NICK Galvin, his wife Meg and their two children have made what many would consider a crazy move -- exchanging life on a sun-kissed Australian beach for a year living in Chiseldon, Swindon.

Here Nick, 37, who has just joined the Evening Advertiser, Swindon, as a sub editor, explains why and how they've come over.

WHEN I first suggested to my wife that, being a modern couple, maybe we should try the swapping scene, the atmosphere around the breakfast table became distinctly frosty.

However, she became much more enthusiastic once I explained I was talking about house swapping rather than the racier kind.

At the time, we were living in a tiny seaside village on the far southern tip of Sydney, Australia.

English by birth, I'd been in Australia for about 10 years and had a hankering to return to my roots, if not permanently, then at least for a considerable length of time. Luckily, my Brisbane-born wife Meg, 39, shared my enthusiasm so, more on a whim than with any real expectation of success, we placed a small ad in the back of the national magazine of a church group.

'Family living in beautiful beach suburb of Sydney seeks long-term house swap. Any location in the UK considered.'

A couple of weeks later an email arrived from the Brittains of Chiseldon. Were they interested in a long-term swap?

Yes, a year would suit them just fine.

Were they happy to swap cars, too?

No problem.

Er, well let's do it then.

And it really is as simple as that. It sounds like a very complicated thing to do - but once you've found people and a place you're comfortable with, and got to the point where you trust each other, there's not much more to it than popping the keys under the mat and heading off to your new home.

The concept of swapping homes has been around for a long time.

However, the number of people grabbing the chance of a low-cost holiday has rocketed with the rise of the internet, which makes getting in touch and swapping information much easier and quicker.

Homelink International, the UK's largest house-swapping company has nearly 13,000 active swappers on its books and that figure is growing by about 10 per cent each year.

Their clients travel to destinations as exotic as Estonia, Iceland and Dubai as well as more conventional spots such as France, Ireland and the US.

Homelink International's Jim Anderson said new swappers were invariably concerned about handing over their house and car to complete strangers.

However, problems of theft or damage were almost non-existent, said Mr Anderson. In fact, insurance companies were generally happy to hear clients' homes were not left vacant.

"Effectively, you are getting a free house sitter," he said.

In our case, the arrangement could not be working better.

Our children, Molly, three-and-a-half, and Lucy, 18 months, were both born in Sydney and know little about their English heritage other than the fact their daddy has a strange accent.

Taking up a long-term house-swap means we can show them their roots and let them get to know their grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.

And as we enjoy exploring Wiltshire and catching up with family and friends, our house-swap partners John and Libby Brittain are revelling in the beaches, bushland and sunshine of Bundeena, New South Wales.

John, 65, is a retired airline pilot, while Libby, also 65, was kept busy raising their five children - all grown-up now. They have lived in Chiseldon for more than 40 years but John freely admitted he's no great fan of the Wiltshire winters, making the lure of a Sydney summer irresistible.

"It is just glorious," he said from New South Wales. "I can't believe how wonderful it is here."

The Brittains are spending their time in Australia catching up with some of their own family, touring the region and indulging their first love -- golf.

Daughter Bernadette Willis, 36, of Coleview, is thrilled her parents are having the holiday of a lifetime.

"I think it's a fantastic idea and it all seems to have worked out well for all parties," she said. "They absolutely love it and have made a lot of friends out there. They love the easy-going lifestyle and, of course, the weather."

In fact the Brittains are so content in their new 'home', they are tempted to make it permanent.

"If it wasn't for the children back home, we'd say, 'Sell up - we're staying," laughed John.

* Nick and his family are by no means alone. London Weekend Television would like to hear from any families who want to do what he has done, although just within the British Isles. The company is making another BBC1 series of FamilyXchange, and wants to hear from families who want to swap lives with another family.

Presented by Nadia Sawalha, the programme bills itself as 'a fascinating opportunity to take your family on a journey of discovery and see how the other half live.'

Anyone interested in taking part can call 0870 881 0865

Nick Glavin