Makuve Family Wanted Down Under

Moving your family

halfway around the world is a huge

challenge at the best of times,

but imagine trying to make it happen

when those closest to you don't share your dream.

Christine Makuve wants to swap this...

for this.

-My gosh! Look at that!

-But her children don't agree.

There's like not anything that would make me be like,

"Yes, I really want to move there."

-And when they fall in love with everything Australia offers.

-Wow!

-It's got its own lake in the back!

-Is this part of the house?

-Yeah!

-I want this house.

Will they have the finances to make the dream come true?

I almost feel like, "OK, well, whatever." You know?

It was a good dream to have, but it's not going to happen.

For 25 years, Australia has been the number one

destination for Brits seeking a new life abroad.

The outdoors lifestyle, sunshine and sense of space are a huge draw,

but, on average, 11,000 of them

move back every year with their dreams in tatters.

The Makuves are in a heartbreaking situation.

Mum Christine is convinced Australia can offer her family

the fresh start she believes they so desperately need,

but her children don't share her dream, and she faces an uphill battle

to convince them that moving down under can really offer them

a better life together.

The journey to Australia takes them 10,000 miles from home.

As the Makuves arrive in Brisbane, 24 hours in the air has given

them plenty of time to contemplate the enormity of Christine's plans.

-It's a demanding journey.

-It took a long time on the plane.

The journey was incredibly long

and I find myself thinking about my mum, for instance,

and how she would cope with a journey like that

and she would find it very, very difficult to actually do.

I think I've properly got the sense of how far away Australia is

just over the last 24 hours.

The pressure's on for Christine.

She has just one week to persuade her family Australia is

where their future lies.

The Makuve family are mum Christine,

dad Munya, Vanessa, who's 14, PJ, who's 12, and Tin Tin, age 8.

They live in Garrison in North Yorkshire.

Originally from Zimbabwe, Christine and Munya would love

the outdoor upbringing they enjoyed for their own children.

We grew up in the incredibly idyllic, you know,

post-independence years, um, you know, and it was beautiful.

We both grew up in houses where there were orange trees, mango trees,

banana trees...

They fear at the moment that their children are missing out.

We have lovely kids, full of energy, but they spend their lives indoors.

And they both believe Australia could offer Vanessa, PJ

and Tin Tin the childhood they so badly want for them.

I would love to imagine that my family and myself could

make a new life for ourselves, you know, make new lives for ourselves in Australia.

What we are hoping for, um,

is recreating the life that we had, um,

-in a setting and a context that the children can relate to.

-Yeah.

Christine's convinced now is the time to make the move.

She's aiming towards it, she's working towards it,

she's planning towards it, she's dreaming about it.

It means everything to her.

Last year, army officer Munya was faced with the threat of redundancy.

Although I wasn't made redundant,

that started to, you know, plant the seed that anything is possible,

and that speeded up Christine's urgency to go to Australia now.

And worse was to come

when he was struck down with a life-threatening illness.

It was incredibly traumatic.

Um, and I was faced with the first time...

..um, with the prospect that...

Munya might not...

..might not be with me until my old age,

so that was incredibly difficult.

But I think one of the key things that both of us

took away from that, if you've got a dream, you know, try and pursue it.

Munya can see the benefits of a move,

but feels emigrating now would be a big mistake.

In five years' time, I reach my pension point.

I would really have to receive a very good opportunity,

a very good offer in Australia...

-In order to leave five years before retirement.

-It is a big sacrifice.

In my mind, especially given what's gone on in the last 12 months,

five years is a long time and anything could happen.

It creates a very difficult tension there.

As an army family, the children have experienced a lot of disruption,

and fed up with moving every two years,

Vanessa and PJ opted for boarding school.

But Christine wants her children close again.

Australia would allow us, you know,

finally to have stability as a family.

We would get the chance to see our children growing up within

the household, rather than having them at boarding school

for most of the year and having them just on holidays.

But plans to emigrate have had a mixed response from the children.

When Mummy first mentioned the idea of moving to Australia,

she was not a very popular person in the house.

Tin Tin, the little 'un, is eight years old, um, he took it fine.

Tin Tin's ready to go, but Vanessa and PJ are happy at home.

I don't really want to live in Australia.

I really want to just stay here.

For me, there's not anything that would make me be like,

"Yes, I really want to move there."

And leaving family and friends would be a massive wrench.

