Stephen Family Wanted Down Under

Moving your family halfway around the world is a costly decision

and not just for your wallet. Leaving behind your home,

friends and family are high prices to pay for a new life.

But what if your partner also faced giving up the career

they loved to make your dream come true?

If you knew emigrating meant never seeing closest family again...

I have to be realistic that it's quite

possible my parents wouldn't be able to come out here.

..and returning home to the life you love wasn't an option...

We won't be able to just come back to the UK and pick up where we left off.

..would you risk it all to start again in a country you'd never even visited?

There is a long tradition of Brits emigrating to Australia,

searching for a new life.

37,000 miles of pristine beaches, blue skies

and vast open spaces are just part of the attraction.

But with a third giving up and returning home,

the grass isn't always greener.

The Stephen family want to find out

if emigrating to Australia could give them a better future.

They have one week to experience life down under before they face

a huge decision - whether to stay in the UK or to make the move for good.

Their journey to Melbourne in the state of Victoria takes them

11,000 miles from home.

After a tiring 23 hours, the consequences of moving

so far are very apparent.

The length of the journey does hit home...

Um... How difficult it would be to keep in contact with family.

Now we've actually stepped into Melbourne Airport,

the reality has hit home now.

It just highlights how this week is such an important decision

because ultimately it determines the family's future.

And that is a scary but very exciting prospect.

From the airport, it's a short journey to their rental home.

It might be across a dark Melbourne, but it's got the children excited.

-Oh, wow!

-What can you see, Kerry?

Oh, wow! Look at all those bright lights.

It's weird how the world works.

If it's England now, it's ten o'clock in the morning.

-In Australia, it's night time.

-11 o'clock at night, yeah.

Back in the UK, the Stephens, Murray and Kay, live with their

two children Shaun and Kerry in Bacup, near Rochdale, in Lancashire.

With Kay working as a solicitor and Murray a fireman,

they have jobs and a family life they love.

However, Kay has always dreamt of moving out of the UK, to Australia.

It's something that's always been there in my mind

and a desire that's never gone away.

So it is sheer determination that it's something we want to go out

there and make an informed decision and sample the lifestyle out there.

As an active family, the Stephens are convinced Australia would

give the lifestyle they can only dream of pursuing in the UK.

It just restricts what we like to do as a family.

You get ready to go out and then the heavens open up an hour later.

This isn't a case of the grass being greener on the other side, we can

see that possibly there's something better than what we have here.

And that's what all this is about, essentially.

However, there is one big hurdle to overcome.

As there isn't a demand for firemen in Australia,

they're afraid Murray would have to sacrifice the job he loves.

I know that Murray's a proud man and he will want to be able to work

and support his family.

My son loves the fact that I'm a firefighter.

He loves to tell everyone that his dad drives a fire engine.

And it's how I replace that that I might find difficult to adapt.

What bothers me and concerns me and sometimes keeps me

awake at night is...making that move and it not working out.

And him being distinctly unhappy.

By that time, we won't be able to change the past.

We won't be able to just come back to the UK and pick up where we left off.

Having left his family and friends behind when he moved from Scotland,

Murray is painfully aware what emigrating to Australia could mean.

You can't just drop everything and go at the drop of a hat.

There is that distance between you. It's not the same.

As the Stephens have never visited Australia before,

Kay knows she's risking everything they've worked so hard to build.

We've got so much to give up as a family -

great careers, beautiful family home, great family that offer

so much support, and to give all of that up,

it's got to be something really, really special.

They now have just one week to see

if they really could start a new life in Australia.

The Stephens have worked hard to build a happy home

and successful careers, but Kay's belief that Australia could offer

more is driving her dream, even though it may cost Murray dearly.

Ahead of them could be the biggest gamble of their lives.

The Stephens are spending their trial week in Melbourne.

It's a busy cosmopolitan city, but also well situated for those

who want to enjoy the beaches and Aussie outdoor lifestyle.

Perfect for sporty professionals like the Stephens.

