Randle Family Wanted Down Under

Moving halfway around the world to start a new life seems drastic

but if you genuinely believed it was the best option for your young

family, you might be tempted.

The problem is, leaving behind everyone you know and love

could be the toughest challenge you will ever face.

The Randles are struggling to balance work and family life.

We work constantly.

At the minute, we just feel like two single parents

just living under the same roof.

Gemma believes Australia is the answer

and a week down under doesn't disappoint.

Oh, my God!

I'm absolutely speechless. Look at this!

-Look, you've got your own bar.

-Yes.

I cannot believe that we could potentially live somewhere like this.

But the heartache of taking her children away

from their grandparents has her torn.

We could have an OK life here and make my mum and dad happy

or we can go over there and just break people's hearts.

Thanks to one of the lowest population densities in the world,

it's no surprise so many Brits flock

to Australian shores every year in search of a better life.

Today, the country has over one million UK-born residents.

But it doesn't work out for everyone.

For some, the pull of home is too much

and many return to the UK with their dream in tatters.

The Randles face a massive dilemma.

Gemma believes Australia could offer her family the time together

they desperately need but Chris worries that

abandoning their life in the UK is too big a risk.

For the next week, they'll sample everything Aussie living has to

offer before making a decision that will change their lives for ever.

By the time they touch down in Adelaide,

the family have travelled more than 10,000 miles.

And 26 hours in the air has given Gemma time to think through

the enormity of the choice ahead.

I think it's just made me realise how far we are from home.

But it hasn't put her off.

I'm excited.

I just want to get going and see what it's all about

and hope that it's everything that I think it's going to be.

Chris, however, doesn't share her enthusiasm.

I'm a bit nervous that Gemma's got real high expectations

and we might find out that it's not quite what

we want or what you think it's going to be. So, we'll see.

Gemma has just one week to quell Chris's doubts or kiss her

sunshine dream goodbye for ever.

Oh, feel the heat!

Back in the UK, the Randles live in Aldridge in the West Midlands.

They are Chris, Maddie, aged three,

wife Gemma and Oliver, who's nearly two.

Their desire to move down under has been a burning passion

ever since Gemma and Chris first got together.

When me and Chris met eight years ago,

we both said how much we'd love to go to Australia

and what started as, "We'd love to go to Australia,"

turned into how much we'd love to live in Australia.

Unfortunately, we lost my nan quite suddenly

and I decided I wanted to stay here and be with my family.

And then we got married

and we kind of settled down and we had our children and while they were

so small we didn't really feel that was the time to be looking into it.

But now, with a young family to support,

Gemma thinks their jobs are destroying their family life.

'We don't have time to spend as a family at the moment.

'I mean, even to the point of sitting down and watching a film together.

'We just don't...do not have the time'

to be able to do anything like that and it's sad.

'We're pushed so much in this country and driven by goals and

'targets and rushing here, there and everywhere all the time.'

For Gemma, Australia is the obvious solution.

They don't seem to have a hundred-million-mile-an-hour pace

of life over there.

Everything seems to just be a bit more chilled out

and that massively appeals to me.

But while Chris wants a better work/life balance,

he also loves his job.

As both a PE teacher and head of house,

Chris is in charge of the pastoral care or welfare of students -

a role which is very important to him.

I'm currently working in the biggest school in the UK.

The children are split across four different house groups.

I'm in charge of one house group

and therefore responsible for 450 pupils,

which equates to about half of a normal school, really.

'It does bring quite a lot of challenges throughout the day

'but I do really enjoy the pastoral side.'

That is the biggest part of my job which

I do find quite rewarding.

And Gemma knows it's going to be a challenge to get him to start again.

For him to give that up and go over there

and not enjoy his job would make me feel awful.

Despite this, Gemma feels spending more time with their children

is so important it's a sacrifice worth making.

'We didn't have children for other people to bring them up.

'You know, that's not what we want.

'We want our children to see us as a united front,'

not seeing Daddy on one day and seeing Mummy on the other days.

