Womindjeka!

The flight landed at Melbourne Airport around 11:30 am. I got my luggage without any issues, filled out the declaration form, and passed through immigration without any problems. Smooth!

Here I am! Finally setting this little feet on the land of kangaroos.

The process to get here was a long one, but luckily I did not have to deal with getting my work visa. The university lawyer handled it on my behalf; I only provided all the necessary documents, and everything else was taken care of by the lawyer. I am lucky.

I am writing this blog after staying in Melbourne for one week; it was such an incredible week. Quite a few cultural shocks, but everything in a good way.

First off, the folks here are super friendly and always smiling. They’ll flash a grin at strangers like it’s no big deal. You can’t forget that classic Aussie saying, “Good day mate!” because it’s spot on! People are always saying hi—it’s just part of their daily routine. You’ll hear things like “Have a good day!”, “Have a good one!”, and “Cheers!” tossed around in conversation like it’s totally normal.

Efficiency. So, the place I’m currently at—the University of Melbourne—is known as the best uni in Australia, and it totally lives up to the hype. I had all my stuff sorted on my first day; they set everything up even before I got there. The campus staff are super quick and responsive. Everything runs smoothly. Plus, the university facilities are really nice. Like, I got my ID card ready in less than five minutes!

Crossing the street here is pretty cool! I always knew that Australians drive quite differently, but what’s really interesting is how drivers always let pedestrians go first. Seriously, they always stop and let me cross, especially when there’s no crossing light. I’m still not getting used to it because back where I’m from, walkers usually have to wait until there are no cars or anything around before crossing. It’s definitely a nice change!

Animals and Plants. OMG, this place is super cool! I always joke about fighting a kangaroo while I’m here in Australia, and guess what? That first weekend, I set out to find some! I hit up this park called Woodland Historic Park and saw a bunch of kangaroos. They’re really cute and jumpy, but unlike those memes online, the kangaroos here are kinda shy. They tend to bounce away whenever they spot me or anyone else nearby. They usually hang out in groups, chillin’ under the trees like a little family. Oh, and I also spotted a bandicoot! This area is a conservation area for them, and it kinda looks like a bigger shrew with a pointy nose and tiny ears—it hops around and digs holes in the ground. There are loads of birds in this park too, but wow, it’s really, really hot!

Foods! This is very important. Every day is a food adventure for me. Melbourne is a multicultural city, and I am having a blast trying different menus every day. I tried an African food called Ghana Jollof and plantain, which is basically a deep-fried banana. I also tried Greek food, which I forgot what to call, and so many others! So in general, the food was great!

Alright, that’s for now the highlight of my first week in Melbourne. Learning the system, and I am starting to love it. May everything else from now on run smoothly, Aamiinn 🙂

Cheers!

18 January 2026. Sunday night.