But before that, they've got to settle into their rental home

for the week and get their first taste of Aussie living.

OK, then. Let's go and have a look.

That's a good girl.

Go in. See what you see.

Wow!

Oh, look in here!

Despite the late arrival, it's sounding like a good start

and Shaun's already spotted the advantages of being

in a warmer country.

We get to have sausages outside!

-Come on, I'm coming in to give you a big hug.

-Dad!

Everyone seems to have settled quickly into this spacious

apartment, but Kay and Murray have their reservations.

The factors are, what we're looking at for money,

what sort of lifestyle we can have.

I do believe it's more expensive to live here.

These are all concerns of mine, really, that obviously

because of the uncertainty of what I'm going to do

and whether the money I take in allows us

to do the same as what we have back home,

if it is more expensive to live here, that could be a problem.

We have to be united.

But if one of us does feel differently,

then somebody's going to be disappointed.

And that I do feel nervous about. That does bother me.

In the UK, the Stephens own a modern four-bedroom house which

they think is worth £250,000.

Situated on a private road in Bacup and overlooking the Pennines,

it's not a home they want to give up.

If we could pick this house up and fly it over to Australia

and drop it down, by the seaside, then I think we would be...

We've really cracked it.

That's how strongly we feel about doing this because we're prepared to

leave this property, but what we have said is we'd be prepared to downsize.

The location of the house might be more important than

the size of house we have now, to allow us to have that outdoor life.

We've arranged to give the Stephens

a taste of Melbourne's housing market.

We'll show them three typical options based on what

they want from their ideal home, what they can afford

and the real price of property down under.

After seeing for themselves what's on offer,

they'll find out the price of each of the houses.

Their search begins in the suburb of Hopper's Crossing, close to

the countryside and just a 30 minute commute from Central Melbourne.

This is an area popular with young families.

This detached four-bedroom house has the size

and modern style the Stephens are after.

Will it get their search off on the right foot?

-It's a lot smaller than ours back home.

-Yeah.

-It's not got the wow factor at all.

-No.

It doesn't sound like a promising start.

Only seeing the problems in a house is never a good sign.

-We'd need to modernise it.

-Yeah.

-New shower units...

And the unusual layout doesn't seem to be helping.

It's a bit like a rabbit warren.

Watch your fingers. That would be a problem, sliding back and forwards.

I think it's a security issue as well.

However, the children are taking a more positive approach.

-Do you think this would be the kind of bedroom that you'd like?

-Yeah.

-Do you?

-It's bigger than mine.

-You could have a girly stopover.

-Kerry would like this room.

Would this be your room?

And Shaun has spotted something that could change Mum and Dad's tune.

-There's a swimming pool in the back garden.

-Now we're talking!

-I didn't notice that.

-Oh, this is deceiving.

This is the nice part of the property

and it's not overlooked at the back.

It ticks more boxes than I thought it would do.

The pool and spacious garden have certainly won Kay

and Murray over, but what about the price?

They may have changed their opinion about this house,

but can they actually afford it within their £300,000 budget?

Time to find out.

What have we got?

-Yeah.

-I didn't expect it to be quite as much as that.

-I was thinking more...

-200.

-220.

-Yeah.

But on something you can just walk in, that would be fine.

Yeah, if we could walk in, that would be fine.

Cos the area's really nice.

It's not a perfect start.

If Kay and Murray want a house that meets their needs

and doesn't need work, it could mean stretching their budget.

Perhaps the second house can come closer to their ideal.

Just a mile away, also in the Hopper's Crossing area,

is this detached property.

With four bedrooms and plenty of living space,

will it be up to spec for the Stephens?

Wow!

Unfortunately, this Aussie-style layout isn't to Kay

and Murray's taste.

You're coming in the front door and you're straight into the bedrooms.

-Yeah?

-Is this a bedroom? It could be anything you want it to be.

-No.

En suite.

Some redecoration may be needed,

but fortunately for Kay, Murray can see beyond the paintwork.

