It's been a very pleasant experience today.

Another vote for Oz is more good news for Jason.

However, there is a catch.

A bigger salary would help pay for the lifestyle they want

but working full-time

would mean Angie has less time to enjoy it with them.

Could seeing the value of their home make their decision any clearer?

Back in the UK, Jason and Angie live in a five-bedroom house,

which they've lovingly renovated and believe to be worth £180,000.

They'll need every penny to afford a house they like in Australia.

We've sent round two estate agents

to give us their opinion on their home in Armadale.

Come on up with Daddy.

Ooh. Look at this, Jay. Whose house is that?

Very nice room.

'One decorative wall, which is quite loud.'

Not to everyone's taste, but that can be changed.

'I don't personally like it, but...'

There's your motorbike.

Bedroom on the lower level, that's always handy to have.

It's been a garage conversion, which does add value to your property.

Ssh! Ssh! Wallpaper, let's see.

Yeah, a good-sized room.

Nice, tasteful decoration,

'it's not cluttered at all.'

What room are we going up to now?

Wow. This is lovely.

Thank you.

Justin fan, obviously.

'Even on the light switch. Amazing.'

It's a classic four-bed detached house with a garage conversion.

In the current market,

there are quite a few on the market in the area

and there is a bit of competition for the property

but, typically, I would expect it to sell for £170 - £175,000.

'In my opinion, I reckon this house should achieve about 185,'

about £180,000 for a quick sale.

That should be achievable at a fixed price.

Those prices were not a surprise at all.

We realised that we couldn't get the house that we want in Australia

for the price of our house in Armadale, but what it does do,

it just confirms that we need to use as much equity

and savings as possible to get our dream home in Australia.

At this precise moment in time, this is our future,

this is the kiddies' future and, as a family, you do whatever you can

to get whatever you want, what you're used to, and can it live...

up to that expectation, eh?

That's more or less what they expected.

But even if they use all their savings

and equity on the move to Australia, will it be enough?

We've prepared a breakdown of their everyday living costs

to see if they can afford the life they dream of in Australia.

So, that turns out approximately £15 a week cheaper.

£60 a month, which is, well... It's a big saving.

-Oh, look at the size of the mortgage.

-Mortgage repayments 1,811,

so, the mortgage payment has doubled.

-OK.

-That's 75...

-Uh-huh.

-Equals...

So. Total is 3,091.

So, in terms of outgoings,

we're just at slightly more than we would be back home.

However, our salaries have increased quite substantially

which means we're far better off here.

-We're quids in.

-We're quids in.

We were thinking, possibly,

when it came to the calculations of everything and putting it together,

we were a bit worried, or apprehensive...

That it wouldn't go our way, and that we wouldn't have the opportunity...

And that might be the first thing

that would put some doubt in our mind

whether it was the right move or not, but...

It's went the other way, to be honest.

The salaries have been pretty overwhelming

in terms of what we could potentially earn here.

Angie and Jason have worked out

they would be a lot better off in Australia

if they both work full-time. So, how will they vote?

The reality check, which was all positive,

and for that reason, we're going to vote...

Australia.

Australia.

Seeing the figures in black and white

has convinced Angie a move down under could work.

But what's always been at the heart of Jason's dream

is the opportunity for the whole family to enjoy a better lifestyle,

in particular, Jordan and Sophie.

Back in the UK, they enjoy spending time together.

We are a very close-knit family,

but that has its own challenges because of the age gaps

between Jay, Jordan and Sophie.

So, we do the regular outings that all families do

but we also enjoy the simple walks with the dogs

and that's important to us,

that we keep that together, somehow, in Australia.

All I want for Jordan and Sophie and Jay are good things in life.

I just want them to blossom and get the chances and opportunities

that I never did as a child or a teenager.

And if that means that Australia could be their next home

and provide different activities and a different way of life for them,

then that's where we have to go.

One of the biggest factors in deciding whether Australia

is the place for them is what kind of life it could offer Jordan.

Angie and Jason hope that it will give him his independence

and the outdoor life he thrives in.

I think both of us firmly believe Jordan's got more potential in him.

But I think that the two of us would like Jordan to have a wee job and...

And start his own life.

He is, kind of, secluded to his wee self

and he doesn't have any communications with anybody.

And, as a mum, it's worrying because you don't want

everything that you've done for your son, for him to waste away.

So we've arranged for them to visit Cascade Place,

a day centre for adults with disabilities.

-Welcome, guys.

-Hi there, how you doing? I'm Jason.

-G'day, Jason.

-This is Jordan.

-G'day, Jordan. How are you, mate?

Come on through, guys. Welcome.

This is nice and colourful.

Everything that you see in this room

has been made here by the artists of the place.

So, I'll take you for a bit of a wander through the building

and show you some of the ways we do it

and a couple of the other things that we've got.

Through here we have our recording studio

where we have Chris and Kieran and Jeremy.

-Hiya, guys.

-So, Jordan, I know you're interested in music...

There's a whole range of activities

that Jordan could pick from whenever he wants.

This dress pattern was actually donated to us, the pattern itself,

but we make all the inserts, they're all unique.

