Whyte Family Wanted Down Under

Moving halfway around the world

is one of the toughest choices you could ever make.

But if the price of one family member's dream was heartbreak for another,

how would you make the biggest decision of your life?

For Claire Whyte, emigrating is a life-long dream.

If I don't do it, I'll really, really regret it. I really will. For ever.

But husband Martin is torn over whether to stay or go.

I'm ready to come out here and give it a go if Nicole's on board. Nicole has to be on board.

And his daughter can't bear to leave.

I don't like just seeing them on a screen.

Brits have been emigrating to Australia to seek their fortune

ever since Captain Cook first sighted land and gold was discovered.

Today, the pull of living down under comes from its golden beaches, warm climate and outdoor lifestyle,

but not everyone finds the promised land.

For the Whyte family, their future could well rest on the week ahead.

After experiencing the everyday reality of living in Australia,

they'll face one of the toughest decisions of their lives -

whether to stay in the UK or to start a new life down under.

After travelling 10,000 miles over three days, the Whytes arrive in Brisbane.

Despite a marathon journey, they're raring to go.

-The journey wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

-Now that we're here, I'm a bit nervous.

My hopes for this week are to see properties that I could see myself living in

and get good news about work prospects.

And obviously, I need to convince Nicole and particularly Martin

to come with me, or else I'll be here myself.

There's a lot riding on the next seven days.

Back in the UK, the Whytes live in Inverurie just north of Aberdeen.

They are Claire, a social worker, Martin, a policeman,

and Nicole, Martin's 15-year-old daughter.

For Claire, the idea of emigrating has long been on her mind

and she believes Australia could offer a better life for the whole family.

I think that all of us would benefit just from a better lifestyle,

better jobs, earning more money, hopefully, and definitely for Nicole.

A different culture, to show her that the north-east of Scotland

is a tiny part of the world and there's a massive world out there.

Claire and Martin are teenage sweethearts.

They've been together since Martin was 16, shortly after Nicole's first birthday.

Claire being in my life, seriously, is the best thing that could ever happen to me.

I was definitely a bit of a lad and a rogue and Claire kept me on the straight and narrow.

She's pushed me to do things and given me confidence.

As for her relationship with Nicole, she took on me with a one-year-old.

I wouldn't be keen on Nicole coming home and saying her boyfriend's got a one-year-old son or daughter,

so Claire took all that on.

She's a tower of strength.

I'd be lost without her, definitely.

Concentrating on bringing up Nicole meant putting Claire's dream on hold,

but now they risk splitting the family in two if Nicole decides to stay in the UK.

I've been in Nicole's life since she was one,

just a little over one.

When I refer to her, I don't say "my stepdaughter", I always say "my daughter". I do view her as my own.

I love her deeply. She's absolutely a fantastic young woman.

I think the effort we've put in is shown in the values she took on that we've hopefully instilled in her.

My relationship with Claire is really close.

I think a lot of people find it a bit strange because it is stepmum and stepdaughter.

However, I've known Claire since I was a baby, so I don't really know a life without her.

I think I've got a closer relationship with my dad than most other children do,

so it would be him especially that I don't know if I could live without him, really.

Because Martin was a young father, Nicole's grandparents brought her up while their son finished school

and she'll have to leave them behind to follow Claire's dream.

I've always thought of them as a second parent

and just thinking I wouldn't be able to see them, apart from once a year, is really upsetting.

It would be easier if I didn't want this, but it's quite difficult for myself not to give it a go.

Um, yeah...

Sorry.

For Martin, it's an agonising position to be in.

I've got Nicole on one side, I've got Claire on the other side. I'm in the middle. Who do I please?

Who do I go with? I just want to please both of them.

That's what I live for. I always try to be a good father and husband,

but this time, I'm stuck in the middle. It's going to be difficult.

I feel a little bit guilty because if I say I'm going to stay, then I'm holding them back.

But Nicole isn't closing the door to Australia.

I want to be a doctor when I grow up,

so I'd like to find out about the universities and everything over there. It would put my mind at rest.

There's never any doubt in my head that she will be there.

If she decides not to when we've been to Australia for the week, that will give me some tough choices to make.

I really need to try and persuade her because I'd be devastated if she didn't come. Yeah.