We see our family like all the time, like,

every week we always see them and we're really close to them,

and it would be really hard to leave them behind and just to move.

Christine knows the family's week ahead will either see her dream

come one step closer to reality, or possibly disappear for good.

This week is incredibly important,

because it gives me the opportunity, firstly,

to actually experience Australia first-hand,

which I haven't done, and also gives me an opportunity to be able to

hopefully persuade my family that this is the place to be.

The Makuves are facing a huge emotional dilemma.

For Munya, finding the perfect job will be key if Christine's ever to

persuade him that now is the right time to follow

her dream of a better future.

The family are spending their trial week on the Gold Coast.

They'll be staying in the Logan area, 30 minutes from Brisbane city

and 35 minutes from the beach, it's ideally placed.

And with almost 900 parks and reserves,

it should appeal to the Makuves' love of the outdoors.

Their base for the week will be this three-bedroom house.

It's the family's first taste of the life they could have.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Wow! It's got a pool!

-Look at that pool.

This is absolutely fabulous.

Can you see that, PJ? Will you look at the views!

-This is breathtaking, isn't it?

-Wow, yeah.

The location seems to be a hit

and everyone's pleased with the interiors as well.

Wow. OK.

-Whoa!

-It feels very roomy.

It's got all the lounging space outside

and then it's got the pool and I just like it. I just really like it.

That's a good initial reaction from Vanessa

and the house is pushing the right buttons for the boys too.

-Cool! No way!

-Oh, my gosh! That is the coolest thing ever!

It's a good-sized double bedroom, isn't it? Oh, do you know what...?

-I think this one is my room!

-Really?!

-Yeah!

You might have to do a little bit of haggling.

-That's a nice view.

-Wow.

-Oh, gosh! It's really large in here!

-Yeah.

-Two great big showerheads.

-Wow.

-No, this is awesome.

Their home for the week is going down well with everyone, and it looks

like Munya's already beginning to see the appeal of a life down under.

I think I'd be ready and willing to work hard to attain

a house like this and buy a house like this.

Even Vanessa could be coming round.

I would consider, like, think about moving here. Think about it.

I really like this house. And I like swimming and there's a pool.

I think it's going to be a hugely successful week

because we've barely started the week and, you know, I've already

scored a success with the most negative member of the family.

Let's hope it continues, Christine!

Because Munya works for the military in the UK,

the Makuves live in army accommodation.

So, buying a house down under would be their first

permanent property.

I would love open plan, you know, the kind of typical sprawling open plan

Aussie type house, and a pool would be...you know, almost an essential.

Um, and a garden for the children to play in.

We're looking at a budget of about £350,000.

We do want something that has enough space to, you know, at least

plant fruit trees and create a lovely garden in our outside space.

We have a vision in our minds about how our lives would be there

and how our children's lives would be,

and if we could not give them a home that they would be happy to

live in, there'd be no point in removing them, really.

So, it would be absolutely key, um, finding the right house.

To give the Makuves an idea of what's available

on the Gold Coast property market, we've selected three properties.

After seeing them, they'll find out how much each one costs.

The first house is in Beechmont,

a residential village in the Gold Coast hinterland.

Although it's a 45-minute drive to the nearest beach,

the area offers stunning landscapes.

This four-bedroom home could be just what the Makuves are looking for.

Come here and look at this house.

Look at this house! Oh, my gosh! It's beautiful.

But will the indoors impress?

This is a small...

-Yeah.

-..small lounge.

PJ's definitely not sold...

I prefer more modern properties

and I think it's just a bit too old-fashioned and small.

Vanessa's underwhelmed...

It's all right, it's just a little bit cramped.

-..and even Christine's bubble is burst.

-I'm losing, um...

momentum in terms of my excitement. It's actually quite small.

-This is the kitchen...

-OK.

..I take it.

-Yeah.

-This is really old.

-It's small.

I think it confirms to me that the house, generally, is a tiny house.

But things soon take a turn for the better.

-Oh...my...goodness...gracious...me!

-This is beautiful.

-This is unusual!

SHE LAUGHS

What's...what's...?

-It's like a little sun lounge.

-This is a lovely room.

-This is a beautiful room.

-I think it's a lovely room.

It's a room that I can imagine doing a lot with.

This hasn't completely won me over, but it's certainly a very,

very positive aspect of this house.

And outdoors lifts everyone's spirits.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Now, this is gorgeous.

