Wanted Down Under

One of my favourite programmes is Wanted Down Under where brit families experience a week in New Zealand or Australia and then consider whether they can uproot themselves to that country permanently.

It never ceases to amaze me how much emphasis is on the children, whether they will be happy (at school, College etc) and this can have a negative impact on the family as a whole.

Speaking as an army brat, and having experiences living overseas in Malaysia and Germany, I can tell you I had more than my fair share of tears at leaving a location and my friends etc and no doubt my parents did too. It is all to easy to see thinks in black and white as a child, but when you grow up you realise that those experiences shape your life and I wouldn't have changed any of them.. well perhaps the snake incident possibly.

Leaving behind friends and relatives is hard, but back in the 60's we only had access to letters and post took best part of two weeks to arrive in the Far East. These days with modern communications, internet, skype, telephone it is much easier to stay in contact and not just voice but video too; while it isn't the same as popping round to Auntie Jean's it is a means of keeping in touch.

I love the catch up programmes where they revisit the families and where they are right now, some choose to go even with reservations about missing families but many of them settle for safety and security. It is a real people watching programme and you get to see some bits of Australia that isn't Home and Away or Neighbours.

PS. New Zealand experienced a major earthquake last night and sadly there was a number of lives lost. There is real spirit in the survivors and they will need that in the days to come.