To those of you who've lived in Australia, what did you notice as the biggest diffence between Kiwis and Aussies when it came to making friends?

As a coastal Kiwi who lived in Wellington for 7 years and Melbourne for 5 years, I can say that it was way easier to make friends in Wellington than in Melbourne. When I was flatting with a mix of Wellingtonians and other coastal kiwis, it felt so effortless to form deep connections and make friends for life, but in Australia, specifically Melbourne, it's the polar opposite unless you know your AFL and the only friends I've made are non-Australian expats. But with Kiwis back in NZ, the bonds were formed from just openly talking about real personal shit. What has your experience been, I'm curious to know?