-Oh, now, this is beautiful.

It sort of makes me want to write poetry or something.

THEY LAUGH It's just...!

This could not be further removed from most of life in the UK.

-Oh, my goodness!

-You guys, look at that.

-Oh, my gosh! Look at that!

-Munya, can you imagine this as your back yard?

-I feel like sitting down.

-Yeah, let's sit down.

-Oh, my gosh!

The garden's everything Christine could wish for.

It just reminds me, you know, of home

and of growing up back in Zimbabwe, but, I don't know, I'm speechless.

If they came to visit, everyone would love this.

Everybody would fall in love with this.

The house's location

and spectacular garden has made up for its old-fashioned feel

and lack of space, but with the budget of £350,000,

can the Makuves afford it?

-Do you want to turn it over?

-Tin Tin, let's see.

Oh, my gosh!

SHE LAUGHS

That's £55,000 under budget.

-That's just ludicrous.

-Wow.

That is well under budget.

That changes absolutely everything, because, if we did buy this,

we could very easily reconfigure...

-the house, and spruce it up.

-It still would need some consideration.

-Yes.

Knowing this property is within reach is a fantastic start

for Christine. Property two is just outside Upper Coomera.

Riverstone Crossing's a thriving new community.

It's close to a major motorway for easy access to Brisbane

and Surfers Paradise, and has national parks on its doorstep.

This modern four-bedroom show house could offer

the family their perfect setting.

Oh...my...goodness...gracious...me.

-Whoa.

-Oh, my gosh!

This is just...this is just stunning! This is just...this is fantastic!

-The open plan-ness of it, the size of it...

-I absolutely love it. Amazing.

I just love it! This is just...

-This is it.

-This is it, yes. THEY LAUGH

Even PJ's impressed.

It looks really modern and I just really like the house,

because of how big it is and there's a lot of space.

They're so enthralled, Christine's started making plans.

-Wow, Christine, look at that.

-Oh! This is absolutely beautiful.

-Yeah.

But this, for me, would be the dining room.

But what about that all-important outside space?

OK, so the outside...

-very nice, very small.

-It's pleasant.

-It's pleasant enough.

-It's pleasant.

-It's very small.

-It's compact.

OK, the garden's not enormous. Maybe the bedrooms will impress.

-This is huge.

-Awesome. Really good.

-Absolutely fabulous.

-Before you even speak, you want to see the en suite.

-Really?

SHE GASPS

Oh, my gosh!

Oh, my gosh!

Wow.

It's just crazily big.

There's a balcony outside as well, I mean, it just gets better

and better with this bedroom. This is just fabulous.

I think this house is doing it for us.

HE LAUGHS

This house is certainly...

The outdoor space might be limited,

but this house has everything else the Makuves

have been dreaming of,

but Munya's worried it will be beyond their £350,000 budget.

My heart is in my mouth at the moment

and I'm hoping that this house is somewhere close to...

what we're expecting.

I think it's going to be over.

-Do you think it's going to be over? I agree, Tin Tin.

-Ready?

Vanessa, do you want to do the honours?

Wow.

It's just over budget,

but if Christine and Munya were to increase their earnings

in Australia, this house could be affordable.

I thought it was going to be significantly over £400,000.

That is just really food for thought.

If we could build this property in a different place where there's

-land, that would be the perfect solution for us.

-Yeah.

Plenty of outdoor space remains high on Christine and Munya's wish list,

so property three should fit the bill.

Set within its own two and a half acres, this four-bedroom,

two-bathroom family home is full of surprises.

-I think...

-It, it, it...

-It's attached to this.

-It looks like it's on the land of the house.

-It's got a tennis court!

-It's on the land.

It's got its own tennis court, Tin Tin. What do you think?

-It's too good for words.

-It's too good for words.

First impression - absolutely awesome.

Yeah, absolutely stunning and we've not even been inside.

To be honest, I'm not feeling too much pressure to go inside cos

I love it that much on the outside!

It can't get better than that...can it?

Ooh!

-Oh, I say!

-Wow.

-No, this is good.

This is not good. This is fabulous.

-The design is obviously well thought out.

-Yeah.

Double bedroom, good-sized bedroom.

It's a nice room and you can have a nice view of the outside.

But not everyone's completely convinced.

It's a nice house and I...

couldn't really imagine myself living here, but it is spacious.

This is my room and it feels like my room already,

-and I've not even moved in.