It's... You know, we want that family time.

But spending more time with Maddie and Oliver risks taking them

away from their grandparents and that hasn't gone down well.

It has caused quite a bit of... quite a lot of upset, really.

In particular, Gemma's mum has really took the news really badly,

-you know, and it has hit her really hard.

-You feel torn.

We could stay here, we could have a really, you know, an OK life here

and make my mum and dad happy or we can go over there and break...

Just...

SHE SOBS

Just break people's hearts.

But give the kids a better life.

Gemma's completely torn between becoming the parent

she dreams of and leaving hers behind.

She doesn't want to upset her parents.

I completely understand that cos I'm in the same position

with my parents, you know, and it is tough.

'But they've got to understand that we're doing it for good reasons.'

We want a better life and we want a better life for our kids.

I can't look back in ten years and think,

"What if we'd have given it a go and possibly been able to have

"a better life over there?"

To me, it's worth the risk giving that a go.

Gemma hopes Australia will offer the family the time together

they desperately need.

But after just one week of sampling everything Australia can offer,

they'll face the biggest decision of their lives - whether to give up

work and move the children away from the family or stay put in the UK.

For their trial week, the Randles are staying in Glandore,

a well-established suburb 15 minutes from Adelaide city centre.

With plenty of parks and playgrounds, there's lots of

family-friendly places for the Randles to spend time together.

Their temporary home is this three-bedroom cottage

and Gemma's first impressions are positive.

It's a really good size.

-What've you found?

-I love the high ceilings.

But the kitchen's not ideal.

It's small.

It's got everything we need.

I couldn't live...in...with this kitchen.

I couldn't live with it but it's perfect for a week.

I think, at the moment, if we had to choose to come over

and live in a property like this, I wouldn't be very keen.

And Chris is already concerned about his work prospects.

'I'm quite apprehensive, really. I'm quite nervous.'

We've driven past a couple of schools on the way in.

They look very different. So I'm a little bit nervous about it, really.

But Gemma's staying positive.

The sun's shining and, you know, we can't wait to get to the beach

and have a look round.

We've only come from the airport to the house

and already I can see the benefits from us spending that time together.

I think Gemma's really excited about the week ahead.

I think she's very much certain that it's going to be for us

and that we're going to like it

and that we're going to move over here straightaway, however,

I'm a bit more sceptical, really, at the moment,

a bit more dubious.

Maddie and Oliver may have settled in well

but Dad's going to need some serious convincing

if Australia is to become the family's home for good.

Back in the UK, the Randles live in this modern three-bedroom

semidetached house in Aldridge in the West Midlands.

-We moved in, what, four years ago?

-Yeah.

When we first got married and stuff.

In the last year or so, we've started doing some work to it

and it's turned into more of a home now, isn't it, really,

rather than a house?

It is everything that we want from a home and we've spent a long time

building it up but I'm hoping that,

in Australia, we'll be able to get more.

Affording the dream home in Australia would

depend on getting the full value they expect from their UK property.

I'm quite hopeful that we get something in the region

of 205,000-210,000.

Gemma and Chris already have some savings from the sale

of Gemma's beauty business so, with a total budget of £300,000,

one thing's definitely on the wish list.

One of the biggest factors is the spare room. You know, we're moving.

We're moving away from our family. We want that spare room there.

The four bedrooms is vitally important

cos we want people to come and stop with us.

That definitely is the deal-breaker for me

-if we can't afford that fourth bedroom.

-The house is a big thing.

I think if we don't get the right house then it'll certainly

put me off moving. Yeah, definitely.

Finding the ideal home in Australia, within budget,

could make or break Gemma's dream.

Today, we'll show the couple three properties in the Adelaide area,

based on what their needs and wants are for an Aussie home.

Only after seeing each property will the couple discover how much

they cost. House-hunting begins in Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills.

It's a thriving community 23 miles east of Adelaide.

With good transport links to the city centre

and plenty of nearby facilities for young families,

it could be the ideal location for the Randles.

With four bedrooms, this house could be perfect for them, too.

