Wanted Down Under Revisited

Life was hard for the Holroyds in 2015. Dad Simon's working week started at 2.45am on Monday morning and didn't finish until after 8.00pm on Friday night. When he eventually got home, he was too tired to spend any quality time with his family. The routine was driving loving wife Helen to tears every day, and threatened to tear her family apart.

Desperate for change, she believed a fresh start for her family in Australia could be the solution. But leaving the UK would also mean Helen having to say goodbye to her mum, the one person who was always there for her at home.

When the family experienced a trial week in Australia, everyone agreed their future would be brighter down under. So one year on, where do they family now call home?

In 2015, Australia-born Shari was desperate to return to her home country. When she met her husband Karie while travelling in the UK eight years previously, she had been upfront about her desire to return down under - and he had agreed they would one day make the country their home. The big question was when that would happen.

Happy with their life in the UK, Karie was questioning his work prospects in Australia and worried about living on the other side of the world from his family and friends. Frustrated at waiting for Karie to fulfil his promise, Shari had run out of patience and was considering making the move without him. A trial week in Perth revealed the country had plenty of potential for both Karie and Shari, but one year on was it enough to keep the couple united on the same side of the world?

When the Wards spent a trial week in Darwin in 2009, mum Helen and dad Gary were hoping the country would be the key to a happier future. Gary had visited the country ten years previously and had convinced Helen the climate and lifestyle would help alleviate her seasonal depression. But with teenage daughter Rebecca reluctant to leave her beloved horses in the UK, it looked like they could have a challenge convincing her to move.

Fortunately the prospect of a laidback lifestyle in the sunshine eventually won her over, and by the end of the week the whole family were in agreement - their future lay down under. Seven years on, are the family in the UK or living the life they all fell for in Australia?

In 2014, Gentle Spenceley was desperate to convince husband Phil to uproot their life in the UK and move to New Zealand - the country where she was born. Having moved to the UK when she was just six months old, Gentle had spent a lifetime longing to return down under. When the couple chose the country as their honeymoon destination, she hoped it would sell itself to Phil as somewhere they could start married life. But three weeks down under failed to win him over.

When they became parents to Harrison in 2012, Gentle had put her dream of emigrating on the back burner. However, when Phil revealed he didn't feel settled in the English countryside soon after, she seized the opportunity to make him reconsider moving to the other side of the world.

A trial week in Auckland was Gentle's last shot at persuading Phil to cast aside his practical and emotional concerns in order to follow her dream - and her efforts finally paid off. Now, two years on, have the family made the leap and moved down under or are they still at home in the UK?

In 2015, singer Victoria Underwood was longing to move her young family to Australia so she could be living on the same continent as the older sister she idolised. When her sister Emma had emigrated eight years previously, Victoria had been utterly devastated, and the pain of living on opposite sides of the world hadn't eased with time.

Husband Rob, however, had serious reservations about turning his back on their life in the UK - especially as it would mean breaking close ties with his 18-year-old son Billy, who was living in London. An entertainer too, Rob also feared a move would mean an end to the regular gigs he and his wife had built up in Grimsby.

A trial week in the Gold Coast gave the couple their first taste of what Australian living would be like for them and their two young children. Happily for Victoria, Rob agreed they could make a good life for themselves down under. So one year on, are the family living the dream on the other side of the world?

In 2012, Stuart and Gill Orrett longed to move their family to Australia to be closer to their eldest daughter Christine and their baby granddaughter. A trial week in Perth showed them a snapshot of how their life would look on the southern hemisphere, and while youngest daughter Lauren wasn't convinced, the rest of the family agreed it was the place for them.

When we caught up with the family in 2013, they were living in limbo in the UK. Convinced their future lay in Australia, paramedic Gill had managed to secure a job down under, but with a start date proving elusive, the family had no idea how long it would be before they were on the move.

Three years later, have the Orretts finally made it to the other side of the world, or did they decide their future lies a lot closer to home?

Danyel hated the UK's cold and wet weather and for years had longed to live a more outdoors lifestyle in the Australian sunshine. A previous attempt to secure the family a visa had resulted in her losing thousands of pounds - and with it, husband Guy's willingness to consider moving to a country none of them had ever visited. Convinced Australia wasn't where his family should be, he feared giving up the job he had held for 20 years and saying goodbye to their incredibly close-knit family in the UK. Eldest daughter Leeya was adamant she didn't want to leave her friends, and the thought of leaving extended family was enough to move another daughter, Lauren, to tears.

A trial week in Perth proved insightful and confirmed Danyel's belief their life could indeed be better down under. So one year on, have the Pedley-McKnights decided home is where the heart is, or have they moved to the other side of the world?

Lynn Horn had dreamt of moving to Australia ever since childhood and, after years of discussion, husband Andy was finally in agreement the country could be somewhere they could call home. But with two teenage children less than convinced, the family's future looked far from certain.

A trial week in Adelaide in 2010 gave the whole family their first taste of what life down under could be like. At the end of it, mum, dad and son Chris were all up for moving, but daughter Kirsty wasn't in agreement. Concerned about leaving her life and boyfriend in the UK, she had decided home was where the heart is.

When we caught up with the family in 2011, they were still living in the UK, but Australia was firmly in their sights - and Kirsty was fully on-board for a move. The only thing holding them back was finances, but dad Andy was hopeful he had found a buyer for his glazing firm, and it was only a matter of time before they were away.

So, six years after their trial week, have the Horns made it to the other side of the world, or have they decided to stay with the life they already had in the UK?

Ever since a holiday in Australia in his twenties, Richard Restarick had been keen to make a permanent return to the country. But plans to emigrate were put on hold ten years ago after he met the love of his life, Nieva, online.

As their relationship blossomed, Nieva left her home country of the Philippines to join Richard in the UK. After struggling to settle initially, she had grown to love her new life in England and had forged a close-knit group of friends.

But tough times running a business had seen Richard's thoughts return to emigrating down under, and he firmly believed the country could offer his wife and his daughter, Izzy, a brighter future. Nieva, however, wasn't interested in upping sticks and starting again in a new country for a second time and was worried Richard's dreams could drive them into poverty - something she had experienced in her childhood.

A trial week in Adelaide helped Richard convince Nieva they could be happy in Australia, but Izzy was less impressed, and the thought of leaving family and friends saw her vote to stay in the UK.

So, one year on, have the family made the move or decided to stay put in the UK?

In 2015 Julie was longing to make Australia her home, having first fallen for the country in her youth. Married with three children, she believed the time to move had finally arrived - and to prove it, she had already secured the family a visa to emigrate. With husband Dan having developed a serious case of cold feet, a trial week in Perth turned out to be just what was needed to allay his fears about walking away from a career he had worked hard to establish and saying goodbye to his much-loved dad in the UK.

So one year on, have the Rutland family made it down under or decided to stay put in the UK?

Young couple Hannah and Zameer were struggling in the UK. To make ends meet, Hannah worked 13-hour shifts, sometimes without breaks, and Zameer was constantly doing overtime to increase his family's income. Since 2012, moving to Australia had been Hannah's 'project', but her husband didn't share the dream. She truly believed he would thank her for moving the family down under, and that once he had seen it for himself, he would buy into her way of thinking. For Zameer, though, Australia was just the latest in a long line of Hannah's grand plans which may not work out for the best. For every reason she wanted to move, he could make an argument to stay.

However, when a week down under proved Hannah right, Zameer had to agree that the country was somewhere they could call home. So one year on, are the family still living in the UK, or have they made it to the other side of the world?

When air traffic controller Andrew Crompton applied for a job in Australia, his wife Gemma was hoping it was a flash in the pan idea that would soon disappear. Months later, however, Andrew had secured a job offer, meaning his family could soon be jetting off for a new life on the other side of the world. Unfortunately for him, Gemma wasn't convinced Australia was where her family should spend the rest of their lives. Having previously served abroad in the armed forces, she was more than happy to be at home, and the thought of uprooting and leaving close family was enough to move her to tears.

After spending a week on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Gemma had to admit she was impressed by what the country could offer her family. So one year after greenlighting her husband's ambition to move, have the family made themselves at home in Australia or have they decided to stay in the UK?

An updated look at families previously featured on Wanted Down Under. Paula Jones had struggled to make ends meet ever since becoming a single mum and, despite going back to university, had no choice but to rely on the state for support. Desperate to provide a better future for her children and escape the benefits trap, Paula was considering a fresh start with her family in Australia. But while son Luke was up for a move, daughter Kacey wasn't convinced that what the country had to offer was worth sacrificing the close relationship she had with her dad.

On their first trip down under in 2015, the family spent a week in Adelaide. Did the financial reality of life in Australia live up to Paula's hopes and persuade Kacey to make the move? One year on, we find out where the Joneses are now.

In 2014, James Cornish was working around a hundred hours a week as a pub landlord. With his wife Lisa teaching accountancy at colleges across the country, the couple were missing out on quality time with their sons Sami and Luis.

Desperate to address their work-life balance, Lisa believed they could turn their lives around in Australia. However, emigrating would come at a huge price as James's daughter from a previous relationship would be left behind in the UK. Even if the family could persuade Lauryn to visit regularly, James faced the prospect of being separated from her for most of the year.

A trial week in Melbourne gave the whole family a chance to witness how much their lives could be transformed down under - and Lauryn agreed she would happily call the country her second home. Two years on, have the Cornish family called time on their busy life in the UK and moved to the other side of the world, or has the reality of James being so far from his daughter pulled the plug on their Australian dream?

Greg Wallen fell in love with New Zealand while travelling in the country as a backpacker. On returning to the UK, he was just months from making a permanent return down under when a dabble in online dating saw him meet the love of his life, Jenni. Three years later the couple were married and living in Sheffield, and Greg was a loving stepfather to three-year-old Evie. But his dream of living the Kiwi lifestyle hadn't disappeared, leaving Jenni faced with a massive decision.

When the family spent a trial week in Auckland in 2015, Greg was hoping it would be enough to persuade Jenni to buy into his dream. So one year on, what side of the world do the family now call home?

Back in 2012, the Fitzpatrick family experienced a trial week in Auckland. After years spent dreaming about emigrating, prison officer Billy was hoping the trip would show his wife Beth that the country offered a better future for their two young sons. But used to life in the Scottish village where she had grown up, Beth wasn't willing to jump into relocating to a country she had never even visited without careful consideration, especially as it would mean cutting close ties to her mum.

When New Zealand's properties failed to impress her, Billy's chances of pursuing the dream life he wanted looked shaky. But after witnessing how much the lifestyle would suit her sons, things started to turn around, and Billy was delighted when, at the end of the week, the whole family voted to make the country their home. Four years on, we find out which side of the world the family call home.