-Oh, Chris, come and see this.

-The en suite is amazing.

-Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!

(It's a spa bath, Munya!)

I would get in there and never get out, honestly.

But then you'd miss what's waiting outside, Christine.

Whoa! Look at what I've just found. Come on.

You guys have got to see this.

Oh...my...goodness!

-Whoa!

-SHE LAUGHS

-It's got its own lake in the back!

-Is this part of the house?

-Yeah!

And PJ could be turning.

It kind of does change my opinion about the house cos

the outside is, like, it's really, really,

really big and spacious and it has its own pond, so...

it would kind of make me want to live here.

This property's a dream come true for Christine,

and she's carried away with excitement.

-We could get ducks!

-We could put ducks in there.

-We could get ducks!

It's like being in a storybook.

I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams that, you know,

a house like this would be anything that we would ever...

-consider as being a possibility.

-The question is...

-How much?

This house has it all, but can they afford to call it home?

What is the price going to be?

I've really connected with this house and it's...it's beautiful, and

I'm terrified that it's going to be completely over budget

and, you know, our dreams are going to be cruelly dashed to the ground.

-Shall we find out?

-SHE LAUGHS

PJ, let's go for it.

That's £56,000 over, but, if they stretch their budget,

could it still be within reach?

-I don't want to look.

-You won't believe this. Open your eyes.

-Really? It's over budget, but...

-But...

But not by as much as I had imagined.

-And there's no work that needs to be done.

-No!

That's within reach, and for something like this,

-I fully expected it to be...

-I want this house.

-So do I.

I want this house.

The dream home feels within touching distance,

but Christine knows there's still an awful lot to do

if she's to make her dream a reality.

This house obviously hinges on all the job things coming together

and so that's even more critical now.

I want this house!

THEY LAUGH

I want this house.

It's been an incredibly positive day for the Makuves.

The first house felt a bit old-fashioned,

but all that was forgotten when they got to the incredible views.

They loved the open plan, contemporary feel of

property number two, but the small garden put them off.

Property three was the dream home, but, with a price tag to match.

With this visits over, it's time for the family to decide.

Will it be home or away?

Based on the properties that we have viewed today, our vote goes to...

ALL: Australia!

Oh, my gosh! Is it a full house?

Wow! I think that's quite... That's remarkable.

Individually, the houses are really nice.

- I would prefer to live in Australia on the basis of the houses.

They have a lot of space and I really want to try the tennis court.

The family's positive reaction is music to Christine's ears,

but if the move down under is to happen,

it's essential both she and Munya secure good jobs.

Back home in the UK, Munya's a commissioned officer

in the British Army.

My job means a lot to me.

It's everything, really. It's defined...

It defines who I am as an individual.

Um, it's...defined what we've become as a family.

It's also had a huge impact on Christine's career.

I've previously worked as a local education authority manager,

but because of the fact that we move around so frequently,

um, it's a very difficult sort of career to take with you.

So, I started teaching because that's portable.

After more than a decade in the army, Munya's unsure about

working on Civvy Street, but he does believe his skills are transferable.

The one thing that might, and I think that will bring me

fulfilment, is working in a management consultancy.

I'd want to be sure that the benefit I'd reap from that job would

cover for what I'm sacrificing now.

The family's whole future could rest on today

and Christine knows there's a lot at stake as she takes Vanessa, PJ

and Tin Tin to visit St Stephen's College.

They're met by headmaster Jamie, and Mary, head of enrolment.

While the children get a tour of the school,

Christine quizzes Jamie about potential teaching jobs.

Well, the first thing is there's a lot of schools in the Gold Coast.

You get registered to teach and then, once you're registered to

teach, we would then have a look at what you've done, what your

experience has been and we'd slot you into that band and step level here.

I see. That's excellent.

And in terms of how those bands relate to actual salaries,

-what is the rate?

-Well, actually, I have a document here.

-Oh, I see!

-That's brilliant!

-So...

normally, you'd come in at what we call band two, step one,

-so that's around 63,000 Australian dollars.

-Right, I see. OK.

-So, that's about, what? 40 something thousand pounds.

-I see.

That is significantly higher than what I'm currently getting

now as a teacher with several years of experience,

so that sounds very encouraging.

Great news for Christine.

Across town, Munya's exploring his potential work opportunities.

We've arranged for him

to meet management consultant Andrew Johnstone-Burt.