It's all the same. It's the same colour throughout.

-I think that's superficial.

-Yeah. We can change that.

We'd have this done in no time to our own style.

Can the open-plan living area sway Kay a little further?

-That's better.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, I like this.

-I like that.

-What's behind the door?

-That would be a hiding place for Kerry.

And there's a room that would go down well with the children.

-It's really spacious.

-Yeah.

I think this would be an ideal playroom for the children.

Yeah, that'll be a massive playroom.

In fact, Shaun seems to have got everything already worked out.

-We could have no toys in the bedroom and keep it all in here.

-Yeah.

And what about the outside playroom? Can the garden seal the deal?

Come on then. Everyone out.

-Ooh.

-This is nicely done.

-Look at this!

I like the fact that I wouldn't have to cut the grass.

Well, I'm glad you've pointed out the positive to start with,

because I'm suddenly coming crashing down.

It was ticking the boxes, but you can't change this.

-This is just not a good space...

-No.

..outdoor space for the children to play. It's too small.

Nice try, Murray.

But I think that's a little too much positive spin on a garden

with no grass. Perhaps the price can make things more appealing.

They did all like the inside space.

Here we go then. Let's see how much it is.

285.

That's just below their 300,000 budget.

It's another 45,000 on top.

I think for that amount, I'd want a few more boxes to be ticked.

Again, Kay hasn't been impressed, but as the one driving this move,

shouldn't she be convincing Murray, not the other way round?

Can the last house make any difference?

Situated in the growing suburb of Point Cook, it's closer to

the beach and the city centre, with plenty of schools and parks.

This is a popular area.

On paper, this newly built four-bedroom house has

everything the Stephens want, but will it be to their liking?

-Oh! Ha-ha! Oh, wow!

-Oh! Right!

-Look at all those shoes in here!

-A walk-in wardrobe.

-Look at the smile on Kay!

-Yeah.

You've got all your shoes on there as well.

Oh, I don't know about that.

This is ticking quite a few boxes so far.

-The rooms are lovely and spacious.

-You've no net curtains on these.

We've got rid of the net curtains!

-Yeah, this is it. This ticks the boxes for me.

-Yeah. Definitely.

It's our decor, it's what we like.

At last, the modern living they wanted.

Even little Kerry's tastes are catered for here.

-Oh! My bed!

-Could this be a princess room, Kerry?

That will be my bed.

Oh, yes!

-Oh, definitely!

-This is the area we would love to have.

Spot on, the colour scheme, everything. It's just walk-in.

And you've got so much of your living space outside.

Yup. This house seems to be exactly what the Stephens want.

Or did I speak too soon?

-It's like a goldfish bowl.

-Yeah.

Comparing from back home,

we can sit out the back and there's nobody looking into our garden.

Well, there's certainly nobody looking in the windows like that.

Every window, you look out, you'd be waving to them.

You need the net curtains in here!

Now, this house with the privacy of the first house, possibly,

at the back would have ticked all the boxes.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

This house seemed the perfect family home,

but this aspect has put Kay and Murray off.

But what if this is the best they could afford on their budget?

Everything rests on the turn of this card.

Hmm. Give us a carrot and then pull it away.

That's a blow. It's at least £60,000 over budget.

This has put a...reality check on it.

-Mmm.

-What you can get for what we've got back home.

We simply couldn't afford

that on the salaries that we are on at the moment.

-Come on, then, kids.

-Come on, guys.

Has the harsh reality of house

prices in Melbourne burst Kay's bubble?

The first house made a splash with its large garden

and swimming pool, but was let down by the interior.

In contrast, the second appealed to everyone

but the small garden made it a no-no.

And although the third house was close to being perfect,

it was far above their expected budget.

So, after a day of house-hunting,

had the Stephens been convinced their future lies down under?

Our vote is...

-Undecided!

-Undecided!

-Value for money is disappointing.

-Yeah.