The Whytes all want the best future for each other, but choosing where to spend it has them torn.

Australia is Claire's long-held dream,

but Nicole can't bear the thought of leaving all she has at home

and it's Martin who could be forced to choose between them.

The family are spending their week in Caloundra north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast.

Unspoilt beaches, crystal-clear water and a laid-back lifestyle make it a popular destination

for young, active families like the Whytes.

They're staying in this luxury two-bedroom apartment close to the Sunshine Coast's shops and beaches.

So is it what they hoped for?

Oh, that's nice.

-It's a holiday home.

-It's kind of got that feel.

It's a lovely view of the beach.

That's nice.

-Definitely.

-Oh, it's got a pool.

Oh, ace!

Pacific views and a pool are a good start, but there's a vital seven days ahead.

It's got to match my expectations before I would come out here, definitely.

It would have to be, you know, the dream.

If it wasn't, there isn't any point in coming out,

so I do feel that I should be liking everything right away and if I don't, then I'll think, "Oh, no..."

50/50. I'm not swaying one way or the other. It will be a hectic week.

Hopefully, by the end of the week, I can give you a different percentage.

-Nicole is staying practical.

-If they made it so the school was easy to move over and fit into,

that would make it a lot easier for me to say I'd come.

This week, I've got a lot of work to do, but excited and looking forward to it. Yeah, let the adventure begin.

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

Being close to Aberdeen, a city with a strong oil industry,

has helped their house rise in value over the years.

And they hope to have a budget of around £300,000 to spend on a property in Australia.

The kind of house I'd like in Australia is similar to what I've got just now, space-wise.

If we could get a bit bigger, then great.

I like modern houses, clean-cut lines.

And I like big kitchens, open spaces. I like that.

-More than one bathroom.

-Yeah.

I'd like a nice area. By that, I just mean - it could be because of the job I'm in - low crime rates.

Nicole has a list that... It would be important for me because that means we get her there.

I'd like a cinema room. All of us are into our films in this family.

And I'd love a pool. I'd really like a pool.

And I'd like a walk-in wardrobe because I really like my clothes.

Today, we'll give the Whytes a taste of the local housing market.

We'll show them three options based on what they want from their ideal home, what they can afford

and the real cost of property down under.

After seeing for themselves what's on offer, they'll discover how much each house costs.

The search begins in the Kings Beach area.

It's the most popular surfing beach in Caloundra

and close to the centre of town, so a shorter commute should mean more time

to spend enjoying the sunshine and surroundings.

The first house is in Arthur Street.

It may look unassuming from the outside, but its estate agents say it's something very special.

-It's big.

-I don't think I like this house.

-Come on, we'll look at the other rooms.

-Yeah.

-OK?

-Ohh...

-I don't like the...

-I don't like this.

-No.

-I don't like this at all.

-No, it's too old-fashioned.

That is an en-suite. I'm guessing this must be the main room.

-Although we don't have a big room at home, it's bigger...

-It's bigger than this.

-Next room.

No.

-It's a "no" right away?

-A "no" right away.

-This kitchen isn't really...

-I like the space, but I don't like the layout at all.

-No.

-I don't like the windows.

-It's not my expectations of a house for us in Australia.

Maybe the estate agents meant the views were the special feature.

You see, the views are really nice. You can see the mountains. That's lovely.

-There's a huge bit of ground here, but you can hardly see it because of all the trees.

-Yeah.

-There's no pool.

-Look at her face!

The views of the Glass House Mountains may be stunning, but the indoors is less attractive.

It's in a great area and has the space they need, but this house has fallen short of Claire's dream.

Will they even be able to afford it on their £300,000 budget?

-I've got a feeling it's going to be much more than we expect it to be, to be honest.

-Yes, so do I.

I hope it's not because that just shows that it's not worth it, this house, at all.

Property-wise, even our budget, which isn't the biggest,

-if it's near our budget for the property...

-It's not worth it.

-No.

Oh, my goodness!

Seriously, £321,000?!

-No, that's shocking.

-That is an absolute joke.

-Shocking.

You'd probably need to spend that again to get it up to anywhere near the standard of our house back home.

You feel your blood pressure rising, thinking, "My God, what could we afford?"