And Gemma's impressed before she's even out of the car.

SHE SQUEALS

-Wow!

-This looks nice, doesn't it?

-Oh, wow!

Look at this! Wow!

Go on, then, you go first.

SHE GASPS

Oh, my God! Oh, my God, this is amazing!

I think she likes it(!)

-I think I've seen something.

-Do you think you've seen something?

Just come back for a minute, mate.

CHILDREN CHATTER EXCITEDLY

Oh, my goodness. Who's... Oh, it's got a walk-in wardrobe!

That's it. That's sold then, isn't it?

GEMMA LAUGHS

-My God. It's got a toilet, Mummy.

-It's got a toilet!

Even the basics are getting a reaction.

Just in case you need a wee-wee.

THEY LAUGH

-Can we move in now?

-It depends if we can afford it, doesn't it, really?

This is everything that we wanted and more.

I don't want to get too excited in case it's too expensive.

-Stop being so practical.

-It's right though, isn't it?

-We've got to be able to afford it.

-I could live in this wardrobe.

Oh, my God, they've got a beauty room.

Is this house just made for us?

Gemma's on a real high with this house.

Oh!

Oh, my God!

Just... I'm absolutely speechless.

-In fact, I'm going to cry.

-Don't.

I cannot believe that we could potentially live somewhere like this.

You could do in England, if you can afford it.

He's playing it safe but even Chris is enthused by what lies outside.

God, look at this!

Look, you've got your own bar!

I can have my own bar, my own barbecue.

-Job's a good 'un.

-I love it!

And Gemma can already picture having friends round.

Oh, my God. Can you imagine Paul and Carla and everyone?

That's really sad that they couldn't actually...

..pop over and enjoy it with us, I suppose.

Remembering how far from home they are has brought Gemma

back down to earth with a bump, but only briefly.

I'd move in now.

I would. If... I'd sell everything and live in this house.

And even Chris appears sold.

The location's perfect. It's nice and quiet.

I think it's worth moving for this if you can afford it.

That's a great start

but will it be within reach of the couple's £300,000 budget?

I think it might be bang on our budget.

I think it's bang on 300,000.

-What do you think?

-I'm going to say 350, then.

-Oh, God!

-OK. Shall we have a look?

-Yeah, go on, then.

Yeah, I thought so. It's...

It's expensive, isn't it?

-It might be that this is 345 but that's it.

-Yeah.

We haven't got to spend any more.

Whereas we might get a house that's 100 grand cheaper

but have to spend 50 on it.

A lot will depend on how much we can earn,

though, isn't it, as well?

That's the other thing because, based on the wages in England,

-we wouldn't be able to afford that here.

-No.

This house was a huge hit with the Randles

but would stretch their budget.

Finding the right property at the right price will be key if

Gemma's to persuade Chris a move is best for the family's future.

Could property number two, also in Mount Barker, fit the bill?

The house is just three years old and backs onto a communal area,

perfect for spending family time together.

It has the fourth bedroom the couple want,

but will it have the wow factor of the first house?

-Was it impressive as you walk in?

-No, it's not.

-You don't like it, do you?

-No, I don't.

I am feeling a little bit underwhelmed here.

But if I'd have been here first, this would have been,

"Wow, this is fantastic."

-I think it's more realistic.

-Yes.

-We might be able to afford.

-Yes.

-But, again, it depends

if it's got everything we need like the four bedrooms.

Are you interested to see if it has still got the four bedrooms?

We need to definitely have a look round.

Hm.

When you come back into it again, I quite like it, I do.

-It's big enough for all four of us.

-Yeah.

-It's about the same size as our lounge at home.

-Yeah. Definitely.

But have you noticed, there's not a telly in here?

So this might not actually be the lounge.

-It's like a sitting area.

-It might just be... Yeah.

Hm, you might be right there, Gemma.

Oh, wow. OK, this has the wow factor.

-That's better, isn't it?

-Yes.

That's more like it.

Oh, the fourth bedroom.

