It was during the fleeting wave of optimism that surrounded Kevin Rudd's 2020 Summit that Matte Dunn, a homeless man of many decades, decided to set his own ambitious goal – to have a brighter future within 10 years.

Soon after, he set off on a trip of a lifetime and found himself standing in awe amid the bustle of the Gare du Nord​ train station in Paris.

"For a homeless person it was quite an adventure," Matte recalls.

"That moment at the station changed my life, listening to everyone speaking a foreign language. It was a magical thing."