-Even if we could afford this house, we wouldn't want it.

-No.

-That's a sickener.

-That is crazy.

-Oh, well...

With the first house over budget and underwhelming,

Claire's mission to get her family to Australia hasn't got off to the best start.

The second property is just a short walk away, but can it lift the mood?

-Oh, lovely.

-Wow!

-The pool's nice.

-It looks really inviting.

Does this score a couple of points, having the swimming pool, for you?

Yeah, but it depends on the inside as well.

-I wonder how many floors it's on?

-I can't make up my mind if it's an apartment or a house.

-There are stairs leading up.

-It's definitely an apartment.

It's designed as a townhouse, spread over three storeys, starting with the garage downstairs,

and three bedrooms on the middle floor.

-Single room.

-Yeah.

-Fitted wardrobe.

-Basic, but all you need for a small, single room.

-Mm-hm.

Across the landing, there's a very appealing feature for Nicole and Claire.

Oh, I see clearly that this must be the master bedroom then.

Claire's claimed it already, Nicole.

Oh, the en-suite's lovely. And it is nice having a walk-in wardrobe.

-Claire, you don't have enough clothes to fill a walk-in wardrobe.

-I'll just buy new ones.

The third bedroom also has a large balcony.

-Oh, you can see the pool. That is nice.

-Mm-hm.

-The room is quite small, but you wouldn't mind that if you've got a big living space.

-I quite like it.

On the top floor, there's a good-sized living area.

Well, that's a big space.

-I'd love a living room this size at home.

-It is a massive space.

-Mm-hm.

And the kitchen's nice enough.

It's just a bit old-fashioned and grubby-looking, to be honest.

I'd spend most of my time out here on the balcony.

-If you could imagine garden furniture out here, a barbecue...

-Yeah.

-Mm-hm.

With no furniture, it takes some imagination to see this property as a possible home.

Even so, Nicole and Martin are sounding positive, but will its price tag be as encouraging?

Here we go, moment of truth.

Mm-hm...

-I think it will be over budget.

-Yeah.

-Without a shadow of a doubt. Definitely.

-This is big, spacious.

-Yeah.

-A lot of rooms.

Three levels, a garden.

All right, Nicole, it's your turn.

OK...

Hmm...

-I'm actually pleasantly surprised.

-Yeah.

-I suppose that gives more hope that...

-I'm really surprised.

You look happy! I think it's just because it's still not what I've dreamed of as Australian living,

as to why I'm still a bit on the fence, but I think that's a really good price for the amount of space.

I would pay that money for this if it was our style because that's more than value for money.

You can't grumble about that. That's a good price.

House-hunting isn't working out as expected for the Whytes

and it's looking like Claire is the hardest to impress, despite this being her dream.

Their final viewing is in the sought-after area of Golden Beach.

It's only one block from the sea and offers a great location to enjoy classic Aussie living.

-This is lovely.

-Yeah.

-Nice, big entrance way. A big square.

-Yeah.

-Really big, yeah.

-Coat pegs up there and take your shoes off and stuff.

-Yeah.

This is big.

This is nice. I like the size of the room.

-It's open.

-I'm liking it.

-Yeah.

It's a nice enough kitchen now, Claire.

-Spacious enough.

-It's a decent enough size.

-No, that's nice.

-I really like this.

I'm just loving the space.

-This is the bathroom.

-All right, OK.

-It's nice.

-Modern.

-It is. I like the big shower.

-Mm-hm.

-Mm-hm.

-I've just spotted something outside.

-Have you?

-Go and have a look.

NICOLE LAUGHS

Can you see?

-What can you see?

-Oh, yes, I think I see blue.

Does it indicate a pool perhaps?

There's a good-sized pool in the garden, easily accessible from the patio doors in the master bedroom,

perfect for an early morning dip.

-That's a decent size.

-Yeah.

-No, that's nice. I like that size.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

Being furnished may have helped Martin see this property as a home.

He has even started planning the room layout.

-If I was to make this my cinema room, I'd make it a lot darker. Blackout blinds.

-Yeah.

Up there as well and really comfy seats.

-A massive TV on the wall.

-Yeah.

I'm desperate to go outside now.

-This is really nice.

-This is what I want.

