Bowen Family Wanted Down Under

Building a future with your partner is one of life's great adventures

but if you don't agree on which side of the world to share it,

it can test even the strongest relationship.

Dylan Bowen has long been on a mission

to persuade his wife to emigrate.

After a couple of years, I started saying,

"Well, maybe we should move to Australia." And she was

always against the idea because she didn't want to leave her family.

But for Lindsey Bowen Australia would be a huge gamble.

I don't want to say that the dream would be over if I couldn't

get a job but I think it would make things a lot more difficult for us.

And if either one votes no...

We are a team and if one of us

doesn't come then neither of us come.

From home, Australia can look like paradise

with its sun-kissed golden beaches and blue skies.

Each year, thousands of Brits emigrate down under.

But it is not a voyage that works out for everyone

and many end up travelling full circle right back to the UK.

Over the next week,

the Bowen's will get to experience the reality of living in Australia.

At the end of it, they will face a life-changing decision -

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

After a journey of 10,000 miles, the Bowens arrive in Brisbane.

25 hours in the air has given them plenty of time

for some serious thinking.

I had quite a few thoughts on this trip,

just thinking about family and especially my mum and dad.

Thinking, "Are they going to be able to do this trip

"and come out and see us?"

So that was going through my mind all the time.

This is now or never, I think. So, yeah, it's going to be a good week.

It's going to be a tough week but we are really looking forward to it.

Back in the UK, the Bowens live in Cardiff.

They are Dylan, a public affairs manager,

and Lindsey, a primary school teacher.

In his single days, Dylan visited Australia several times

and long dreamt of living there.

But after meeting and marrying Lindsey,

he hoped his dream might be big enough for two.

I met Lindsey about six months after I came back from Australia

for my second trip and we didn't really talk about it straightaway

but after a couple of years I started saying,

"Well, maybe we should move to Australia,

"start thinking about doing that."

And she was always against the idea

because she didn't want to leave her family.

So we took a holiday out there and she actually loved it

and came back and said, "Yeah, I'm ready to go for it."

I did love it and, yeah, I felt quite sad, actually, when we left.

We left Sydney and I felt I wanted to stay

and I wanted to do more there and see more.

As time has progressed, it's then that you start thinking about,

well, we have got to leave the friends and family,

she's got to get a job out there and that decision is more difficult

than your initial one where she just said, "Yeah, let's just go for it."

He also picked up some familiar Aussie habits while on holiday.

Pretty much, if I've got any free time on the weekends,

I try to go surfing as much as possible.

It is difficult in this country.

The surf is not very consistent, you know.

We don't get big swells that often

and the wind can ruin the surf if the swell does come in

so we just sit in the car thinking about what could have been.

So, in Australia, the surf is a lot better, a lot more consistent

and, you know, hopefully I will be surfing a couple of times

a week there as opposed to a couple of times a month over here.

I do believe that we will have a better life out there.

I have no doubts in that respect.

It's the difficulty of leaving family, friends and them being left

without us as well, of their lives going on and us not being part of it.

Lindsey is very close to her mum and sister.

They see each other almost daily

and leaving them behind is a painful prospect.

One minute I'm thinking,

"Yeah, this is the right thing to do. It's going to be amazing.

"It's going to be fantastic." The next minute I am thinking,

"You know, my mum and dad are going to be left without us.

"I'm not going to be able to see my niece or my nephew

"or my sister or my friends. We are going to be lonely."

So, really, the emotions are going all over the place at the moment.

I talk to friends who say that they could never leave

because they couldn't leave their family behind

and I completely empathise with that decision.

That's not something that really, really holds me back

but I understand how difficult it is for Lindsey.

And there is another consideration.

We would like to start thinking about a family

and ideally I would really like to start that family in Australia.

We have put it off because we have been hoping to go

and I can't even imagine

taking grandchildren away from my mum and dad

cos I see how they are with my sister's children now.

I just couldn't do it.

