20 episodes · 4th January 2010
When the Hannah family from Glasgow test out life in Brisbane for a week, it is an emotional roller-coaster as they sample jobs and leisure. Will they decide to make the momentous move for good, or will the pressure divide the family?
The Roberts from Wigan sample life in Darwin for a week. Kiera Roberts is expecting her first child; she and husband Andy are hoping Australia will be a great place to bring up a young family, but have they underestimated the pull of family thousands of miles away back in the UK?
The Fosters from Derby test out life in Perth, Western Australia for a week. Husband Wayne wants to know how well they will be accepted as a mixed-race family, while Lois faces a momentous decision - if she moves to Australia for the sake of her younger children, it will mean leaving her fourteen-year-old daughter Amy in the UK.
Busy pub landlord Simon and wife Claire want to find out if New Zealand will enable them to give their daughters a better life. Simon wants to retrain as a wine-maker, but will he achieve the work-life balance his daughter Izzy longs for him to have? Ultimately, can they bring themselves to leave family and friends behind in the UK?
The Mills family from Eastbourne test out life in Australia for a week. Jem and Sally Mills run a successful psychotherapy business in Sussex, and want to see if they could do the same in the surfers' paradise of Byron Bay. Will the harsh employment realities, and the cost of living down under, put an end to their dream?
The Saunders family from South London experience life in Brisbane for a week. It doesn't go smoothly. The family try out camping in the bush, but it ends in tears. Robin Saunders is a specialist shoe-maker - he's been with the same company all his working life. When he samples a similar job in Queensland, his loyalties are torn.
The Boyd family from Ayrshire try out life in Darwin. House-husband James has been trying to persuade wife Naomi to make the move to Australia to give their young children a better life. Finally she agrees, but when they get out there, he's in for a bumpy ride.
The Wilson family from Liverpool want more space and better weather to enjoy an outdoor life. They try out life in Perth, Western Australia, for a week. John Wilson finds a potential job as an artisan baker. But, the family hadn't bargained on the emotions they experience at the prospect of leaving friends and family back on in the UK.
The Campbell's live near Falkirk with their three energetic children. They're fed up with the cold and rain of northern Britain, and want their family to flourish in the sun so they sample life in Cairns for a week. They love the heat and lifestyle of Northern Queensland, but elder daughter Kirsty doesn't want to leave her friends back in their Scottish village.
Sharon Cole lives with her two teenage sons in Yorkshire. She's separated from their father, and wants to find a new life in New Zealand, leaving sad memories behind. She and her boys try out life in Auckland for a week. They get a glimpse of an optimistic future, but crossing the world to get away from the past isn't that easy.
The Haighs from Plymouth go to experience the tropical heat of Cairns in Queensland for a trial week. Wife Kerry is determined that builder husband Paul will like it and vote to emigrate. But it is not that simple, as he has serious doubts throughout the week; Kerry will not stand for it.
The Pages from Surrey try out life in Perth for a week. Ian Page wants his family to share his dream of a new life down under. But wife Jacquie doesn't see what is so wrong with home, and tensions mount. And things only get tougher when they are reminded how much they are leaving behind.
Andrea from Leeds has always wanted to live abroad, but husband Martin has taken a while to get used to the whole idea. They experience life in Darwin for a week, but will they be able to leave the stability of a large family behind and risk everything they have worked for?
Teachers Vanessa and Phil Taylor have been thinking about moving to New Zealand for a better life for their family for some years, so they try out life in Auckland for a week. They have three teenage children, but not all of them want to go; the Taylors have some tough choices ahead of them.
Tony Mercer was a property developer in the Wirral, who has been hit by the credit crunch and is now a house-husband. Wife Jane is a hairdresser - a job in demand in Australia. They sample life for a week in Darwin, and it turns out to be an emotional time, both for them and their children.
Karen Galloway is desperate for to move her family to New Zealand. She's tempted by a brand new start in a beautiful fairy-tale setting. But after less than 24 hours into their trial week in Auckland, disaster strikes. This trip is almost over before it's even begun.
Alan Cappleman lives with his family in Newcastle. He's desperate to start a new life in Australia - as a sports teacher it offers him the ideal lifestyle. But his wife Louise isn't keen on uprooting her family. On their trial week in Perth, Louise digs in her heels. Alan's plans might have to change.
Engineer Steve Clelland from Falkirk has a dream of spending more time with his family by moving to New Zealand for a better life. But his wife Leslie isn't so sure he can stop working so hard, wherever they are. They try out life in Auckland for a week. Will they be able to afford a house there that Lesley will want? They have some tough choices ahead of them.
Helen and Gary Ward from Bradford are considering swapping the daily grind of the UK for a new life in Australia. The family try out life in Darwin for a week. Helen needs a warmer climate for her health, but will their 15-year-old daughter Rebecca be persuaded to make the move down under? With such strong pulls in both directions, there could be tough times ahead.
The Wall family from Nottinghamshire experience life for a week in Perth. In the UK, Paul works as a carpenter, but he's been hit by the credit crunch. His wife Angela juggles two jobs to make ends meet. They're worried about son Dylanp's prospects in the UK, as he's dyslexic. Life is a struggle for the family, and a move down under might be the solution. But could the financial reality of life in Australia put an end to their dreams?
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