But that quickly changed when they travelled five hours west to Parkes.

Awaiting them was sister and daughter Oksana Smith who has lived in Australia for 25 years, nine of them in Parkes.

She helped organise their visas, funded their flights to Australia and offered her mother-in-law's vacant house.

The family arrived at the end of March and the response and welcome they received was enough to bring tears to anyone's eyes.

They had just spent two weeks travelling through Europe, escaping their war-torn homes and the Russian invasion which began on February 24.

They lived 20 minutes from Ukraine's capital Kyiv in Vasylkiv and had been stranded inside their home when Russian troops were just one street away.

"For two days they couldn't leave the house and couldn't get to the cellar because it was outside, shooting was going on around them," Oksana said, interpreting her mother's words.

"They covered the windows and sat in the middle of the house, and slept on the floor."

Fellow Ukrainians moved them to the centre of the city before they found a way out of the country.

"Somebody they knew, knew of a chaplain who was helping Ukrainian families get to the border by bus, he was able to pick them up," Oksana said.

It took them two days to get to Slovakia's border, they saw the destruction and could hear explosions around them.

"It was terrible, we had to go the back ways through forests, fields and back roads because the Russians were everywhere, especially on main roads," Nadiia said.

They spent a night at a train station in Slovakia and stayed with friends of friends in Berlin.

What made things a little more difficult for the family was Nadiia's and Davyd's passports had expired and they had to travel to Ukrainian embassies in Prague and Berlin to have them extended.

Oksana said her mother, sister and nephew were among the lucky ones who had someone who could take them in.

"I got their visas overnight, which is amazing," she said.

"My mother's brother and sister and their families are still over there, some won't leave because of their families and they want to support them and their country."

Oksana went to Vinnies a few days after her family arrived in town - and from there, Parkes people did what they do best.

St Vincent de Paul Society helped them with clothing, food and medical appointments; Can Assist provided furniture and white appliances for their empty home; and the Salvation Army offered them clothes and food vouchers.

Vinnies also gave Davyd and his mum a bike and now they go riding together.

"The volunteers were amazing in every city (in Europe), the churches were helping people with anything they needed," Oksana said.

"And they come here and again the church is helping out.

"They had to leave everything behind now they have almost everything because of Australian people, even push bikes."

Given his age, the family also thought about schooling for Davyd and following a phone call St Vinnies made to the Holy Family Parish School, they were able to accept him straight away.

The school donated his uniform, back pack and stationery.

He started Year 1 on the first day of Term 2 with the help of a teacher's aide and interpreter apps, and what happened next had his mother overwhelmed with joy.

After two days Svetlana heard Davyd singing ABC in the shower - it was the first time in weeks she had heard her son sing.

By the end of the week he could count to 20. Now he can count to 100.

"He was amazed actually, school [in Australia] is very different to Ukraine," Svetlana said.

"Ukraine has big classes and you only go outside for sport, here Davyd thought 'wow we can go outside and play ball, and move around the classroom'."

Davyd loves the playground and has made some friends both at school and in his neighbourhood.

"The kids here are very friendly, they're always asking him to come play," Oksana said.

The family would like to thank everyone who has so generously helped them, to all the charities, including St George's Anglican Church.

"Thank you to the Australian people for letting us stay here," Nadiia and Svetlana said.

"We're very happy to be here."

"Thank you to people I don't even know for sending money and gifts, for bringing lots of toys, and for praying," Oksana added.

Nadiia is loving the peace and quiet of Parkes and loves growing veggies. She too was given everything she needed for a veggie garden.

Svetlana said she loves nature, Australian animals and the relaxed nature of Australian people.

The next step for Svetlana and her mother is to go to TAFE to learn English.

Svetlana is also hoping to have her university degree interpreted to see if she can one day use it to get a job.

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