I went to Australia to visit Dave Owens, who I met at Augsburg College.
I met Dave at Augsburg. My friend Laurie (who I knew from Duluth) came to visit me and saw Dave's picture in the Auggie (the student phone book, with pictures!) and invited him to my dorm room. Dave and Laurie had gone to Osseo High School together. Dave and I have been friends ever since!
I'm sure Dave is happy I found this picture from the Auggie!
Dave Owens and a very excited Eirik in Minneapolis.
Dave moved to Australia after graduate school and is now a legal resident there.
I flew on Alaska Airlines to Los Angeles, we went right by Mt. Rainier!
After a short stop in L.A., I got onto a Qantas 747 for
the 14 hour flight over the Pacific Ocean
(Notice, there's no "u" after the "Q" in Qantas!).
The airplane flew right over Maui, Hawaii!
Qantas gives you free drinks for the whole flight. I had about twelve glasses of wine and then they poured me out of the airplane!
.
Downtown Sydney! I always thought this was the view looking
EAST towards the Pacific, but it's not!
Downtown Sydney is on the south side of the bridge, and the Pacific is actually
behind me, this view is to the WEST.
Dave's house in the Newtown neighborhood.
I stayed for a week in Sydney with Dave. Dave was a good tour guide, he showed me all over Sydney!
The corner where the bus was christened "Priscilla",
from the movie "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"
in front of the Imperial Hotel.
A lot of the night clubs in Australia are called "hotels". I'm
not sure if anyone really stays there, this "hotel" had a drag
queen show every night.
He took me to parties with his friends...
.
.
I hadn't ever been to a house that had a fountain in the middle before!
The Queen Victoria Building in Downtown Sydeny which is now a mall.
The Chinese Garden, where we had tea.
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Oxford street, and the nightclub named "Don't Cry Momma".
I got out on my own too, when Dave went to work.
.
I went to Manly Beach...
...and Bondi Beach. Even though it was fall (in April!),
the weather was great during my whole trip.
Although, most of the Australians thought it was too cold to go to the beach!
The Sydney Hard Rock Cafe.
Sydney had some amazing vistas.
Downtown at sunset.
The Sydney Harbor Bridge at Sunset.
The Sydney Harbor Bridge at night.
No matter how great a host Dave may be, you just have to get away after a few days!
I rented a car and drove to Canberra, the capitol of Australia all on my own!
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