It's really different in here.
Like, the foods are different, the people are different.
All the things are different, even the shops.
I kind of just knew that it was a lot warmer than New Zealand,
which is why I was a bit nervous
because I didn't actually know that much about it.
Maya and Georgia grew up worlds apart.
But they share one life-changing experience,
leaving everything they've ever known to come to Australia.
For 11-year-old Georgia, home used to be Auckland, New Zealand.
But when she was nine, her dad was offered a new job in Australia,
so her family made the move as migrants.
Well, I guess the hardest...
One of the hardest things about moving to Australia
was not actually knowing what it was like
and not knowing if I'd make many friends.
A migrant is a person who's left their country voluntarily
to start a new life in a new land.
They might do that for work or study,
to live closer to family and friends
or for a new experience
and they can come from any country.
Georgia found it hard at first
but she settled in and found some positives to Aussie life.
I like the fact that you can actually go to the beach
and not freeze, basically.
She goes back to New Zealand to visit
and has kept this box of special things to remind her.
I can't really imagine how hard it would be to leave
all this behind, because, I guess,
it's my memories of my entire life.
Like, I've got stuff from when I was first born to now
and it would be really hard to leave behind.
A few years before Georgia arrived in Australia,
11-year-old Maya was living in Iran in the Middle East
with her twin brother Martin and their mum and dad.
In the school I had to wear a scarf and their breaks were, like,
really long and we wouldn't have lunch in school,
we would have to come home.
Maya's mum says the family were forced to leave the country
when it became very dangerous for them there.
Because we have a lot of problem with government of Iran
and we can't stay anymore in Iran.
My husband wasn't safe in Iran and we can't back to Iran.
That's why their family were given permission
to come to Australia as refugees.
Refugees are people who were forced to leave their home country,
because their lives have been threatened by war,
violence or bad treatment,
often because of their race gender or beliefs.
Maya, Martin and their parents arrived in Australia
with just a few clothes
and without a word of English.
Oh, my God, this is different.
This is way different.
I was kind of, like, shocked, like, how people were.
Maya, what was the hardest part, do you think,
about coming from Iran to Australia?
The language has been the hardest part,
like, 'cause I haven't been understanding what they said.
Writing English was another challenge.
I used to get confused, because in Australia
you write from the left side, right?
But in Iran you write from the right side,
so it was kind of confusing.
Her parents are still learning English,
although Maya's got the Aussie twang down pat.
When I speak they say I'm like an Aussie and they can't understand me.
But even years later, it's still hard being so far from family
and not being able to visit.
Every time we can, like, call our grandpa and grandma,
we would and, like, I do miss them.
Sometimes I wish they were here with us.
(WHISTLES AND CLAPS)
Hello, everyone.
Thank you so much for coming here tonight and please make sure
that you say hello to someone that you haven't met before.
All around Australia,
there are charities that work to help welcome new arrivals to this country,
just like the one Maya and Georgia are visiting tonight.
Maya and Georgia have never met until now,
but they've both been here before.
Georgia as a volunteer and Maya when she first arrived.
The first time I came here it was actually when...
..with a friend of ours and she introduced us
to the welcome centre.
And it felt good, I guess.
It was really kind.
So, I felt special.
Well, I guess we both moved overseas, but Maya's experience
is a lot different to mine and, I guess, hers was a lot harder.
While both of these kids have faced some challenges
moving to a new country, they say they feel lucky
to have always felt welcome in their new home Down Under.