If we could plonk our house down here, I would be voting Australia.

But we've got to get the house right for ourselves.

So that's why I'm undecided.

After years of dreaming,

Melbourne's high property prices were a real wake-up call for Kay.

But could the benefits of living down under be worth going

the extra dollar for, especially the famous outdoor Aussie lifestyle?

Back in Lancashire, the Stephens love to spend time outdoors

together, but struggle with the unpredictable weather.

-We love the great outdoors.

-Yeah.

-I love horse riding.

Murray would live on the golf course.

And Shaun can't stay away from the rugby.

What we enjoy, both together as a family and individually,

is the great outdoors.

So we're sending them to Werribee Open Zoo for a grand day out and

if there's one thing you can rely on in Australia, it's sunny days.

-Animals!

-Look how close they're getting!

-Oh!

-Oh, look at that. Oh, wow!

-Zebras!

-Zebras.

How cool would it be, Shaun, to come out here through the school holidays?

-Cool.

-And be able to experience this?

I wish I could do it every day.

Cos it's peaceful.

It looks like Shaun's already been won over.

And his sister's not far behind.

-Kerry, look at this big rhino.

-Oh, look at this.

Don't wake it up because it's sleeping.

This is a far cry from what they're used to in Lancashire.

And the Stephens are making the most of it.

In fact, it's inspired Murray to rethink his career.

I'm going to work in a zoo. An open-range zoo.

Cos we've got plenty of practice cos we've got a couple of monkeys.

Nice try, Murray! But I don't think zoo keepers are on the wanted list.

Look, Kerry. They're all waiting to meet you.

Moving to Australia has always been about being able to enjoy

an outdoor lifestyle and today has shown exactly that.

I'm an animal lover and I grew up on a farm.

And I think Shaun and Kerry are having an amazing experience

and absolutely loving it as a family. We're all enjoying this.

This is something we'd never get the opportunity to do back home.

This is what I would truly love Shaun and Kerry to be able to grow up

and experience.

This is the outdoors. This is what we love as a family.

However, remembering her childhood has reminded Kay what she'd

be leaving behind.

I do go through periods where I'm thinking about my parents

and my family and Murray's family.

I secretly hope that if my parents were able to make the journey,

they might fall in love with Australia.

But I have to be realistic that it's quite

possible my parents wouldn't be able to come out here.

Moving so far from loved ones is always going to involve heartache.

The Stephens have to decide

if that pain is worth the life they'd be gaining.

Based on the Australian lifestyle, we are voting for...

ALL: Australia!

We've looked at what we did back home and it's always...

90% of the time, the weather's not there.

As a family, we're an outdoor family.

And being out in Australia will allow us to do that.

And spend more quality time together in the outdoors.

It's been a truly amazing experience today.

After an ideal day under the Aussie sun,

that's a much happier set of Stephens.

And the family lifestyle seems tailor-made for them,

if Mum and Dad can find the work to afford it.

But for Murray, that could mean facing a heartbreaking challenge.

In the UK, both the Stephens have careers they love.

Kay works as a criminal lawyer and Murray is a fireman.

However, as his job is currently not in demand in Australia,

Murray believes he might struggle to continue his career.

The chances are I'm not going to be able to be a firefighter,

so that's going to be a very difficult hole to fill.

It's something that I love doing. I'm giving up so much.

It is a good feeling and it would be very hard to fill that gap.

And it's not just Murray's career that's at risk.

Kay would not be able to work

as a lawyer in Australia without retraining.

To help her explore her job prospects, we've arranged

for Kay to meet with Helen Fatouros, who is also a public prosecutor.

On any given day, advocates from my team are in this court,

the Magistrates Court,

across at the County Court or even in the Supreme Court.

And if you were working with us,

you'd be doing work in all of those three courts.

They're a hop, skip and a jump away from each other.

Meanwhile, with Shaun and Kerry being looked after by a childminder,

Murray is off to find out about his chances of getting work

as an Aussie firefighter.