-Yeah.

Yeah, it's lovely. I really like the pool.

It's a big pool as well. It's not just a little one.

-I'm in love.

-Yeah, that's really nice.

-It's got a pool. It's got the grass area.

-Yeah.

-It's got all the rooms we need, a driveway, a double garage.

-Mm-hm.

Inside, it feels old. Outside, I absolutely love.

Let's see how much more money we need before we can get this house.

-It's going to be over budget.

-Hmm.

It looks like this house is almost a perfect fit, but is it one they can afford?

343.

Not as much as I thought it would be over by.

-Realistically, I wouldn't want to come and have a house and not have any money to do anything with.

-No.

But it's given us an idea.

It just doesn't quite match what I would like at all, to be honest.

If this doesn't tick the boxes for her, then I don't know what will.

It's been a day of ups and downs for the Whytes.

The first house offered beautiful views,

but it was old-fashioned and overpriced.

The second was modern, had plenty of room and was affordable,

but only Martin and Nicole liked it.

And even though the final property seemed tailor-made,

it still couldn't live up to Claire's dream.

So will she be able to stay positive about property down under when it comes to the vote?

Based on the properties we've seen today, our vote goes to...

-Undecided.

-UK.

-Australia.

Are you undecided?

I said "undecided" because on the properties today, I wouldn't take any over the house I've currently got.

However, a bit more research and I'd maybe get the one that ticked all my boxes, so I said "undecided".

-And you, Nicole?

-I really liked the last two houses

and I would move out here for the last one.

I've picked UK because one of the houses we saw today was an absolute disgrace

and it needed far too much work.

The two other houses, one I really liked, one I loved.

The one I fell in love with, that's twice the house we've got,

-but because I can't afford it, that's why I've chosen UK.

-OK.

Aussie homes left Claire and Martin disappointed and their big decision looks even more complicated,

but Nicole's vote for Australia was a big surprise.

And if the Whytes could find good job opportunities down under,

emigrating would look a lot more enticing.

At home, Claire is a social worker.

It's a stressful job with long hours, but it's a huge part of who she is.

Although I want to go over there and have a better life, clearly, a massive part of that is my work.

I really enjoy my job here and I wouldn't want to give that up for something that isn't as good.

Martin is a police officer.

Also working long hours, he is prepared to change careers to spend more time with his family.

I did things in the past where you can do the job blindfolded once you're fully trained up.

I like challenging, I want a career. I want the whole package.

Because Martin is thinking of changing career, their visas ride on Claire's chances

of finding work in Australia, so today, she's meeting Chris Boyle.

-Hello. Claire?

-Hi.

-Lovely to meet you. I'm Chris. Come on through.

He's the Senior Practitioner at Queensland's Child Protection Offices.

The need for child protection workers in Queensland is in great demand.

-We value people with experience coming into the workforce.

-OK.

We have investigation roles which sounds a bit like what you're doing where you work closely with police.

Then we have intervention roles where we work with case plans with families.

-OK.

-It sounds like with your range of skills, we could find a fit for you within the office.

-Great.

It looks like work could well be available for Claire, but would it be so easy for Martin

to start a new career in Australia? He's come to meet Jason Crowther,

a policeman turned animal inspector at the RSPCA in Brisbane.

I enjoyed my 25 years immensely in the police service,

-but the transition to the RSPCA was wonderful.

-Do you find your police skills are beneficial here?

With respect to investigation, communication, management skills, most definitely of benefit.

-Would being from a different country be beneficial?

-There's a large number of Scottish, English, Welsh,

Irish inspectors in the RSPCA. I recently employed an ex-female police officer from England.

It sounds like Martin's policing skills could translate well to RSPCA work.

Across town, Claire wants to know if starting a new job means working the same long hours as at home.

How is the work/life balance in Australia?

As we know, the nature of the work does mean at times we have to stay late or begin early,

-but that will be the exception, not the rule.

-OK.

-We're really conscious of that.

-At the level I'm currently at, what would be the pay scale?

I would say that you would come in on a professional officer's stream.

-I think you'd come in around 66,000-70,000 a year.

-That's much more than I earn in the UK.

-That's really positive to hear that it would be more here!

-Fantastic.