Everything that's made here is unique, you can't reproduce it,

so all the guys here and others on other days

make that insert and we sew it here and we sell them all.

We have exhibitions at galleries on a regular basis

but we also have arrangements with local coffee shops,

places on the waterfront where they're happy to display it

and sell it for us.

But it's not just about arts and crafts for Jordan.

Angie and Jason's dream

is for him to become more independent in the future.

All I've ever wanted was for Jordan to be seen as a person,

not as a figure or a number, or just somebody with special needs,

but to be identified as Jordan.

Geoff Trappet from Queensland's Cerebral Palsy League,

is able to address their concerns.

What's really important for us is how we can progress Jordan

and find the right activities or workshops

that's going to take him into adulthood.

So, it's about building those skills up

that someone would build up in life

to be able to move on to the next stage.

And do you get involved in employment opportunities for him?

Our job is to help Jordan with whatever his goals are.

So, if that's to get work, then that's what we can work on.

We start with the outcome, and then we just work towards that outcome.

Whatever we have to do along the road might be different for every person

and it might change with Jordan a thousand times

but you've always got that goal in mind, that outcome.

It all sounds really positive, but Jason has one final question.

Would youse assist him in getting Jordan a girlfriend?

That'd be easy, I reckon.

No? No. No, thank you.

We might have a conversation without Mum around, eh?

THEY LAUGH

It's been a useful experience for Jason and Angie

but have they heard what they needed to hear?

I was really impressed with the centre

and what they've got to offer children like Jordan.

I actually believe that what they're trying to promote,

they really do promote it

-and I think Jordan would really benefit.

-I feel a lot better.

I feel a lot more confident from just one association that we've spoke to.

I think Jordan would excel.

That seems to have allayed Angie's worries

and has helped bring Jason's Australian dream one step closer.

But does life down under hold enough for all the Buchanans?

Today, they're spending the morning at Dreamworld.

It's a wildlife and adventure park just outside Brisbane.

This is Jason's final chance to sway everyone towards emigrating.

He's got the same size of feet as you, Jordy, look.

SHE LAUGHS

This is what it's all about, especially for the kids.

First time Jay, Jordan and Sophie have seen any kangaroos, crocodiles,

things like that, so... Yeah, it's good.

However, he's very aware that even though he's persuaded Sophie

to make this trip to Australia, there's still a long way to go.

Sophie, she said that she's devastated because she, obviously,

has to leave her dad, stepmum, sisters and the rest of the family

and I think that's on her mind.

I do feel really guilty. I feel really...

I feel like I shouldn't enjoy myself over here

but I can't really help it, I suppose.

But it seems the simple pleasures of life down under

are winning her over.

This is the first time I've ever seen a kangaroo

and now I'm feeding it, and I think if I was to move to Australia,

like, this makes me motivated even more to go to Australia

because it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to feed a kangaroo.

If we lived over here, we'd be doing this every weekend.

I think it's brilliant.

And it's not just Sophie who's enjoying this trip.

-I've got it.

-Yeah.

< Big smiles. Oh, Jay's kissing that.

This is the kind of thing that we would like to do more of.

But, obviously, the weather back home... You can't.

There's no enjoyment out of it.

But when it's...kinda even just like this, it's nice.

It was always me that had the doubts, but I'm enjoying it.

I wasn't looking and picked it up. "We'll just take it off her..."

-It was fantabulous.

-Amazing.

-It felt like...

-Heavy. Slimy.

-I had its face, Mum, you had its bum.

-I had this...

-It was squeezing.

-Oh, yuck.

It was like that, wasn't it?

So, after a packed morning,

have they got into the swing of the Australian lifestyle?

It's time to vote.

We've had a great day

and we've experienced things that we haven't experienced before,

like holding the koalas and the kangaroos, and our vote is...

ALL: Australia.

Why did you like it?

-Did you enjoy yourself?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

After an ideal day,

it's a unanimous vote from the Buchanans for the Aussie lifestyle

and the whole family seems to have fallen for life down under.

But there's one more hurdle to face before making their final vote -

the reality of leaving behind the people they love.

So, we've prepared some messages from friends and family back home.

Here we go.

-ANGIE LAUGHS

-I'm crying already.

-Hi, guys.

-Hello, guys.

I hope youse are having a great time is Australia.

Angie and Jason are meant for each other.

They totally bounce off each other...

'And every weekend they've always got a plan'

for the kids. Every weekend, no' just the school holidays.

'And they're lovely kids,'

and I love them to bits.

'I'm going to miss her.'

It's going to just...

break my heart to say goodbye to them.

If youse decide to move to Australia,

I will miss you, like, loads,

cos we've been friends for so many years and, like,

all the stuff we've been through,

'all the laughs and all the sad bits that we've had,

'I'm going to really miss them all, and I'll really miss you, too.'

'If youse do decide to go,'

it's going to rip us up a bit, because you're my wee sister

'my nephew, my niece, it's just going to, kind of, rip us up a little bit.'

'Well, I think...'

they're doing the right thing.

'I know for a fact he loves me to bits.