The service's recruitment manager, Martin Penrose,

knows exactly what is required.

In terms of our criteria, it's fairly straightforward.

The first is that you need to be a permanent resident in Australia

and the second being that you need to be capable of getting a heavy

vehicle licence, have a driver's licence, here in our state.

If we were to move over here, my wife obviously is the permanent

visa holder to come out here, I would have the same rights as her.

So if I move out here, I'd be able to apply immediately

when we came here.

Pretty much, if your wife's been granted permanent residency,

and if that flows through to you as well,

and you're over here and able to get through our process, you can apply.

What about my age? How will that affect me for getting into the Australian fire service?

Basically, on our next course, we've got seven people over the age of 40.

The key is, as long as you keep yourself fit and competent

and you're able to do the job, we look at all-comers.

That's good news, if Murray can pass the fitness test.

But it also depends on Kay getting work as a lawyer.

Back at the office, she's giving Helen the third degree.

If we were going to use you in the capacity of an advocate,

you'd have to qualify appropriately through the Legal Services Board.

And look, I don't know the exact details of all of that,

but with your experience,

I'd expect that there'd be an exemption process of some sort.

It might not be across the board, like you might have to do

some additional training, it's probably likely you would.

So salary-wise, what kind of salary would I expect to be on,

given my qualifications and experience?

Our pay scale's in Australian dollars.

They start for advocates, from around 66,000 a year,

through to 125,000 a year.

But it's likely that you'd be earning more than what you're

-earning at the moment.

-OK. When do I start?

That all sounds promising, but Kay's sensed a problem.

I'm up here with enthusiasm and now I'm going to come crashing down.

I want you to be enthusiastic, but one of the realities

-is at the moment, it's a slightly cold employment market.

-Right.

But I say persist.

And as long as it takes for you to do what you want to do,

doesn't matter really, it just means it might take a little bit longer.

-Based on my CV, would you consider me for a position here?

-Yes, I would.

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

Although she could earn more with only a little retraining,

finding work might be a struggle.

Meanwhile, Murray is meeting with expat Malcolm Bruce,

who's going to put his fitness and firefighting skills to the test.

Murray's certainly been put through his paces,

so has he got what it takes?

You can see you've got a bit of experience

and you've done some of that stuff before, so, yeah.

-Looked pretty good there.

-Thanks for that.

The thing that is in the back of my mind because of the cost

of living in Australia is what sort of salary would I be on?

As a fully qualified firefighter, you can earn up to...just over 66,000.

Leading firefighter, it goes up to 76,

so there's a fairly decent jump there.

And then station officer, goes up to 86,000.

That could mean earning almost £20,000 more than his current salary.

It seems Murray's career hasn't gone up in flames.

Knowing now that I can come over to Australia

and I can continue my career, it's overwhelming.

The carrot is now within reach.

And when Murray meets up with Kay,

she's eager to know what he's found out.

If you get your visa to work down here,

I could start a recruitment process on your visa.

So it's not a problem.

And the good thing is once I'm qualified,

-it's a lot more money as well.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

The sticking point here though might be

because here in Victoria State,

we've got a recruitment freeze.

But it's still good.

It's positive to know that if we were to get the finger out,

then it would be possible.

You can see with the expression on your face,

I think that's amazing that we've got some inroads now.

I'm so pleased.

It's a positive end to a crucial day.

However, as Kay and Murray would both need extra training, with

no guarantee of work at the end, could they really risk emigrating?

Based on our job experiences today, we are voting for...

BOTH: Australia!

Murray's good news is a huge boost to Kay's hopes for emigrating,

but her work prospects look far from certain.

With so many question marks hanging over their move,

it's vital the Stephens find out if they can afford it or not.

Key to the family being able to make the move is getting the best

price for their UK home.

Here we go, then.

So we sent round two estate agents to give us their valuations.

Is it worth anywhere near the £260,000 the Stephens

would like to achieve?

My first impression of the property is as you come in,

it's very spacious, open...