God, this is a big room for a fourth bedroom.

So, it has got four bedrooms then. Which is good.

Yeah, but they're four double bedrooms.

That's plenty of room for all the family and overseas visitors.

And the outside area goes down well, too.

-I do like having a deck.

-This is lovely.

-Yeah, it is nice.

And Gemma's beady eye has noticed something else.

We've got a gym on our doorstep.

That's ridiculous!

Perhaps an hour ago, I thought, "No, I want this house.

"This was the house. This was the dream house."

But coming here, now, I think this is more of a...an "us" house

-and a more realistic house.

-A family home, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's... It's nice.

Maddie and Oliver look like they've settled in already

but could the Randles afford this house on their £300,000 budget?

Thinking about the other one now, I think this one's probably 280.

I still think it's the top end of our budget

but I think it might just be within budget.

I think that's more realistic.

I think it's top end so I'm going to go about 300.

It's not quite as big as the other one

but it's still got four bedrooms.

-OK.

-Yeah? 280 and 300.

-Yeah.

-Ready?

-Yeah.

It'll be interesting to see.

-Oh!

-Oh!

That's well within budget.

-That's more realistic.

-Yeah.

-And that's a big difference.

-Yeah. And it's got that fourth bedroom.

Yeah.

-I like...

-That's promising.

-Yes.

Great result and still one property to go.

The final house is in Littlehampton,

a small family-friendly village with a country feel

and only a 10-minute drive

from the larger shops and facilities of Mount Barker.

Because it's further out from Adelaide,

the couple could be looking at a 45-minute commute to work.

But with four bedrooms,

this house has plenty of room for visiting friends and family.

Oh, my God!

-This is different, isn't it?

-It is different but I like it.

-It's like a...

-It's traditional.

-It's traditional.

-Yeah, it's nice.

-It's huge!

-It's a big room in here.

It's...um...traditional.

How else would you describe it, Gemma?

-It's quite old-fashioned, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

-It's quite dated.

We've just got to decide if we want to take on that challenge,

-cos this is a big house. This is a bigger house than ours.

-Yeah, it is.

I know it's all on one level but it's a bigger house than ours

-in England.

-Yeah, it is. It'd take a lot of work, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

But it's very grand.

It's a grand house and it could be beautiful, this house could.

Oh, God, no!

Oh, this is just the most hideous room, isn't it?

-The room's nice. It's the furniture.

-Who would have furniture like this?

Surely this was gone in the '80s.

And outside, things don't get any better.

-I feel a bit isolated up here.

-It's a bit further out, isn't it?

Yeah, not what we want for the kids.

I think, with a three and a one-year-old

and the fact that we are going to have so much upheaval moving here and

you changing jobs, me potentially changing jobs, I think

the last thing that we need is a house that needs work doing to it.

This house might have all the space they need but it's not

somewhere Gemma and Chris can imagine their family growing up.

But if it's within their £300,000 budget,

could the price win them round?

-It's obviously completely different to the last two.

-Mm-hm.

It's a bit further out and stuff. But I think it's going to be cheaper

and towards the lower end of our budget. So I'm going to say...

260,000, I think.

I'm going to go a little bit lower.

I'll say 235.

-Shall we have a look?

-Yeah, go on, then. If you're ready.

What?!

-Oh, my God. Oh, I would not pay that for this house.

-No, really.

That's shocked... That really shocked me, actually.

We don't want a house to do up.

We want to come and have it done for us already. Modern.

-It's confirmed what we wanted in the first place.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

Looks like this house is a definite no.

The day did start well with the house which

wowed both Gemma and Chris, but had a price tag to match.

Property number two was a slow starter

but they soon warmed to it and it was within budget.

Neither of them were sold on the final house

and the price left them stunned.

So, when it comes to property, will they vote for Australia or the UK?

Based on the houses that we've seen in Australia, our vote goes to...

ALL: Australia!

I think the first two houses just showed me that we

really could have what I dream of in Australia for us. I'm very happy.

That surprised me. I wasn't sure if it would as well. It shocked me.