Andrew had previously been in the Royal Navy

-and he's impressed with Munya's CV.

-You've got three Masters.

How good is that?! Three Masters degrees!

You clearly have this fantastic education and training background.

Added to that is your strategic skills.

You can clearly think strategically.

Um, the question then is, it's a

case of staging the transition...to this new world for you.

Every occupation has its ladder.

You'll be coming in in the middle of that

ladder around the sort of manager level.

-What are the prospects like at the moment?

-Lots of prospects.

Consulting is flourishing.

We grew 25% last year

and there are lots of opportunities which come with that.

Encouraging news so far, and if the salary's right,

it could allay Munya's fears about leaving the army early.

At a manager level, um, sort of at the 150,000 mark,

the senior consultant, somewhere around the 100,000 mark.

Well, at the moment, I'm, um, just round about below £50,000, which,

I think, translates to about 70,000,

or 75,000 Australian dollars.

So, that would really be good for me. That would work for me.

That's Munya on the right track,

but Christine has another challenge to overcome - finding a school

they're happy with is crucial if she's to win round PJ and Vanessa.

Hopefully, St Stephen's will impress.

This section has been revamped recently in the last two years.

It's absolutely beautiful.

-Well resourced and well designed.

-Hmm. Yes, it is.

It's one of the best in Queensland.

The children are worried about making friends.

If the people were like...if most people who came here were

British, then it would be a lot easier, but seeing as

though they're Australian, it might be a bit harder to get on with them.

Yes, predominantly Australians, but a lot of British citizens have also

come to our school, so you'll hear and you'll see a lot of Brits here.

You will settle reasonably fast

and we will help you settle by providing buddies.

And the buddies just aren't given you for the day, they're

given you for the term or the time that you're in the classroom.

That's fantastic.

It's been a great day all round,

but has it been enough to win Munya over?

Based on the information that we have today about jobs,

our vote goes to...

-Australia.

-Unsure.

-Unsure?

-Yeah.

What's there to be unsure about?

Well, to be fair, Christine, the prospects look very bright,

but so does the lottery.

There's no guarantee that we'll get here

and everything will work out well.

It's 100 and something thousand dollars

and a consultancy career.

-But I'm five years away from my retirement point.

-OK.

-Australia.

-Unsure.

That's a major set back for Christine.

Despite everything he's seen and heard so far,

Munya's still resisting the move.

But, halfway through the trial week,

are PJ and Vanessa any closer to sharing their mum's dream?

It's been a total sort of curve ball in terms of the children.

We've been surprised by how positive Vanessa has actually been.

She seems, in a way, even though she hasn't quite said that,

to sort of be coming round cos we expected her to be completely,

um, to completely disengage.

This is our only chance, you know, to see it before we decide,

so I'm up for trying everything out, you know, seeing what it's like.

PJ is approaching everything completely with

the shutters down and just saying, you know,

"I'm not even going to engage with that."

My concern is actually, apart from just not wanting to come here,

you can actually see the mood dropping at different points.

It's like...yeah, it doesn't matter how much fun he has or how

much he likes the school or how much he liked the houses or anything,

I think it's just because he doesn't want to move here.

It's just really being away from family,

having to move to a different side of the world away from friends.

I am finding it really hard to just imagine being here.

Everything rests on Christine's ability to convince her

entire family that a move down under offers them the best possible future,

and spending more time together is a huge part of her dream.

So, can a day out Aussie style bring them a step closer?

The Makuves start their day exploring the local area.

-Oh, my gosh!

-That has my name on it!

-I know!

-That's brilliant.

-Oh, my goodness!

Where is the one that says "Mum and Dad"?

What do you say?

-Seeing the children having a fantastic time is great.

-Yeah.

-Vanessa has been...she's been completely giddy.

-Yeah.

I could come here, like, every weekend

and just keep exploring and stuff.

And the family get up close and personal

with some of the local wildlife.

-This one here is our black-headed python.

-Aah!

I did not know that I would ever be able to say "snake"

and "fantastic" in the same sentence until today, but I really enjoyed it.

The Makuves move on to enjoy some time out on the beach.

The day's gone down well with PJ.

The beaches were quite good and, um...

I think the mall was quite good as well. I quite enjoyed the day.

So, could he and Vanessa see themselves enjoying this

kind of lifestyle on a more permanent basis?

I can see some benefits in making a move to Australia,

but I don't think it has really changed my...

opinion much, but it was a nice day.

I don't think I've started to form a proper decision yet,

but it's helping.

It's been a wonderful day,

despite the fact that the weather is not that good today.

We've enjoyed ourselves as if it's been bright and sunny.

I'm feeling quite optimistic about the day today.

I think everybody was actually really happy.

I'm hoping for at least an 80% vote...for Australia, but we'll see.

We'll see.

Her day sampling the Aussie lifestyle has given

the family some valuable thinking time.

It could be Christine's best chance at winning PJ

and Vanessa round, so has it worked?

Based on what we've done today, our vote goes to...

SOME: Australia!

Undecided?

I like what we did today, when we went to the beaches and stuff like

that, but I'm quite sure you could do similar stuff in the UK as well.

- It was really good and it was fun, but it just wasn't...you know,

I thought we could do something similar, you know, in the UK.

I sort of get your point in a way.

However, because of the weather, there is a very, very limited,

you know, window of opportunity in the year where you can do

things like that, so you can do it in the UK, but the point is,

you can't do it all the time, whereas, in Australia,

you might be able to.

Christine's trying to stay positive,

but will the reality of the cost of living down under cast a cloud?

Back in the UK, the Makuves live in army accommodation,

so they don't have a house of their own to sell.

They do have savings, but whether there's enough to

achieve their dreams remains to be seen.

To help them do the figures,

we've prepared a breakdown of their monthly expenses.

-OK, this is the shopping.

-Right.

Sausages - their mid-range value is £4 more expensive.

-Wow!

-That's quite expensive.

-That is a lot.

-Right.

-Per month...

-Per month...

-£1,333.

-I can't believe that.

Compared to £617 in the UK.

That is, you know, double and a bit.

-Goodness me.

-I can't believe that.

That is a difference, Christine, of...

-(My gosh.)

-£716 a month.

That's way more than Christine had ever expected

and there's more to come.

Basing their mortgage on the dream property,

they now have to calculate their entire monthly outgoings.

Total figures...

is a minus £2,065.

2-0-6-5.

And 78p.

I don't know how we're going to come up from this, I mean, you know...

it's kind of, you almost feel like, "OK, well, whatever." You know?

It was a good dream to have, but it's not going to happen.

With the costs mounting against Australia,

can their higher salary prospects help?

Main income...the difference there would be...

-£24,500.

-Yeah.

That you would earn more...

..than in the UK.

And a full-time teaching job down under could potentially mean

an increase of £34,000 a year for Christine.

Wow.

Wow.

That kind of starts to change things slightly, doesn't it?

Looks like the dream could be back on.

We would earn £45,000 more than we're earning now.

So, you mean £45,000 on top of what we currently earn

on a combined basis.

-That's a big wow, isn't it?

-And that's after tax.

-Wow!

-It does work out to, you know, considerably more...

-Yeah.

..on a monthly basis than we currently are paying out.

However, we would still be, you know...

-£20,000 better off per year...

-Even with the increased expenses.

..including that large mortgage.

Exactly and that would include that lovely big house with

the tennis court and swimming pool and acreage and still £20,000,

after tax, in the pocket.

That's a sizeable sum,

but is it enough for Munya to buy into Christine's plans?

Based on the financial comparison of the costs and benefits,

our vote goes to...

BOTH: Australia!

-It's a no-brainer, isn't it?

-Yeah, well...

From the financial point of view -

a no-brainer.

Yeah, looking at the final figures and what

we could potentially save, um, the difference is insurmountable.

Absolutely.

With Munya swayed by the figures,

Christine's dream looks tantalisingly close,

but the final bridge in this journey is often the hardest to cross -

saying goodbye to loved ones.

We've prepared a DVD of messages from friends

and family back in the UK.

So, kids, are you all OK to watch this?

Yes.

-- Yeah.

-Yeah, OK.

SHE INHALES Let's do this, then.

Hi, guys.

Hello, everyone. How are you? Miss you so much.

-Hi, Christine.

-Oh, Mummy!

-It's Mum.

I miss you, you know that.

Christine...

..from when she grew up,

she was a wonderful girl.

She is a really good girl, perfect, polite, bright.

Munya...

..is the reliable person.

Most of the times, he keeps his promises.

And he's very generous.

The children are brilliant...

I love my grandchildren. They're wonderful.

Vanessa's really nice, um...

kind. She's very clever.

PJ and Tin Tin are just the funny people, really!

They're really funny, yeah.

I'm going to miss them greatly.

I know I'll be able and visit and that,

but that's not going to be the same, but all the same...

It'll just be like I've lost something, you know,

like within the family it'll be really sad.

Em...

(Sorry.) Yeah, it'll be really sad, I suppose, but, um...

It's their decision, really, isn't it? So, yeah.

I want you to know that if you decide to move, you're going

to be greatly missed here.

I'm going to miss you. As a sister, Christine,

you've always been there for me

and I can't imagine any life without you around me.

Um, when I found out about you, um... (Sorry.) ..moving to Australia,

em...

I was really sad about it and, um,

I kind of pushed it to the back of my mind,

because, um, I didn't really want to think about it.

You are a big chunk of my life and I really, really miss you,

but, obviously, you've found, um, new beginnings there.

Eh, you're going to start a new life.

I'm all right with that,

but I will definitely miss you and hope the best.

Bye.

What are we feeling, darling boy?

I knew it would be sad, but I didn't think it would be this sad.

Go and cuddle Mummy.

- That would be really hard to move to Australia...

just because of, like, close bonds that we've formed with family.

-TIN TIN:

-Australia has its good bits, but after that video,

I'm starting to think a lot about the bad things, like being

so far away from our friends and family.

The reality of emigrating is always hard to face, but the messages

from home have deeply affected the entire family, especially Tin Tin.

So, will her children's reaction change Christine's belief

in a move down under or will she continue to pursue her dream?

I was in a state of turmoil last night

when we saw the friends and family video.

We hadn't anticipated the impact that that was going to have on us

as a family and it was horrendous.

The worst bit was Tin Tin who was absolutely distraught.

He was distraught beyond description.

I'm finding the final vote really hard cos I like Australia,

but I found out I really, really miss my family.

As a parent, that's really hard to see.

I started to question what we were doing, you know, um...

And what we'd be doing to him.

Munya also feels there's a lot to weigh up.

I'm still thinking, I'm still putting my thoughts together and I'm

trying to tie up my thoughts and my feelings together to get it right.

It's been a week of highs and lows for the Makuves.

-The family were blown away by Aussie houses.

-This is it, yeah!

This is it!

And positive news on the work front meant

they could afford the dream home.

So, you mean £45,000 on top of what we currently earn.

But the thought of leaving loved ones behind was

heartbreaking for the family.

As it draws to a close, has the trial week done anything to

sway Vanessa and PJ towards a life down under?

Before, I just didn't want to come here at all.

It's not that I want to come here now, it's just that...

I've found that it's a better place than I thought it would be.

- I didn't want to move here,

so I just decided that I wouldn't like it, but...

I did like it. I did enjoy it. It's actually really nice here.

So, as it comes to the final turn of the cards,

where does the family's future lie?

Based on everything we've done and learned in Australia,

our vote goes to...

-Australia.

-UK.

Right, so...

PJ, you voted, um...

-UK.

-So, that's one UK, three Australia...

and an undecided.

I just feel like bonds have been...

too strong in the UK, we've gotten too close to family

and friends and...

I just don't think I can move.

- It was just really hard for me to choose.

I think what this means for me is that, right now, I think I'm fine...

in the UK, but that means that I could possibly move to

-Australia if, like, the decision was made later.

-OK.

Considering that you didn't want to come at all, um,

that's actually quite a positive thing, isn't it, really?

And, Tin Tin, you've finally decided you like Australia?

- Um, like I said before, it has its ups and it has its downs and,

um, like PJ said, we do have bonds with, um, our family.

There's family in the UK, but it's also very cold,

so I've chosen Australia.

Very difficult to think about family,

to think about leaving an environment where you're stable,

um, but in the bigger picture,

considering what Christine wants, and just considering the potential

that's here in Australia in terms of the way of life, I think,

Australia, long-term, will be the way to go.

We're going to go home and we're going to have a powwow,

then Munya and I...

are going to be looking at trying to make the job opportunities

a bit more solid, cos we know now what to do and where the

opportunities are, so, we're going to be, hopefully, applying or at least

looking out for those opportunities and trying to see

whether we can make that move as soon as we can.

It's been an incredibly emotional week for the Makuves

and while Christine may not have achieved the clean sweep

she was hoping for, she has at least managed to win some of the

family round and while there's hope,

Christine has no intention of giving up on her Australian dream.