'As long as you're happy, that's all that matters.'

Jason, I've always said to you, if an opportunity comes up,

in any way, go for it.

And I still say go for it. I think it's the best decision

'the two of youse could make. For the family and youse.'

You all right? Want a cuddle?

You, move over.

Do you want a cuddle, Jordy?

SOPHIE CRIES

-It's no' all fun, is it?

-Wasn't very nice.

Wasn't nice at all.

It wasn't nice that people are going to love you and miss you?

-Of course it's nice.

-No it isn't, it's a bit...

People giving you support to have a better life.

I never heard one person there saying, "Don't do it."

-I know, but...

-You know?

It has been made a lot more real, that we might actually go.

Just need to wait and see.

How're you? Are you all right?

Jordan's like that, "What's the fuss?"

Seeing messages from home was a painful experience,

especially for Angie and Sophie,

and having fallen for Australia during the last seven days,

has this has put the move back in the balance?

I've always been the one driving this

but it's been pretty overwhelming, this week,

thinking, you know, reality's starting to kick in.

And, obviously, I'm leaving my mum,

um...which is going to be tough, especially at the age she's at.

Yeah, a lot to think about, to be honest.

For Angie, the week has shown her

what Australia could mean for Jordan.

In the last few days, I mean, Jordan's just excelled

in his personality, in talking to people, and just...

He's just fascinated with what's going on round about him

and it's great.

But she knows the final decision is going to be far from simple.

This week's experience has, kind of, turned everybody's life upside down.

From a family's point of view,

this is going to be one of the toughest decisions

we've got to make, because it's not just me and Jason's choice.

And Sophie's choice about her future has no easy answer.

I suppose I'm a bit torn, right now,

between going home and staying here.

I think just leaving your family and your friends is just horrible.

Just for the better lifestyle, it's just...

horrible.

I suppose either...

One way or another, one parent's going to be heartbroke.

Now, it's time for the Buchanans to make their final vote.

So, it's been a great week. Lot's of new experiences,

loads of vital information

and we're now ready to vote, UK or Australia.

-Australia.

-Australia.

I'm not sure.

-No surprise there, then.

-Mmm-hmm.

What did you pick, Jord? Well done.

Four out of five ain't bad.

Having faced the ups and downs of life in Australia,

it seems the move isn't quite in the bag.

After a week to remember,

the Buchanans seemed in touching distance of their Australian dream

but with Sophie undecided, their future hung in the balance.

They've been back, now, for a couple of weeks

and I've come to find out if anything has changed since then.

First off, I want to catch up with Sophie.

So, Sophie. For you, it is different

because you do have your dad back in Scotland with your stepmum

and your sisters as well, who I know you're very close to.

-It hasn't been easy, has it?

-No, it hasn't been easy at all.

It's horrible for me having to decide if I should leave them

or leave my other family, and it's just...

just horrible thinking about it.

It did make me feel really guilty,

but then I think I would benefit a lot from going over there.

I think I need to be a bit selfish about it

and think about what would benefit me

and, like, my family, my brothers

and I think there's loads of opportunities to come back here

and see them once or twice a year.

-Of course.

-Since I've been back, they're like,

-"No, you should go cos it's better."

-You've got their blessing.

-Yeah.

Which is so, so important.

So, if I gave you a flag now, which way would you vote?

I think I would vote Australia.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

If your mum and stepdad could hear you now, they'd be cheering.

And speaking of Angie and Jason, they have some news too.

But this time, it's not been so positive.

-There's been a few things popped up that...

-Setbacks.

..maybe we were slightly naive before we went.

Such as...?

Well, the biggest thing that we overlooked

-was the concerns of getting a visa.

-For Jordan.

-Right.

-And, to cut a long story short,

it seems it's going to be very, very difficult

to obtain a visa for Jordan due to his learning difficulties.

But on the flip side of that, that's highlighted some positive things

that we need to do with Jordan.

In a nutshell, what are you trying to achieve with Jordan,

so that the visa might be granted?

In terms of what the Australian government look at,

if anything was to happen to myself or Angie when we were in Australia,

the first question the Australian government are going to ask is,

-"Could Jordan live independently?"

-Right.

So, we're striving now to push him forward

to do the daily living skills,

giving him the responsibility

of making food, washing, domestic stuff, so Jordan knows

that for him to go to Australia he needs to work hard, too.

We've always believed that Jordan has the potential

to live independently in the future and things like that,

-so this has maybe been a big push for us.

-Push for us, yeah.

So, it is difficult...

We've got to be honest, to get a visa for someone like Jordan

-but you think you can overcome that.

-Yeah, absolutely.

We still firmly believe we've got a chance of getting to Australia.

We would like to be in Australia by next summer.

How fantastic. Our summer, their winter

and it'll still be nicer than in the UK, won't it?

-So, exciting times ahead?

-Definitely.

-I really hope it works out for you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Well, fantastic news. It's unanimous.

The Buchanan family want to move to Australia

and that includes Sophie.

Now, there's still some visa issues to sort out, but, all going well,

they're going to be starting a new life in Australia very soon.

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