Just have to get a job now.

A yes vote for Oz is a great start

for Gemma's dream of a new life down under

but she still has a lot of work to do to get Chris

over his worries about work prospects.

Can an Aussie-style day out remind Chris what this move is all about?

Spending more time together as a family.

Oliver.

The Randles are spending the day at Gorge Wildlife Park.

'We just don't get the time to do anything like this at home.

'We might have the odd Sunday together.'

You know, one day, two days every month.

I don't think you can compare the life here

that you can back in the UK.

You know, it's a different world and I just think this is what

I wanted for my children.

While today reminds Gemma just how desperate

she is for more time with her family, Chris still has concerns.

If we had a better work/life balance, we'd be able to do things

like this on a more regular basis but it's just whether, again, we can

afford to provide a good lifestyle over here for the children.

'A lot is kind of riding still a little bit on convincing me

'in terms of whether it's actually going to be worthwhile moving

'over here financially.'

Chris and Gemma meet the Corbett family, who emigrated two years ago.

Scott's also a PE teacher

so Chris takes the opportunity to grill him for information.

I'm not finishing work until about 10 o'clock at night, really,

if I'm honest. Have you found that it is better over here

or the same or...?

I remember going in first day and they said to me,

"Well, school finishes at three o'clock.

"We don't train the students after three o'clock."

So, obviously, I'm stood there, smiling, thinking,

"Three o'clock, I'm finished?"

And they said, "Yeah, three o'clock, you're done."

That's a huge chunk of extra time

they could spend together as a family.

In the UK, me and Chris at the minute are just exhausted.

We're emotionally exhausted, we're physically exhausted,

we work constantly.

'I miss out a lot as well

'because Chris has to take Maddie swimming and to gymnastics'

and, you know, that's not why we had children, really.

You know, we wanted to...

We wanted be together

and we wanted to enjoy them together and at the minute

we just feel like two single parents just living under the same roof.

We talk about living back in Britain as basically like a half life.

You get such an extra amount of living time because the weather

is so much better, because you can get out and you can do things.

He'll come from school, I'll have the picnic tea or whatever

and then we'll be on the beach until six, half six or whatever

and then, you know, go home and you've had that family time.

It's just a completely different way of life, isn't it?

-GEMMA: Sorry.

-Oh, sorry.

It just sounds like everything that we want as well for our family.

Sorry.

Gemma's overcome at the thought

of how much better their lives could be down under.

Just... I just don't want to go home.

'Cos I know that, like, in a couple of weeks,

'it'll just be back to the same again.'

It does, like...

In the last three days, me and Chris have seen each other more than

we have since Christmas, which is ridiculous.

It is, you know, the four of us. This is what we want from Australia.

This is why we want to move here so that we can be a family.

It's been a day of simple pleasures but one which has driven home

just why Gemma desperately wants to move her young family to Australia.

When it comes to the vote, though, will Chris agree?

ALL: Australia!

-Yes, Oliver chose it, too.

-Maddie, why did you choose Australia?

-Kangaroos.

-The kangaroos!

-Kangaroos!

I think that it is definitely what we want out of our life in Australia.

It's been a great day together as a family,

which we don't get the chance to do back in the UK.

Today's given the Randles a glimpse

of the sort of future they've dreamed of.

Chris's second vote for Oz

is another step in the right direction for Gemma.

But if they're to make the move,

it's crucial his job concerns are put to rest.

Chris is the main visa applicant. Back in the UK,

he's a PE teacher in a large inner-city school in Birmingham.

He also has pastoral responsibility for 450 pupils,

looking after any of their social or emotional needs.

He's worked hard to build his career.

It's taken me eight years to get into that position that I'm in now.

I think if we did go and we came back again, I don't think

I'd walk into a job which is the equivalent of what I've got now.

Working partly in PE also in terms of pastoral care within

a school, again, they are my two loves in my job.

And Gemma knows Chris getting the right job down under will be

crucial if she is to keep her dream on track.