-Hopefully, it could fund the lifestyle!

-Yes.

-Thank you very much.

-My pleasure. Let's keep in touch.

-Please do.

-Hopefully, next summer we might see you.

-That's great. Thank you.

-My pleasure.

That's very encouraging news for Claire and Martin's also keen to find out how much he could earn.

His salary could be crucial in affording a move Down Under or not.

On commencement, within your first six months,

the gross salary is around 45,000 a year.

And with that is provided you a computer, a home office, mobile phone,

a motor vehicle for your personal use, and work use.

So with that work and life balance, the flexibility that it offers, the personal rewards of this job,

-you just can't put a monetary figure on that.

-No.

-And not many places give you things like that.

-You'll certainly see your family a lot more

as an inspector with the RSPCA.

So things look promising for Martin and Claire, but is that enough to win their votes?

We've both experienced work life in Australia today. Now it's time to vote what we decide.

BOTH: Australia!

-Ooh! Australia?

-Yep.

OK, why?

Totally not a job I'd even considered much or thought about,

but I got good news today and it sounded like job satisfaction and work/life balance.

-If you're on 8-4, you're 8-4.

-OK.

-You work from home.

-You only work one weekend in eight.

-Oh, my! That's amazing. Seriously? One weekend in eight?

-Yeah.

That's so much better. Oh!

-And you?

-Really, really nice guy.

Money was much better. It's about 12 grand more than I'm earning at the minute.

That is really good, obviously. It could fund a lifestyle change.

And definitely a better work/life balance. So Australia for me, too.

-Good.

-Yay!

-Happy?

Martin's excited about the possibility of a change of career

and a bump in salary is even better news for Claire,

so could those high property prices be achievable after all?

With so much at stake, it's vital they find out if this move is affordable or not.

The Whytes believe their home is worth £230,000.

We've asked two estate agents to take a look round to see if they agree.

This is a very nice, very attractive house.

It's almost showhouse condition. Very attractive. A nice gas fire focal point here as well.

-So far, so good.

-Positive.

This is a beautiful cream Shaker-style kitchen.

- I love my kitchen. - Lovely work surfaces.

With everything just at hand, it's a really nice kitchen.

It's nice to see it, actually.

This is a very nice bright, light family bedroom. Plenty of windows, very good en suite accommodation.

And mirrored wardrobe storage, which makes it even brighter and lighter.

A nice, vibrant teenager's room. Lots of natural light coming in. Lovely room.

That's about ten years old!

This is a very well-presented, attractive family home. In a very pleasant, child-safe cul-de-sac.

I would be putting a valuation on this property at £225,000.

Excellent.

In a vibrant market like Inverurie, I would value this house

at £230,000.

Oh!

It made me realise how much I do like my house.

It probably has made me feel vindicated in my attitude towards houses here.

-I don't want to settle for something I don't like.

-Those valuations are both encouraging,

but what about their cost of living in Australia versus the UK?

-First, they compare the cost of the weekly shop.

-Haggis - zero!

We're obviously not getting haggis in Australia.

The grocery bill comes out higher than at home.

£70.11, UK.

£91.25. I actually don't think that's too bad.

I always thought Australia would be much more expensive for food, so I'm pleasantly surprised.

Next on the list are their monthly mortgage payments in Australia.

With no guaranteed salaries yet, they're being cautious and basing it on the cheapest property.

We're then left with a disposable income every month of £2,576.79.

-So we've got £1,644 more in Australia...

-Better off.

-Every month.

-Compared to the UK.

-With almost an £1,800 per month mortgage.

Which actually means, although I wasn't keen on property three,

we could afford property three with the mortgage.

-And still have money left over.

-Let's not get ahead of ourselves!

Claire's sounding convinced, but are the figures good enough to win Martin over?

Having gone through the figures from the UK in comparison to Australia, it's now time to vote.

BOTH: Australia!

Yay!

-Obvious.

-No brainer.

-Yeah.

I just think for doing jobs that hopefully you would like and that I would like,

-the earning potential here is much more.

-The lifestyle over here can be free.

-Yeah.

It could just be going to the beach and going to a barbecue.

OK, it's only the one job that I've looked into, but it was...

A lot of perks compared to the UK.

-So, yeah, good.

