Zhang Jinfan (Australia)
Excellence Award
Author Biography:
Zhang Jinfan was born and raised in Wuhan. He has worked as a sent-down youth and laborer. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese Literature from Hubei University and later engaged in literary research at the Hubei Academy of Social Sciences. He currently serves as Honorary President of the New South Wales Chinese Writers Association in Australia. Zhang has published over 10,000 words across various literary genres. His works have appeared in journals such as Contemporary Writers, Si Hai, Tai-Hong Literature Selections, Yellow River Literature, and Young Writers in China; Central Daily News and Humanity News in Taiwan; Hong Kong Literature, Wen Zong, Ming Pao in Hong Kong; and World Chinese Weekly and Sequoia in the U.S. He has published collections including First Night—Zhang Jinfan’s Short Stories and Difficult Awakening—Zhang Jinfan’s Nonfiction Works Collection. His works have received numerous awards, including international prizes such as the Overseas Chinese Writing Award hosted in Taiwan, and the Excellence Award in the First Global Chinese Microfiction Writing Contest hosted by China’s Microfiction Selections.
Awarded Work: Jumping with Kangaroos (60 episodes)
Story Synopsis:
Meiduo loses her job when the training school she works at closes, and she also loses money she invested in a P2P scheme. Searching online for the Australian financial company owner who absconded with her funds, she discovers that Australia has opened a working holiday visa for Chinese nationals. She decides to go to Australia to work while tracking down the embezzler.
Her best friend Ouyang Liumeng loses her job when a foreign company exits China, and her boyfriend Du Fengming’s electronics factory goes bankrupt due to the pandemic lockdown. Du Fengming’s younger brother Du Fengqing also struggles to find work after graduation. The four young people apply for Australian visas and finally receive one-year permits.
On the flight to Australia, they unknowingly sit next to the approachable Governor of New South Wales. Once in Sydney, they temporarily stay in a backpackers’ hostel, meeting travelers from various countries. They recognize the man from the plane as the governor. Chris, a backpacker from the U.S., falls for Meiduo and approaches her.
Restricted by their visa type, they take temporary jobs, earning a decent income while exploring Sydney’s famous sights. To save on rent, they move into a one-bedroom apartment but face legal challenges due to unfamiliarity with Australian rental laws.
During Lunar New Year celebrations in Sydney’s Chinatown, Meiduo spots the embezzler, Feng Pangzi. Feng notices her and tracks them, hiring gangsters to warn them by smearing pig’s blood on their door. Chris secretly follows the gangsters and finds Feng’s hideout, alerting Meiduo, who contacts Chinese authorities.
The four decide to temporarily avoid danger by working as seasonal fruit pickers on a farm. Chris buys a second-hand car to join them. They work for three weeks at a farm in New South Wales, harvesting mandarins. When the farm owner Smith develops appendicitis, they call the Royal Flying Doctor Service, who airlift him to a hospital over 100 km away for surgery. The group marvels at Australia’s welfare system.
During farm work, Du Fengqing develops feelings for Meiduo. Chris competes with him for her attention. At a vineyard in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, a sudden flood sweeps away grapes they’ve harvested but not yet transported. The farmer, Sam, forbids them from risking their lives to save property, assuring them that insurance will cover the losses and paying them their wages plus bonuses.
After leaving Yarra Valley, they respond to a newspaper ad to work on a political campaign. The candidate, Campton, opposes a new airport in his district, leading protests that result in temporary police detention. They gain insight into Australian society through this experience.
Later, the group works in a Western Australian mining area, gaining significant experience and improving their financial situation. Back in Sydney, they start new lives. Du Fengming negotiates electronics orders, Ouyang Liumeng plans to return to China to run a working holiday visa agency, Du Fengqing meets an Australian-Chinese girlfriend and applies for a student visa for a master’s program, and Meiduo and Chris fall in love, with Chris helping her apply for work in the U.S.
After their one-year visas expire, the four bid farewell at Sydney airport and see Feng Pangzi escorted by Australian police to Chinese authorities. They wave goodbye and go their separate ways.
Professional Review:
This series uses a dual narrative of “working holiday + cross-border pursuit,” cleverly blending real-life challenges, international adventure, and youth growth. Dramatic highlights include the embezzler appearing in public, gang threats, and cross-border collaboration in capturing criminals. The story also incorporates romantic entanglements and career transitions, portraying post-pandemic young people venturing into the world and reshaping themselves, making it a compelling, realistic micro-series.