I'm hoping that he will find an equally enjoyable job

and that he will realise that it was the right thing to do.

If I can't work in both areas, I think

that would certainly sway me one way or the other and

have a big impact on whether that move would be the right thing to do.

Everything hinges on whether

Chris's concerns about his career can be laid to rest

so we've arranged for him to visit Westminster Private School

in Adelaide, where he meets principal Steve Bousfield.

Would my qualifications from England transfer straight over

-directly to Australia or would I have to...?

-They may do.

The chances are they would.

We have a large number of teachers who have arrived

here from the UK and we brought in directly.

So we have a number of people who've moved straight in here.

Sounds promising.

But could Chris continue with the pastoral role he loves?

In the private schools,

we put a great emphasis upon the pastoral care

so we do expect heads of house

to have a really close relationship with our students.

Would it be a case that I could move straight over here

-and apply for a head of house job or does it tend to be...?

-Probably not.

We would tend to appoint our heads of houses from within

because we get to know them and we know the sort of students

they're able to work with and be most effective with.

That's a real blow for Chris.

While his tour of the school continues,

Gemma's taken Oliver and Maddie to a local kindergarten.

It's a chance to address some worries she's had.

-Have you made many friends from being here?

-Yeah.

I met a few girls here and even when we went to the birthday party,

all the mums are sitting around,

we're talking about kindy and all their experiences.

That's the one thing I'm a little bit nervous about cos

I'd like to come here and not work and obviously it can be quite

isolating a little bit when you're stuck in a house.

-With no family close by.

-Yeah! Well, no family at all here.

One of my main concerns coming here was the fact that the kids

wouldn't have their grandparents here

but after speaking to some of the mums and knowing that we could

make friends quite easily here

and the way that the children have been with our children today,

I don't think that it's going to be a huge transition for them.

Gemma's keeping her fingers crossed that Chris has had good news, too.

I hope Chris has found that he could like a job over here

and I'm hoping that the salary

kind of matches - hopefully exceeds, but matches - his expectations.

That's just what Chris is about to find out.

'How realistic do you think it is'

for me to be able to get a job over here?

Well, there are a lot of PE teachers here but you've got

eight years' experience and that will stand you in good stead.

You know, I think you would have a reasonable chance of getting a job

but I wouldn't advise you to leave the UK

until you had some sniff of a job over here somewhere.

What kind of salary would I be looking at earning over here?

OK, normally a teacher without any responsibility at all,

at the top of their scale -

with your experience, you're probably about that -

would be in the region of around 62,000 British pounds per year.

That's a bit more than what I thought.

That's almost £20,000 more than Chris currently earns in the UK.

A job in Australia might mean putting his pastoral role

on hold but he would get more time at home with the family.

Has he heard enough to give up the position he's worked

so hard for in the UK?

Based on my work experience today, I've decided to vote for...

..Australia.

The job itself just seems really appealing.

To be working in this sort of environment with these

kind of facilities, as a potential, would be brilliant.

Time to share the good news with Gemma.

-It was really good. Really different.

-Good different?

-Yeah.

What did they say about your pastoral stuff?

-I wouldn't be able to go straight into a job with that.

-Mm.

But the positive was that

I'd probably earn more money as well over here.

SHE SQUEALS

-Oh, I'm really pleased.

-It was... It was really good.

I mean, if there was a job there, I'd apply for that straightaway.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Chris's earning prospects mean a new life in Australia

for the family could be a step closer

but the finances will have to work and getting the right

price for their home in the UK will be crucial.

Chris believes their house is worth £210,000

but will two local estate agents agree?

It's a nice, bright room.

Contemporary colours and a nice, modern fireplace.

That's a nice feature, isn't it, with the built-in oven and hob?

It looks like there is a dishwasher. That'll please everybody.

He's going in my room first.

-GEMMA: He HAS gone in your room!

-He is!

It's a nice, bright, modern room. Good for a child.

Also, get a double bed in here as a second bedroom.

Family bathroom, fully tiled with a white suite.