-Happy.

Both Claire and Martin can see a bright future in-between the lines of their cost of living figures.

Claire's dream looks to be firmly back on track. So with two out of three Whytes happy,

could the Aussie lifestyle have the same effect on Nicole?

Nicole loves animals, so they head out to visit Australia Zoo.

First time I've ever even seen one up close.

Let's move!

To do this in Australia is amazing.

Back home, you couldn't really do anything like this. It's too cold or too wet.

So this has really been a wonderful day so far.

I'll look from afar!

I've realised that the jobs would be so much more relaxing

and they would have time like this so we could go out and do much more family-orientated things.

So that's also making me think twice about the move.

It looks like the Aussie lifestyle is living up to its reputation,

but it's Nicole's education that's most important to her.

She's finding out about Australian schools from local pupils.

-What do you want to do when you're older?

-I want to be a doctor and study medicine.

In Grade 11 and 12, the important years,

they put you in the subjects for what you want to do when you graduate, then you can go to uni.

And there's some advice about starting over and leaving her friends and family behind.

If I had to be the new person, I don't think I'd really like that.

Yeah, it's like a tough decision,

but it's pretty lucky that you're old enough because you can always fly over by yourself

if you really wanted to see them. And there's video calling and stuff.

It's a good opportunity to move and get to know new people.

-Hey, thank you.

-This has always been the stumbling block for Nicole,

so has she heard enough to put her mind at rest?

We've had a great time at the zoo today and now it's time to vote.

-Australia!

-Australia!

-Australia!

Yay!

Nicole, why did you vote Australia? What was your reasons?

I voted Australia because there's so much opportunities to do things out here.

The weather plays a big part in it. And also Dad and Claire would be at home more,

whereas they're always at work back home. There's no time to do anything, even indoors, back home.

It's really nice how laidback and relaxed they are. And it was nice to spend time with my family.

The lifestyle out here is just completely different. To hear Nicole saying that we'd be home more

and able to go out more because we'd have time off, yeah, it's a no-brainer for me.

-Happy, Nicole?

-Yeah.

-Good.

-Good.

Seeing a happy Nicole is everything Claire and Martin could hope for.

Despite her worries, the Aussie lifestyle seems to have worked its magic,

but there's one final obstacle for everyone to face and for Nicole it's perhaps the toughest of all.

-Are you ready?

-Yep.

-Go for it.

BOTH: Hello, Martin, Claire and Nicole!

Claire is more like my best friend than my daughter.

We're really extremely close.

He's very outgoing, easy to get on with.

Just a good person, actually.

She's always got a story,

something funny to talk about. And she always knows what to say if you're upset or anything.

We love her so much and, obviously,

for her to maybe go away to Australia, it will affect us in some way, obviously,

but for her parents to go over there she should be with them.

Remember, it's you as a family you've got to think about.

Don't think about anybody else. You know I'm gonna miss you,

there'll be floods of tears, but that's just me. Just a softie.

I think if Nicole left, I'd feel empty a bit in my heart.

She's very mature. Got her head screwed on properly.

And I think she'll do well there. I'll miss her more than words could say.

She might have a better life in Australia, but I think she'll have a hard time letting go

of all of us and her family.

Don't worry about missing us too much. We will be over as often as we can.

OK, darling?

-Everybody was positive.

-Yeah.

-You could tell everybody's speaking from the heart.

-It's hard seeing Nicole as upset as she is.

-The way your friends spoke about you was credit to you.

-Mm-hm.

-It shows the kind of friend you are.

-People here would be lucky to have you as a friend.

-I don't like just seeing them on a screen.

It's OK.

The reality of emigrating is always difficult to face, especially for children,

and seeing messages brought all of Nicole's fears flooding back, but after seeing all the positives,

the Whytes find themselves back at square one as they reach their final decision.

Because I felt so much pressure wanting Martin and Nicole to like it

I forgot that I needed to allow myself the opportunity to like it.

Sometimes I did think, "Goodness. I can't live here. What am I doing? I need to go back home."

It's been a really good learning experience.

Watching the messages from home, it almost brought tears to my eyes, so I can imagine how Nicole feels,

but seeing Nicole that upset doesn't do good things for me.

It's not what you want to see. Not at all.

