Australia Weather News

It was predicted to be wet and windy, but that didn't matter to a group of young people from refugee backgrounds on their first trip to the snow.

Forty young people aged between 13 and 25, who recently settled in Albury Wodonga on the New South Wales-Victoria border, visited Falls Creek to see snow with their own eyes for the first time.

Originating from countries including Nepal, Bhutan and The Democratic Republic of the Congo, most of the refugees arrived in Australia in March.

Christian Bashimbe, a member of the Albury Wodonga African Youth (AWAY) group, helped to organise the outing, having never been to the snow himself.

"There was no difference between the sky and the ground, it was all white. It was really cold!" Mr Bashimbe said.

"When everyone was getting ready in the bus at the top of the mountain, we had to select the right sized clothes and boots, and everyone was excited to go outside.

"When we stepped outside, we all started screaming and saying, 'Wow, this is snow!'," Mr Bashimbe said.

Warm clothes donated by community

Snow gear and warm clothes were donated and lent to the young people by other residents.

Murray Valley Sanctuary Refugee Group president Penny Vine, who helped to coordinate the donations, said people gave an "amazing" amount of clothing.

"Jumpsuits, skivvies, hats, gloves, bum-bags, and jackets with fur-lined hoods; these are the things that people are bringing forward," Ms Vine said.

"People like to step forward and help, and this will make a big difference."

The trip was sponsored by Albury Wodonga Ethnic Community Council (AWECC), the Albury City Council, which organised buses, and the Falls Creek Resort management, who provided free entry to all the participants.

Refugee actor formed youth organisation in Albury Wodonga

Actor and community leader at AWAY Makwaya Masudi settled in Wodonga after living in a Kenyan refugee camp for many years.

Mr Masudi remembers his own first trip to the snow when he was 16 years old.

"Snow is a beautiful thing. My first time seeing snow I was so excited, my eyes brightened, I even grabbed some and tried to eat it, so I got brain freeze."

He was thrilled to organise a similar experience for the young people who arrived in Albury Wodonga earlier this year.

"They threw themselves on the snow and rolled themselves in snow at the beginning.

"Then they realised it was a bit cold and they were getting wet, but they still enjoyed it. They had so much fun.

"They danced while they were up there, jumping up and dancing, it was beautiful," Mr Masudi said.

Mr Masudi formed the youth group to help new arrivals settle in the community. They have formed soccer and football teams and dance groups, and are planning swimming lessons.

"I try my best to inspire them as well as participate and have fun with them, to show them that they can achieve any dream they want, to be around people that are out in the working field as an actor or a doctor or anything.

"It will motivate them and show them that they can still go to school and have fun after school. They can get their degrees and still have a beautiful and enjoyable life," Mr Masudi said.

Program aims to keep young settlers safe

Mr Masudi, who works regularly in Melbourne, said he was trying to avoid the stereotype of young African refugees seen in Australian media.

"Over here we are working so hard to make sure that doesn't happen," he said.

"It's a beautiful community that we are settled in and we just want to give back to the community as much as the community has given to us."

Ms Vine said integrating into Australian culture could be difficult for young people because they did not have the same networks as other children who had grown up in Australia.

"There is so much about life in Australia that we take for granted.

"When you're at school and they're talking about something like snow, you assume people have a lived experience of some sort, to enforce what the teacher is talking about," she siad.

"This is giving the young people an opportunity to have lived experiences, so they have more understanding of what everyone else takes for granted.

"It's not about being new here, it's about living here."