That's a nice, light, bright master bedroom. It's a good size.

Some built-in wardrobes by the look of it.

And a nice view of the back garden. Excellent.

Bedroom three at the back.

A good size to the bedroom for this sort of style of house.

GEMMA: Our house looks really nice, doesn't it?

It's a nice house.

This is a really nicely presented three-bedroomed semidetached

family home. All in all, very saleable property.

My valuation - open market, 190,000.

For a quick sale, 180,000.

I would value the property at around about £200,000.

If we were looking for a quick sale,

probably 185-190 is probably nearer the mark.

Hm. That's quite a lot less, then, isn't it, really,

-than what I was hoping for?

-That is massively less. We bought it for 196.

-Mm-hm.

-If we got that back, then I'd be happy but I'm not...

We can't sell the house for less than we paid for it.

Well, you can. Some people do. It's just whether you want to or not.

That's the difference, isn't it?

A valuation of £20,000 less than they'd hoped for

is a massive blow and puts their dream in real jeopardy.

So Gemma and Chris sit down to see if the finances could still work.

To help them do the sums,

we provided a breakdown of their outgoings in the UK

in comparison to those down under, starting with the weekly shop.

I cannot believe the shampoo and conditioner.

-That's a massive difference, isn't it?

-It's more than double.

-£7.65 difference. On both of them.

-On both.

-That's a massive difference.

-Sweetcorn is less.

-Cheaper.

-Yay! We've found something that's less.

That's £6 difference in the yoghurts. For a six-pack.

So it's a pound extra per yoghurt here.

So, how does the weekly shop compare?

£73 or £74 extra a week here than...

..back in the UK, which is quite a big difference.

In fact, it's a difference of almost £4,000 a year

on food shopping alone.

And that's not the only shock.

Basing their figures on the cheapest property they saw,

their monthly mortgage in Australia would be £1,700.

That is a lot more than we pay at the minute on our mortgage, isn't it?

It's about three times more. It's a big difference in price.

But Chris stands to earn more in Australia than in the UK.

-OK, so £62,000 would be over here, wouldn't it?

-Yes.

And it's 51,205 over there.

So it's a difference of £10,795.

But is it enough of a difference to make the dream life affordable?

As the figures mount, tempers rise.

-No, the total per month is like this now.

-OK. All right. Chill.

You're annoying me. Right. No, what the difference is.

Yeah, and I was going to say,

"That's that and then that's that and the difference is that."

-Go on, then.

-After you.

Will their calculations spell the end of Gemma's dream?

-What's the difference?

-So, the difference would be...

..£1,704.

So we're £1,704 worse-off a year in Australia.

Yeah.

Gemma's devastated by the figures but there is still

a glimmer of hope as Chris spots some potential savings.

Just from the few days we spent over here so far, you know,

I think we could cut back so much easier.

I know we've put the car loans and things and bits and pieces but...

We're hoping to have paid those off.

-We'd have had them paid off before we come, wouldn't we?

-Yeah.

-I mean,

that makes a big difference straightaway. It's 500 quid.

I was a bit nervous when we first started with the calculations

and stuff and working things out. It's a bit positive now, isn't it?

Despite not looking good on paper, some tightening of the belts

could mean the figures aren't as bad as they feared.

So when it comes to finances,

will the couple choose the UK or Australia?

Based on the reality check, our vote goes to...

-50/50.

-I'm going to say Australia.

I'm really surprised that we went that way round.

I thought that I'd vote for Australia and you'd be the 50/50.

I was really close. I was really close to being 50/50, I was.

I'm convinced we can make massive cutbacks

and make it feasible to move over here. I do, I really do.

I'm very pleased.

A third vote for Australia means Chris seems to have been won over

but Gemma's biggest fear has always been separating her

children from their grandparents.

Her dream may be close

but will hearing from home prove too heartbreaking to bear?

We've put together a DVD of messages to let them know how family

and friends are feeling back in the UK.

With Maddie and Oliver looked after by a childminder,

Chris and Gemma settle down to watch.