Leaving her career is another huge challenge for Lindsey.

I work with an amazing group of people so it's going to be

really hard to go out there and find that again in a school.

You know, my expectations are high.

To put myself out there, I have to get a teaching job,

I have to make sure that we have got one secure income coming in

so I do feel a lot of pressure on my shoulders in that respect.

And Dylan's work plans could increase the strain on both of them.

My plans for Australia are just to do something completely different.

At the moment, I'm thinking about starting my own business.

I'd love to open a coffee shop. It is something I've done before.

I think I could probably

pull something off pretty good over there.

I don't want to say that the dream would be over if I couldn't get a job

but I think it would make things a lot more difficult for us.

With so much at stake, the Bowens face a life-changing decision

and Dylan knows his hopes rest in Lindsey's hands.

For us to emigrate to Australia

it really has got to get Lindsey on board with the idea.

You know, she is a big part of the journey

and I really need to get her around to the idea of going.

Both Dylan and Lindsey want the best future for each other but until

they can decide where that should be, all their plans are on hold.

And, for one of them,

it could mean making a choice that ends the other's dream.

The Bowens will be staying in

the Burleigh Heads suburb on Queensland's Gold Coast.

It's south of the world-famous Surfers Paradise area,

with plenty of golden beaches and rolling waves on hand,

making it an ideal location for surf addicts like Dylan.

Their home for the week is this two-bedroom apartment

close to the beach.

Hopefully it should be a great base for Dylan and Lindsey.

-Oh, look at the view of the sea. Look at that.

-Oh, my God.

Surfers Paradise is that way. You couldn't get any closer to the sea.

It's so light and airy, isn't it?

That's a million-dollar view, that, isn't it?

This is beachside living, isn't it? Wow.

Oh, my gosh. It just stretches all the way across.

-It's difficult to look in here when you have got that out there.

-I know.

Perfect.

I think the Bowens like what they see.

But even after a great start there's still some worries on the horizon.

This week is about finding out where we can live

and where we can work and just making sure that everything is right

so that if we do make the decision that it's going to be Australia

that we are 100% confident that it's the right thing to do.

This could be real and it's going to be really, really hard.

It's going to be a really, really tough decision.

Back in the UK, the Bowens

live in a two-bedroom rented flat near Mermaid Quay in Cardiff.

They sold their own property a few years ago,

believing they'd soon be heading to Australia.

But with career and family worries holding them back,

the move went on hold and now they're sitting on

a large nest egg which they could invest in a new home down under.

In Australia, our house budget will probably be around about £300,000.

The main thing, for me, is that it has to be close to the beach

and if that's a two-bedroom apartment

or a four-bedroom house, I'm not really bothered.

I would really like to have an area where

I could wake up in the morning and just open the window or go out

onto the terrace and see the beach and see the waves and the sea.

And, again, really just somewhere airy and light.

So, can Aussie homes live up to their hopes?

Today we are giving the Bowens

a taste of the Gold Coast housing market.

We will 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 will find out how much each house costs.

All three properties the Bowens are reviewing today

are near their rented accommodation in the suburb of Burleigh Heads.

It's a popular area with active couples and families,

offering a good mix of new builds and older properties.

Close to the beach and cafe life,

it should be tailor-made for the Bowens.

The first stop is at Paradise Grove, a relatively new apartment block.

But will it get the day off to a good start?

Wow.

-Straight into the main living area.

-Yes.

The communal areas were nice and tidy and well maintained.

-Yeah, very nice. It's really spacious.

-Check out the kitchen.

Is this big enough for you? It's compact.

Yes, I think it could do with a bit of a refresh.

-Yes, it needs updating.

-Yeah.

-Definitely look at putting a new kitchen in.

-Definitely.

Despite needing to win Lindsey over, Dylan is sounding cautious.

I think this is the deepest pile carpet I have walked on

-since the 1970s.

-It's bouncy, isn't it?

-Wow.

-That's beautiful. Look. And the birds.

