What made you decide to go to Australia as opposed to California with green card prospects? From my limited view point, the opportunity you left on the table was massive.
I have lived and worked in the US and I realised that the Australian culture is a better fit for me. I probably would have made more money in the US but that is not #1 on my list of what is important. The amount of misery, stress, and anxiety I saw every day in the US was not something I agreed with. Coming from a well functioning European country, it was a shock to me to see people begging in the streets. Before living in the US I had never seen a beggar “live”. Only on TV. It was a massive culture shock for me. Australia is a perfect blend of Europe and the US. Best of both in my opinion.