Hi, Gem, Chris, Maddie and Oliver.

-Hi, guys.

-Hi.

Hi, Gem and Chris, Maddie and Oliver.

Hello. Hope you've had a good week.

Hi, Maddie. Hi, Oliver. Hi, Gem. Hi, Chris.

They're a really cute family. Gem and Chris are brilliant together.

They really work.

And the kids are just adorable.

They're a lovely family.

As soon as Chris and Gemma got together, we instantly thought...

-We instantly liked her, didn't we?

-Absolutely.

We knew that she was a keeper.

Christopher idolises Maddie

and Gemma idolises Oliver.

There are determined, in their own way,

to spoil the children and we're helping them, really.

I always said that if I could pick anybody for my Gemma,

it would be Chris.

He seems to be the perfect husband for her.

Gemma's got a very bubbly character.

-She's got this positive attitude to life.

-Yeah.

Gem sees the good in everything, really.

She's just a real diamond. She's there whenever you need her.

She's a trooper. She's a fantastic mum. She just...

She does everything for everybody and doesn't moan.

It'd leave a big hole in our lives if they decide to move to

Australia and that will be a hard thing to fill.

Missing the kids growing up is going to be gut-wrenching.

They're cutting them out of our lives but cutting us out of theirs as well.

-It's going to be heartbreaking to say goodbye to them.

-Oh, absolutely.

I'll be coming out to see you when I can. I just think it'll...

It'll just be mad you won't be there.

Sorry.

I'm sure you'll make the right decision.

All you need to know is whatever you decide to do, we'll support you.

We're right behind you, 100%.

I hope you make the right decision and whatever you decide...

I can't. Sorry, I can't.

I feel, at the moment, like my heart is being wrenched out.

But, as a family, they have to do what's right for them.

-Oh, your poor mum.

-I know.

-She couldn't even speak, could she?

-She hasn't really spoke about it, has she? So...

-No.

I think my dad's a bit in denial.

I don't think he thinks we're serious, in a way.

Maybe that's because he doesn't want to think about it.

Mm. It is a long way, isn't it?

Hearing from friends and family was a heartbreaking experience

and now Gemma and Chris are faced with the biggest decision

they'll ever have to make.

For Gemma, it'll mean choosing between what the family will gain

in Australia and the heartache their departure will cause.

For me, personally,

the hardest people to leave will definitely be my friends.

I mean, you know...

If we were to move over here, it would be really, really tough.

You know, we'd be completely on our own. Very isolated, no family,

no support, no friends.

Our future could potentially be amazing for the four of us but

the fact that we wouldn't

have anybody to share it with would be hard.

-It would be hard.

-The week has been really positive

but there's still massive risks, I think, of moving over here.

That's why we've got to work out what's right, really.

Whether it's worth making that big risk to have, you know,

the environment and the lifestyle that's calling over here or

whether it's better to be safe, you know, and just stay where you are.

Has the week in Australia been enough to dispel Chris's concerns

about a move and will Gemma decide that

leaving behind everyone she loves in the UK is a sacrifice worth

making to give her family a better life down under?

ALL: Australia!

Australia!

-Which has surprised me.

-I'm so pleased.

It shocked me because I didn't think I'd be in this situation now.

I was thinking, "Yeah, maybe we should go and do this."

But the more I do think about it, the more I think,

"Yeah, let's give it a go."

For us, it is going to be harder, I think.

I'll just have to keep in mind this week

and what it's done for Maddie and Oliver.

You just don't want to look back in ten years and wish we'd have done it.

-I think we'll regret it if we don't.

-Yeah.

-I'd be a lot happier in the sun over here...

-Yeah!

..poor and broke, than back in England, poor and broke

and not in the sun and in the rain instead so it sounds better to me.

With such strong family ties in the UK,

this week was always going to be an emotional whirlwind for the Randles.

But they've come out the other side convinced Australia is

the right place to bring up their family

and achieve the time together they so desperately want.

Soon, they could be on their way

to a new life on the other side of the world.