The sound of the birds is amazing.

There's no sea view but then we are only a stone's throw away, aren't we?

-Literally two minutes' walk down Burleigh Heads.

-Yeah.

That's one box ticked.

You might need to crane your neck to see it

but the beach is only minutes away.

-We've got a bathroom here.

-Yeah.

It's an OK size.

-I think this must be the master bedroom.

-Yeah.

-It's a little bit pokey.

-Yeah. Not convinced by this here.

So, yeah, it's good but I think it could do with a bit of TLC.

Yeah, definitely.

Bedroom number two.

-Yeah, small again but, you know, just for guests.

-Yeah.

-It could fit a couple of nieces and nephews.

-Yeah.

-It would be handy having three bedrooms.

-Oh, yeah.

For people coming over, definitely.

Space for visitors would be a real plus for Lindsey.

This is a bit nicer room.

Yeah, a bit bigger. Could fit a double bed in here, easily.

-Guests or a nursery.

-Yeah.

And for new family members too.

This apartment may not have bowled them over

but it does seem to be the right size for Dylan and Lindsey.

But with some redecorating needed,

is it a project they are willing to take on?

-Let's have a look at the price.

-I have no idea how much it would be.

-No.

-No frame of reference whatsoever.

-No.

They have a budget of £300,000.

-Do you want to do the honours?

-OK.

-Well, that's a lot less than I thought, actually.

-Yeah.

It's really, really fairly priced for where we are.

I think I would prefer something that was a little bit bigger.

We like living in an apartment but I just think to myself,

"Do I want to be living in an apartment now for...?"

It wouldn't have to be long-term, would it?

I think it would be a good starting block for us.

Yeah, I think you're right. The price seems pretty good.

-I think we could comfortably afford that.

-You're not blown away by it.

I'm not blown away by it. But it's pretty good.

This apartment may have been affordable

but it looks like it simply isn't the right fit for the Bowens.

So, will tempting Lindsey to Australia

be any easier at the next home?

The second stop is at an older house in Palm Beach.

It's a prime location on the main road along the seafront,

close to local shops and schools.

Hopefully, ideal for a young couple looking to start a family.

-Let's go on in.

-Let's have a look. It's an older property.

Yeah, it certainly is. Bedroom.

-A bit neglected maybe or not looked after.

-Yeah.

-Is this the main bedroom?

-Yeah. It needs a bit of TLC.

-It needs a lot of TLC.

-We could do that.

I think the key with this house

is maybe just to pull it down and start again.

That's an idea.

Lots of renovation.

As sales pitches go, I think Dylan's may need a little polish.

250 metres to the beach so it is prime location.

Yeah, that's what you've got to think about and it's a project, isn't it?

-Do we want to do a project as soon as we come over here?

-Exactly.

-It would be a lot to take on.

-It would, yeah.

I mean, it's nice to come and see a house.

-This isn't the kind of house I would want to live in.

-No.

I'd rather keep on living in an apartment.

And I am still hearing that road so, really, are we going to want to

be just lazing around in the garden on a busy cross junction like this?

Although this is close to the beach,

-I think the specific location isn't quite right.

-No.

-I think we can rule this one out even before seeing the price.

-Yeah.

-Unless it's £50.

-Yeah, which is highly unlikely. Yeah.

Despite needing to sell his Aussie dream to Lindsey,

it's Dylan who's looking underwhelmed

and although this house would be big enough for visitors,

the idea of renovating it simply isn't on the cards.

So could its price do anything to change the Bowens' minds?

-It's not an example of a house that we'd want to live in.

-No.

But good to see something else other than an apartment.

-What do you think?

-Let's have a little look.

Yeah, I'm a bit surprised by that.

I thought it would maybe be a bit less just

because the property is in such a bad state but, you know,

that must be how much land is around here.

Yeah, it's got to be, isn't it?

Maybe we could settle for being further away from the beach

-but being elevated so we can see the beach.

-Yeah.