I think I've made my decision and then something else will happen and then...I don't know.

It's just... It's really hard.

I think Martin's in a very tough position because if Nicole doesn't want to come

and me and Martin do, and he says no because of Nicole, then I just won't come either.

I'll be sad. It will always be a regret of mine that it hasn't worked out how I wanted it to,

but, yeah, I would put the needs of my marriage first, of course.

Always.

We need to be a unit and that's the biggest thing for me,

seeing Nicole enjoying our company and us enjoying hers.

That's been the best thing for me.

I'm ready to come out here and give it a go, if Nicole's on board. Nicole has to be on board.

I think they're kind of expecting that I'll probably say home,

but I think they're both wanting me to say here.

That's also hard. I don't want to disappoint them.

But at the same time I don't really... They don't feel like it's a holiday here. I do.

This has felt like a bit of a holiday. And it just feels like we're going to go home.

It's a lot of pressure for 15-year-old Nicole, but at the end of their week, how will they vote?

We have had a really good week in Australia, with ups and downs, but now it's time to vote.

-Australia.

-Australia.

-In the middle.

For me personally, it's Australia because one week and I'm already thinking this is the life for me.

I'm willing to give it a go. I'd regret it if I didn't try it.

Yeah, pretty much the same for me. We've all really enjoyed it and the worst is that we come and go back.

But I think if we come out, we'll all really enjoy it.

I'm quite pleased that you voted in-between, rather than just UK. I thought you might just go UK.

I was going to go UK and changed my mind at the last second.

But there has been good things here, but I still want to be at home.

Their week in Australia left the Whyte family with a huge dilemma

with Nicole unable to decide where her future lies. They've been back in Scotland for a few weeks,

so I've come to find out if they're able to make that final decision as a family.

-The hardest part of the week was watching friends and family, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-Were you surprised just how emotional you got?

-No.

Really? You knew you'd get upset.

I knew she'd be upset, but when I saw how upset she was, I did think, "Oh. Not a good idea."

It is putting a lot of pressure on someone so young. People thought I was harsh, not giving her comfort,

-but that can make it worse. It was just a pat on the leg.

-Right?

It just makes me worse. It's best to leave me and I'll be fine.

-Yeah, just give you that space.

-Yeah.

So, Martin and Claire, I think I know the answer, but has your opinion changed at all about moving?

Not at all for me, personally. I definitely want to go.

-I just loved it.

-Once we were there, I was like a kid in a sweetie shop.

I just fell in love. I really did.

-You were sold on the whole idea.

-And my opinion hasn't changed.

-I'm still sold. I loved it.

-Fantastic.

And Nicole... 50/50, undecided, when we last saw you.

Since you've been home, you've had a few weeks to think about it, talk to your friends.

Have you spoken to your grandparents about it? You're very close to them.

They don't mind speaking about it, but it's me. I'll speak to them a little bit, then change the subject.

So, perhaps, can I ask you to vote one more time for me? Your final choice. Here's your flag.

Let's see this time. Give it a good twirl.

It's going to be...

Australia.

-Yay!

-That's fantastic! They're so relieved.

That's fantastic news. So, tell me, why the change? Why did you make that your decision?

Well, I still am a bit unsure, but I'm willing to go and give it a try.

They've said if I don't like it then I can come back. That's put my mind a bit at ease as well.

As much as it's Claire's dream, I fell in love with it. Nicole means everything,

so I'm just delighted.

She wants to be together as a family and we've said 12 months, give it a try and then you can come back.

She'd be well looked after with Martin's parents, so we would fully support that.

In the ideal world, you'll remain all together out in Australia.

So what's the plan? How quickly are you hoping to get out there?

-We're saying next summer.

-Right.

-That lets us get the house on the market, live with family, save hard.

-Yes.

-And let Nicole finish her last year at school.

-Exciting times.

I'm absolutely thrilled that the dream has come alive,

but the best news is that Nicole is on board as well. Have a fabulous time over there.

Thank you.

That's such brilliant news. Moving 12,000 miles to the other side of the world is a huge decision

for anyone, especially if you're just 15,

but fantastically for Claire and Martin, Nicole has decided she wants to live in Australia.

And they'll be going very soon.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd