The Real Seachange

Not long ago, the Australian dream was pretty simple -

a block of land and a home in the suburbs.

Today, the dream's changed.

A lot of people are taking chances on a new life and new friends

and a different place to live.

Over the next few weeks, we'll meet some families who are risking it all.

Some find paradise, some don't,

as they all experience The Real Seachange.

Tonight...

Here we are.

..Simon and Jacqui's emotional escape to the bush.

Charlie could have gone.

We didn't know what the outcome could have been.

Quitting the city when a life hangs in the balance.

It was probably the worst time in my life.

And no idea what they're getting themselves into.

What do you think? What am I meant to be looking for?

Dean and Annie search for happiness in a remote fishing village.

But our whole life is just totally packed in what's across there,

and I guess we're just going to make it up as we go.

But will a small shop generate enough money to survive?

Bank owns our arse at the moment, and we're only five weeks in.

As homesickness threatens to unravel it all.

I just really miss everyone.

It's a different crowd, and it's been really hard.

And try this for a seachange -

a 50-bedroom French chateau.

Welcome home. It's all ours.

Yep. At last.

But Cosimo's outrageous move threatens to backfire.

Look - the roof caved in.

My goodness. Look at that. I know.

Hi, guys.

A tearful reunion...

Dad! Daddy!

But is he facing financial heartbreak?

Oh, you can grow lettuces and carrots.

Jacqui and Simon are a typical Aussie family.

Oh! Oops.

Two incomes, a couple of kids and a house in the suburbs.

But for them, living in Sydney ain't all it's cracked up to be.

OK. One more.

I won't miss the fast, hectic pace of the city life. The noise, yeah.

From our house, on one side of the house,

we've got sort of a busy road, so that's not much fun.

The children don't sleep as well. I'm sure that's the reason.

So they're throwing in their jobs and getting out.

Yep - everything's going to the farm.

Yes, that's right - these city folk are escaping to a farm.

So, what do you want to put in this one?

Um... saucepans...

Trouble is, they know NOTHING about life on the land.

We hope what we're venturing into is going to be successful.

So we've got to stay focused and positive on that,

but you just don't know what's around the corner.

Hey, buddy, this is the last box.

We might put Charlie in this box, buddy.

Little Charlie's the main reason Jacqui and Simon are risking it all.

They made the decision

after nearly losing their youngest son to meningitis.

For a while there, it was unknown what was going to happen to him.

And for about two months... Five or six weeks, we...

..we couldn't hold him. ..we couldn't pick him up.

As soon as we picked him up, he arched his back,

and then back into the bed,

and it was devastating.

As Charlie battled a rare tropical strain of meningitis,

specialists were struggling to save his life.

It was probably the worst time in my life.

You know, there were times there

where I just couldn't hold it together.

Charlie could have gone.

We didn't know what the outcome could have been.

After weeks of intensive treatment, Charlie recovered,

and it gave Jacqui and Simon the resolve to change their lives.

Life is too short. You've got to be happy.

And you've got to move on to make things happy.

Are you teary? Yeah.

Dean and Annie are about to quit Melbourne

for a risky new life in Tasmania.

Emotional?

Yeah, I reckon we're pretty emotional about the whole thing.

Bloody oath.

You were crying on the way down.

When we left, I bawled my eyes out. But...

Yeah, we were. Um, I'm not...

I don't think it's really hit me yet.

No... Until we get on the boat.

They're giving up a restaurant that pulled in over $350,000 a year.

Dean and I were working 18 hours a day, 7 days a week.

They've bought a general store

that'd be lucky to see 350 PEOPLE a year.

We're building a little shack and a little residence

and we've got to turn it around to get the money from the bank

to float the business, to get the business up and running.

We haven't borrowed, begged and stealed from anybody,

but our whole life is just totally packed in what's across there,

and I guess we're just going to make it up as we go.

At 34, Dean and Annie have been priced out

of the housing market in Melbourne.

We're getting a bit older, and... Yeah, well...

We want to have a family. We want to have a family, for sure.

We know we're going to be together for the rest of our lives.

If you run a restaurant and your wife's a chef,

I can tell you right now, if you can last for two years doing that,

you can last anything.

That's for all those chefs, I'll tell you.

I only threw something once.

And it was a souvlaki. Bull...!

You threw heaps. You threw heaps.

Nothing hard. No pans. Yeah...

So, next stop - Tassie.

And the challenge for these city folk?

Fitting into a tight-knit community of just 300 people.

ENGINE STARTS, REVS

Interior designer Cosimo

is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

I think it's following a dream.

You know, I fell in love with the place

and I want to go one step further and live there.

Selling up and moving his family overseas is only the start of it.

A seachange doesn't come any more extreme or expensive than this.

A stunning 50-bedroom chateau he's bought in France.

The very first day that we drove up to the chateau,

we found where we were going to live for the next six or so years,

or 10 years or whatever.

The plan is that we set up a very small, boutique hotel,

with about 15 rooms,

and run it as a business from home, for all of us,

and still enjoy the countryside at the same time.

But there's a problem with this French fairytale.

Cosimo took a punt and sent his family to the chateau first.

He thought the Sydney house would sell right away.

But six weeks later, still no buyer.

Cosimo is trapped home alone.

I feel bad. I feel totally, um... "Have I done the right thing?"

You know, "Is it the right thing for the kids?"

You got three meatballs.

I haven't had a drink. Three meatballs. Over there.

It's a bit hard to be alone here in the chateau,

all by myself, with the kids.

It's cold and it's dark

and, um... I just hope Cosimo can sell really quickly

and come and meet us and give me a hand to sort all this out.

Cosimo and French-born Patricia

want to give their children the experience of a lifetime,

growing up in a chateau.

And there's chips after you finish your pasta.

But they're struggling without Dad.

PHONE RINGS

Hello? Hi, baby.

How are you? How are you going? Hi, baby. Good.

I miss you. I miss you too, baby. Ciao, bella.

When are you coming, Daddy? Soon, sweetheart.

I'm coming very, very soon. Before you can say, "Bob's your uncle."

Bob's your uncle. Oh! Not that quick. (Chuckles)

Alright. I'll be there soon. I love you.

Love you.

With all his money committed to the chateau,

a freak hailstorm has just shattered his dream palace.

What's happened? What?

The repair bill - wait for it -

$2 million.

What, have you got some bad news, have you? What's happened?

What? 1,000?

Pieces or windows?

In Kenthurst, Cosimo receives a phone call from his wife.

They had a hailstorm and, uh, 1,000 pieces of glass have been broken

on the chateau windows, on one face only.

It looks like we have to pay for them, by the sound of things.

Patricia captured the damage for Cosimo to see.

They have plastic put in for the water not to come in.

It comes out of our pocket

and it's apparently quite expensive to get done.

So we've got a problem. I didn't anticipate on having it.

It's disastrous news.

The repair bill is expected to be a whopping $2 million.

Worse still, Cosimo's insurance may not cover the cost.

It's her last day in Sydney,

so today Jacqui is saying farewell to the only job she's ever known -

as a kindergarten teacher.

Where are we off to? Farm.

The farm - that's right.

It is the biggest move for us -

it's the biggest change in our lives together.

"Jonathan's mother told him exciting stories

"about the moon and its magic."

My last day, I had a present from the staff

and it was 'The Idiot's Guide on Running B&Bs and Farmstays',

and I think that's really appropriate for us.

See you!

It's also Simon's last day at the supermarket

that's been in his family for over 25 years.

Hi, Selina. How are you going? Hey, Simon. How are you?

A typical day with the shop - so monotonous.

There would be no variation for 10 years.

So bored by the end of it. Yeah - bored.

The funny thing - I was just bored.

Simon earns $70,000 a year running this little suburban supermarket.

He's giving it up to become a first-time cattle farmer.