£279,000 would make this an expensive project to take on.

Even if Dylan were willing.

But Lindsey is sounding positive about finding a compromise.

So could a more modern option be the one?

The final property is in one of Burleigh Heads'

newest apartment buildings, just 150 metres from the sea.

That's a really funky, modern-looking building, isn't it?

-Yeah, the design on it is beautiful.

-It's great.

-And the beach is right there.

-Gorgeous, isn't it?

I wonder what the inside will be like.

-I think it's going to be very modern.

-Yeah. Minimalist.

-Yeah.

-This is lovely and light and bright, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's beautiful. So modern.

-Lovely big open space.

-It has been finished nicely.

-Yeah.

You can see the sea from the balcony.

-You can just see it, can't you?

-Yeah.

-Poking through. A little wave.

-Yeah.

-It's beautiful.

-A really nice apartment. Well done, well laid out.

That's sounding far more encouraging from everyone.

Main bedroom here.

Yeah. It's a lovely-sized bedroom. Oh, lovely.

-Walk-in wardrobe.

-There is a wardrobe in here and en suite.

-Yeah. Lovely.

Nice and clean and bright.

Straight onto the balcony from the bedroom as well.

Nice old day bed for chilling out on a Sunday morning.

Yeah, I could picture us there reading.

-And then dinner in the evening with that view.

-This is what I pictured.

This is what I imagined.

-This is proper, you know, modern Australian living, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Nice clean lines. Minimalist.

Really well set out, functional but stylish. Beautiful.

It looks like the Bowens have finally found just what

they were looking for.

A nice second bedroom here as well.

With only two bedrooms, this apartment may lack

the space for visitors and a growing family but it has definitely

impressed Dylan and Lindsey so what is the bottom line?

-What do you think?

-It's a great place.

-I think we will be paying for the views here.

-Yeah.

Just because it is so modern, new building. I don't know. We'll see.

-Shall we just turn it over?

-Yeah.

-Oh.

-Oh.

-We were hoping to have hardly any mortgage.

I think we'd probably need to have a bit more of a mortgage here now.

Yeah.

Yeah, for this kind of property, I think we might do that.

We don't spend way above our means anyway.

It doesn't cost me anything to go surfing.

Maybe a new board once a year but we live quite cheaply.

We'll only be able to eat four nights a week, that's all.

Seeing this property now and what we could have,

we would have to stretch ourselves but I would be more than happy

to stretch ourselves and be somewhere like this.

I think it would make the transition over here a lot easier

if we are living in a place like this and an environment where

we really feel comfortable. It's really beautiful.

After two failures, that's just the result Dylan was hoping for.

However, Lindsey knows that affording it won't be easy.

It does put the pressure on though,

thinking, "Yeah, I'm going to have to be working and earning, you know,

"a really good salary straightaway." So that is a bit of pressure.

I feel very comfortable here.

Good. Let's put an offer in.

So after an up and down day of house hunting,

it looks like Dylan's ready to get out the cheque book.

The first property was affordable, near the beach and the right size

but it didn't have the wow factor.

Selling the second house to Lindsey was beyond even Dylan.

In fact, he was ready to call in the bulldozers.

But the final property was a Goldilocks home -

just right for everyone despite its higher price tag.

So have the Bowens been won over by Aussie homes?

We had a really good day today.

We've seen some really interesting properties.

A real diverse set of properties, I think. And now it is time to vote.

BOTH: Australia.

-Yeah, Australia for you?

-Australia for me.

-Yeah. Good one.

I loved those properties. Well, I loved the last property.

Yeah, that is the dream.

Having a property like that, being so close to the beach with the views.

The whole property was just amazing

so it was a really, really positive day.

I feel optimistic after seeing the properties today

just because how close they were to the beach

and two of the properties we saw were literally five

minutes from here and this is one of my favourite surf breaks,

Burleigh Heads, so to be within a five minute walk of here is

just a dream come true for me.

After a day's house hunting,

Lindsey's positivity is music to Dylan's ears.

Even if his sales technique still needs a little bit more work.

But their dream apartment isn't going to come cheap which

puts the pressure on both of them

to find good work opportunities in Australia.

Back home, Dylan is a public affairs manager with a dream...

It would be great to have, you know, a little coffee unit,

just serving coffees out of a hatch, even.

Something close to the beach where I could get a surf in the morning

and serve some coffees for the day and then have another surf,

you know, before I go home.

..while Lindsey loves her job as a primary school teacher.

I would love to be able to work in a school where there is

lots of different cultures and where the children

just all get along together.

So that would be a real dream to be able to work in a school like this.

Finding good career opportunities could help convince Lindsey

to emigrate but she will also need a good salary as she will be

the breadwinner while Dylan finds his feet and sets up a business.

So today she is visiting a local school to talk to the headmistress.

-Good morning.

-Hi, I'm Lindsey.

-I'm Mary-Ann.

-Nice to meet you.

-You too.

-Welcome to our centre.

-Thank you. Thanks for having me here.

The first question is would her British teaching qualifications

translate to Australia?

So, yeah, I really just want to find out more about education system in

Australia and what those opportunities

could provide for me and my skills.

The easiest would be to join the childcare as an unqualified

assistant and that way you could begin to work immediately

and you would have had security of being employed

and then you could tackle the minefield that is

being recognised when you've moved to a new country.

The minefield is the legislation that covers teaching in Australia.

For Lindsey, it would mean taking exams in order to work.

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Not nervous?

-No, not at all.

-Let's do it.

-Great.

There's a lot riding on Lindsey's shoulders

and she knows that the reality of starting a new career

so far from home could be a huge challenge.

The role that I'm doing at the moment is quite a high-pressure job and

I need to make that decision as to do I want that for myself over here?

If you're making a lifestyle choice to make a change this dramatic

then the last thing you really want to do

unless you absolutely need to is be in some high-pressure job

juggling all these things while you're trying to put new roots down.

That's not ideal news so can Dylan fare better?

-How are you?

-I'm good. You OK? Thanks for seeing me.

-Welcome to Link.

He is meeting Guy Cooper,

a businessman with experience of Aussie cafe culture.

I would be lying if I said there is a high success rate

because there's not.

There is a high turnover of small business

especially in the last three years. It takes you a year or two

to build up a client base, you know, a customer base.

So if you buy an existing business, the hard work has already been done.

Dylan has saved a deposit but will it be enough?

-150,000 isn't going to get you that much.

-No?

It's probably just buying yourself a job

and you're probably likely to earn about 60-70,000 a year.

That's not what he wanted to hear. So what about plan B?

What about getting finance on top of that? Are banks willing to lend?

They won't lend on businesses per se

-but they will lend against your assets.

-So you need a house.

Absolutely.

With the banks, you know,

with Australia at the moment there is a bit of a credit squeeze as well.

That's what makes it quite difficult.

OK, so moving on to plan C then.

If we pull back from using a bigger deposit on a house

and use some of that capital towards the business

and if I was able to push my initial investment up to 250,000,

what kind of business do you think I'd get for that money?

250 will get you something semi-decent.

And it will make you an income, as an owner operator,

-round about one to 150 in that range.

-Thank you, Gary.

-It's been lovely.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Thanks, Dylan.

It looks like Dylan has plenty to think about.

A large deposit might help his business plan

but it may come at the cost of a dream apartment.

Back at the school, Lindsey is flavour of the month.

So now that the children are already in love with you desperately,

are you staying for the rest of the day, month, year, quarter?

I would love to but I do have lots of thinking to do,

lots of decisions to make.

OK, well, I won't put you on payroll but I'll just sort of pencil you in

so that when you get your visa stamped I can say,

-"Oh, good, Lindsey's back."

-Sounds brilliant. Fantastic.

-Sounds great. Thank you for coming.

-Thank you so much.

So it sounds like Lindsey may have a job offer already.

Meanwhile, Dylan's getting a taste of the day-to-day

side of running his own coffee business.

Cafe owner Paul is on hand with some expert local advice.

Here the humidity goes up and down

-so your grind's going to change all the time.

-OK, yeah.

You've got to watch your shots all the time.

We change this untold times during the day

just to make sure you get the perfect shot.

You can normally tell if there's a storm coming

cos your coffee will change.

So that's beautiful. 25 second shot.

Oh, yeah, that's good.

That's the technical stuff out of the way

so it's straight to the point.

How do you find running a coffee shop, Paul?

I think a lot of it is underestimated

with the amount of time that you've got to put in.

My morning starts at about quarter past five

and I get home at five at night.

Then I start baking and I probably don't finish till about nine.

Yeah, and then it's all go the next day.

So it just keeps going like that.

If you can specialise in something and be really good at that

and not try to cater for everybody but just do a good thing,

you will get a good customer base. For sure.

Working long hours won't leave much time to surf.

But having seen the costs, how does Dylan feel about setting up shop?

It was good chat with the business broker. I think...

You know, he obviously showed me a business that's doing really good

so it's a high premium price.

I think what I'd rather do is find something that's, you know,

maybe the business isn't being run right and go in there

and maybe make some improvements and build up a business that way.

Despite the challenges he could well face,

Dylan is still optimistic about his plans.

But it looks like there's plenty of question marks hanging

over his and Lindsey's prospects.

With their fact-finding completed, the Bowens meet up to swap notes.

-I got you a tea.

-Thank you. Thank you very much.

-Did you have fun at the school?

-Yeah, it was great.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Lovely place. An amazing school.

It just had a lovely feeling about it as soon as I walked in there.

And really good opportunities.

And it was just lovely to be around the children.

-So was there any discussion of earnings potential?

-Yeah, yeah.

I could start earning, you know, bottom at 70,000

and then with my skills and my expertise I could go in maybe

as a position of a primary coordinator

-which would mean a lot more.

-Good stuff.

So it was great. How was your day?

It wasn't as positive as I thought it might be but it was really

useful to kind of see what businesses go for over here.

You know, the kind of sale price relevant to the turnover and profit.

I can go for a bit of a bargain which gives us more

money for the deposit for the house so that we can get the house

that we want in the area that we want and get the business as well

for the money that we've got.

It looks like it might be plan D for Dylan.

But Lindsey is sounding positive and neither of them

seem put off by the idea of rolling up their sleeves.

We'll have to put a lot of work into it. It's going to be a lot of hours.

-Less time to go surfing.

-Yeah.

-What do you think?

I think it is going to be a lot of hard work

-but I'm looking forward to it.

-We're ready for that though.

I'll just get an after-work surf in most nights.

We still have a happy couple but has Lindsey seen enough to

be as passionate about working here as she is at home?

It's been a very busy and interesting day.

Lots of information, lots of things to take in,

lots of things to think about.

And now it is time to vote.

BOTH: Australia.

-Australia for you.

-That's good.

I'm surprised I voted for Australia.

I did think that it's going to be quite hard for me to get a job

so it was really positive to hear that I will be able to find work here

and I was also surprised at the salary as well.

Even though, for me, it's not all about earning as much as I can

but it's still nice to hear that I'll be, you know, we'll be comfortable.

So it was a really, really positive day.

What today showed me

is that it is possible to set up a good business

and make a success of it and now I'm armed with a bit more

information I think I can come over here and do OK.

Investigating their work prospects was a real eye-opener for Dylan

and Lindsey and despite facing plenty of hurdles along their way

they are both convinced their plans could work.

But could their enthusiasm be blinding them

to the real cost of this move?

In Cardiff the Bowens rent their flat.

Having sold their own property, they are hoping to combine

savings with a mortgage to afford their dream Aussie home.

To help them do the figures,

we have prepared a breakdown of their monthly expenses.

Based on their own calculations,

they will find out if they really can afford to have it all.

-The tuna steaks is quite a bit more already.

-Spinach. Goodness me. Wow.

I'm not sure we would be eating spinach any more.

I'm a little bit surprised by some of this.

We could grow a lot of it though.

-Which would be something I would really like to do.

-Yeah.

-It would be like The Good Life.

-Yeah.

That doesn't sound like a promising start.

So how does the monthly shopping bill compare?

So, in total, our monthly grocery spend is £416.

Which is significantly more expensive than back home.

That's £180 a month more expensive than the UK,

which may not leave them much room for a big mortgage.

They have decided to base their sums on the first property.

It wasn't a dream home but it might help stretch their savings further.

-The mortgage per month...

-£1363.

-Yeah.

A bit above what we said we wanted to afford.

But I think that, yeah,

-we'd be looking to put a bigger deposit down than that.

-Yeah.

So, you know, there's a bit of wiggle room there.

And salary is all down to Lindsey.

I will be the main breadwinner.

Thank you for that. I will be a supported man. A kept man. Nice.

-Just how you like it.

-Yeah.

She hopes to earn 70,000 a year if she can take on a senior role.

That's £47,000.

So that's a bit more than you earn in the UK now.

Which is good.

Based on Dylan earning the minimum for the first year,

they are £569 a month better off in Australia.

However, that uses up every penny they have saved.

So we have got more money left over.

-However, we haven't put away anything for savings.

-Yeah.

On paper, it looks like the Bowens can afford the dream

but are they convinced their plans will work?

We have done the reality check and based on the figures

we will be voting for...

BOTH: Australia.

Both of us Australia then.

Yeah, that really surprised me, looking at those figures.

I can earn a good wage and I can be doing what I love to do - teaching.

And then Dylan can pursue his dream of having a business.

It shows that we can maintain the lifestyle

and still have that bit of money, you know, backup emergency.

-It is do-able.

-Yeah.

Despite the risks,

the Bowens are convinced the numbers do add up down under.

And Dylan's hopes have taken another big step forward.

And I suspect, for at least one of them,

experiencing the Aussie lifestyle is going to be a pretty easy ride.

After wrestling with all the facts and figures,

a day on the beach is an ideal way for both Bowens

to enjoy everyday Aussie living.

But for Dylan it is a chance to reconnect with the dream that

inspired him to emigrate.

This is a perfect day, just being here on the beach, hanging out on

the beach just relaxing and seeing Dylan enjoying himself in the surf.

This is what it's all about.

It's evident that we are going to have to work pretty hard but,

you know, at the end of the day,

just coming down the beach like this will make it all worth it.

But Dylan is not alone in being inspired.

Being here today, I've just seen so many mothers

and fathers with their children and I just think it's just

a wonderful place to have children and bring up a family.

I mean, Lindsey's just up the beach now

and she's doing a bit of meditation and yoga.

I hope that settles her and puts her into, you know,

a positive aura and then she will vote Australia.

It looks like even the weather might be on Dylan's side

as the sun comes out for their vote.

We have had a great day here on the beach sampling the typical

Aussie lifestyle and now it's time to vote.

BOTH: Australia.

-No surprise there, I think.

-This is what it's all about.

We get down the beach quite a bit back home but, you know,

for most of the year, it's literally, you go down and surf,

back in the car and back home.

But over here it's going to be nice to come down,

have a surf and then just

chill out on the beach for a couple of hours as well.

It's just a great way to live.

Not surprisingly,

that was the easiest decision of the week for Dylan.

But Lindsey's looking even more convinced

Australia could offer her dream future too.

So will seeing messages from loved ones come

as an unwelcome reminder of her biggest fears?

-You ready to watch?

-Yes. My tissues are here ready.

-OK, let's play.

Hi, Dyl! Hi, Linds!

Hope you're having a brilliant time in Australia.

As a couple, Dylan and Lindsey are very relaxed.