KERRY: Why did she just go in without us?

Beautiful landing. Nice light fitting. Very elegant.

That took a bit of fitting.

Princess room! The fact this is a double room is an advantage.

Is that my double bedroom?

I would expect a property of this type,

size and condition to achieve in the region of £235-250,000.

For a quick sale,

I think you're looking at offers around the 220 region.

220?

I would value this property at £250,000.

For a quick sale, it would be lower than that, maybe 240, 230,000.

-That is a huge drop.

-And this is the problem.

The Australian prices have gone up and the UK's gone down,

so the difference between has separated it,

so therefore the house that we're going for would probably have

to be a lot smaller, so we'll have to be prepared to downsize.

That's the sacrifice I think we're going to have to be ready for.

And I think you're right about that.

Murray and Kay might be prepared to live in a smaller

house in Australia, but there's also the question of living costs.

We've prepared a comparison of day-to-day prices to see

if the Stephens could afford the move.

-So we start with the weekly shopping list.

-Yeah.

There just seems to be a real disparity in the figures here,

where these items are concerned.

-Yoghurts, fruit...

-But yet the vegetables are cheaper.

So that's an extra 50... £55 per week.

That's a sizeable increase in the weekly food bills.

Not an ideal start.

Our joint income is...

-£5,577.75.

-Yeah.

Our potential earning is considerably more here in Australia

than it is at present.

-Just over 21,000, joint income.

-Well, that's...

That's amazing, to what we thought we'd earn.

An extra £21,000 per year is great news, but taking the higher

cost of living into consideration, how do the numbers add up?

It appears that we will be roughly

-£14,500 better off.

-That is amazing!

That is fantastic! That figure, I did not expect that at all.

That would maybe mean we could buy...

-spend more on a property than...

-Considerably more.

-Yeah.

That all sounds very promising and I think I can guess which way

they might vote.

Based on the cost of living, we are voting for...

BOTH: Australia!

Those figures are really exciting and encouraging and positive.

So the financial side of moving to Oz shouldn't be the barrier now.

I think it's all pointing towards the families, really.

Murray's convinced the numbers do add up for the Stephens.

And Kay's dream looks like it could be affordable after all,

if she can find work.

But they both know there's one thing they can't put a price on -

the pain of leaving their family behind.

Kay knows that giving up her family,

who have always lived close by, would be difficult for everyone.

So to help the Stephens see how they might cope with emigrating

and to get a different view of Melbourne,

we've arranged for them to spend the day with Amelia and Jed Martin.

Amelia moved from the UK 14 years ago

and should be able to address Kay

and Murray's concerns after a spot of sailing in Melbourne harbour.

This is the life!

We don't do this very often in Bacup.

It's a great way to relax and watch the world float by.

But concerns soon bob to the surface.

It's a whole mixed bag of emotions, at this moment in time.

I'm close to my parents, as is Murray with his side of the family.

Yeah, it does sort of...

My family have been really good at making plans to come here

and visit now and again, opened up their little world of,

"Oh, we could get on a plane. We could spend 20 hours on a plane."

My dad's been really good at doing that. They enjoyed coming out here.

I'm feeling apprehensive for a number of reasons

because of the impact it will have on family here,

the children because they are so close to grandparents.

The impact it will have on my parents, Murray's side of the family.

The first seven years were quite topsy-turvy,

whether we want to stay here or not getting homesick,

getting over it and being OK, then getting homesick again.

You get used to it

and people accept that you're not going to be there for everything.

You actually get bored of the emotion of being homesick all the time.

You end up going, "I can't keep being homesick all the time",

and you get more involved will this side of life.

I'm still trying to keep an open mind

and not let my heart rule my head and that's particularly important.

There's so many factors to consider.

With so much riding on this move,

it seems Kay and Murray have a tough decision ahead of them.

A day out with new friends gave a glimpse of a bright future in Australia,

but it also reminded Kay of how much she would miss her loved ones back home.

So will seeing messages from them put an end to her dream?

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

It could be an emotional experience but Kay and Murray have decided

to watch it with the children to see how they feel about moving.

Hello, everybody, I hope you're all enjoying yourselves.

Hi, Kay, hi, Murray, hi, kids, I hope you're having a wonderful time.

Murray is the best brother you could ever wish for.

He's fun, he's loving, caring.

He's a smashing bloke, a true professional.

He's a great colleague, a great friend.

Probably the most competitive person I've ever met in my life.

He's never beaten and he's never wrong, for some reason!

Well, the grandchildren mean everything.

Both Shaun and Kerry are just so active round our place here

that it's wonderful.

Funny and cute!

Well good, well good is one of the expressions.

They can go, but...

I know I jokingly said that both Murray and Kay can go

but leave the grandchildren, but I don't really mean that!

I think it is an amazing opportunity

and I'm obviously thinking about the friendship I've got with her.

Oh, I'd miss them hugely.

Because it is the other side of the world.

We will miss you, but we certainly wouldn't try to stop you going,

that's for sure.

I hope you've given it a lot of thought

and you've got to think about what you're giving up here.

However, I know whatever decision you make,

it will definitely be in the best interests of your family,

so good look, guys, and I hope it all works out, either way.

If it's right for you, both of you, and the grandchildren,

then, as we've said, you must seriously think about it.

Just keep safe, be happy, look after each other,

and take care all the time.

Love you to bits.

-And we're only a phone call away.

-Absolutely!

You feel, in a surreal way, that you're away having a break...

..but when it shows you that...

your mum and dad,

my dad, Audrey, it's mixed emotions, isn't it?

Because you feel that the people we care about and love

are all 100% behind us and they want

us to get the best out of life.

Yeah, of course they do, they want what is best for us

and it just reminds us of everybody that we know and love back home.

The reality of leaving family and friends is always painful,

especially for children,

but it's just one of the pressures weighing on Kay and Murray's minds.

After an eventful week in Melbourne,

it's time for the Stephens to make their final vote.

As their trip draws to a close, there's still a lot to think about.

The last seven days have certainly opened Murray's eyes

to the kind of life they could all lead.

It's been an amazing journey from the start.

We've done so many things.

When I was a child, I remember being by the seaside.

It was on my doorstep

and we often used to run down after school for an hour before tea.

It's something I would like the children to experience.

I know in the nine years Kay and I have been together,

I could count on one hand how many times we've gone to the seaside

and this could be something that we could do every day.

The eyes have been opened to what sort of life we could have as a family.

But the idea of leaving everyone behind is creating massive doubts

for both Kay and Murray.

I'm so, so close to my parents.

It's funny how the tables turn

because my parents have always been there for me.

They've said, look, you're free to make whatever decision you please

and we will support you, no matter what.

But I still do feel that I want to be there for them

and you can't at the other side of the world.

It hits home how far we're going to be away from them.

When I saw Shaun getting upset...

..you keep wondering if you're doing the right thing.

It is still a battle in my mind.

The heartache of that against wanting to do what's right for my family

in terms of my immediate family now, Murray, Shaun and Kerry.

Now, as they come to make the final crucial vote,

have they been convinced their future lies in Australia,

or is the other side of the world just too far from those they love?

Based on our week in Australia, we are going to choose to live in...

ALL: ..Australia!

-What did you vote, Shaun?

-Australia.

-Did you?

-I love Australia!

Why have you voted Australia? What do you really think?

Because every night we could go out and play football

and run along the streets and play games and everything.

Well, I couldn't have put it better myself.

-Were you 100% sure on your decision there?

-I am.

I feel the same in my heart as I do in my mind now.

I'm just glad that we're united as a family

and I think that's what's so important above everything.

After facing the emotional and financial costs,

it's a unanimous vote from the Stephens for a new life down under.

With the difficult decision behind them,

it's time for the next part of their journey to begin.

Subtitles by Red bee Media Ltd