They're very outgoing, they're very focused. They're really driven.

When they decide they want to do something,

they really get stuck into it. They're great people too.

-Yeah, she's just lovely, a brilliant friend. Great to work with.

-Yes.

Just fantastic all-round character.

When I found out initially, I was absolutely devastated.

But I've never said to Lindsey, "I don't want you to go."

I wouldn't do that. They've got a dream.

And I think, if you've got a dream, you have to follow that dream.

And as a mum, all that you ever want for your children

is that they're happy in life, and that's all I want for her

and Dylan.

They've been talking about going to Australia for pretty much

as long as I can remember.

So, as much as I don't really want them to go,

for selfish reasons, I think it would be a real shame

if they didn't follow that one dream that they've had.

I can't really imagine her not being here, because she's always here.

We're always doing something together, but...

Lindsey and I have started working together as well,

so I'm now seeing her

three days a week, and to not have that...

is going to be awful.

Everybody's been thinking about you

and thinking about the decisions you'll have to make.

I hope you've answered a lot of your questions.

I hope you'll do what's best for you two ultimately.

-But we really miss you.

-Yeah, we love you two.

-We're really looking forward to having you home.

-Yeah.

Lindsey...

..you know that we'd never say to you, "Don't go."

I know you and Dylan have this dream,

and you must fulfil that dream.

As a mum, Daddy and I only want the best for you

and we want you to be happy in life.

And if this is what is going to make you happy, then...

..you must go.

You know you're so special to us, and you, Dyl.

We just want you to have an amazing life.

For Lindsey, her bond with loved ones

has always been a barrier to emigrating.

So having seen her messages, is it one she's finally ready to break?

I've got that connection with my mum and my sister and my friends,

which is really, really important to me.

But it just made me realise that life does go on,

and they're still going to be an important part of our lives.

If we decide to come out here and we decide to stay out here,

you know, the quality time that we would spend with our family

and friends when they came out to visit us here is invaluable.

Messages from loved ones hit Lindsey hard.

But during the week, she's fallen

well and truly in love with Australia.

And with their journey over,

it's time for Dylan

to pop the second biggest question of a lifetime.

Will it be "I do" to a new life Down Under?

So we're four out of four in the UK versus Australia votes...

for Australia.

The final one is the big one, and I suppose the final one is worth

more than the four single ones put together.

I've got nothing but respect

for the way Lindsey has approached this week.

She's come out here, she's been open-minded, she's been,

you know, really determined to make a go of this.

And her positivity has just absolutely blown me away.

We've thought long and hard, had some really intense conversations.

It's been...

a real roller coaster of emotions, you know.

I've been really high and I've been really low as well.

And I think Dylan will definitely say the same thing as well.

He's felt it as much as me, I think,

because he's worrying more about me than himself.

If Lindsey votes for the UK over Australia,

and it means that we don't come out here,

then I would never hold it against Lindsey.

I know that she would have really valid reasons for not doing it.

We're a team, and if one of us doesn't come,

then neither of us come.

It's time to let us and Dylan off the hook.

Will she or won't she vote for Australia?

We've had a great week up here on the Gold Coast.

Now it's the moment of truth.

So let's vote.

-Australia.

-Australia.

Yay, well done!

-Yeah?

-Yeah! I'm really happy.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, me too.

That feels liberating.

That's, you know, the end of a six-year journey, and now,

you know, I know that we can get home

and start planning, book our flights as soon as possible

and just get out here and start the rest of our lives!

It's just magical here.

It's beautiful, the people are lovely,

the lifestyle is just amazing.

And...

..yeah, I just think, for this next part of our lives,

this next chapter of our lives,

I just feel this really is the right place for us, for both of us,

you know, to start a family.

Starting over on the other side of the world isn't easy.

And even in the happier moments,

the pain of leaving home is never quite forgotten.

But, with a tough decision behind them,

the Bowens can look forward to the promise

of living their dream together.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd