In the summer of 1989 I got a phone call from Flip. He had a free ticket anywhere in the world on United Airlines and wanted to go to Australia. Of course he didn't want to go alone so he asked me, JD and Steve. I said no but just two weeks before the trip I decided to go and did the speedy rush thing on the Passport and Visa.

The trip started in October of 1989 and was to last 2 weeks. We all joined up at LAX. Well actually not all of us. We didn't tell Flip that Steve could make it so we had Steve surprise Flip on the plane.

The flight was 13 hours from LA to Sydney and we arrived at 5 am 2 days after we left ...or was it the day before we left (stupid international time line). We got a mini van, went to the hotel at Bondi and crashed. We got up and ate some bakery goods and went to buy surfboards at Surfection and also visited Ricks surf shop. Then it was off to surf at Curl Curl. The next morning we surfed at Bondi with the blue bottle jellyfish. All we could find to eat was roasted chickens and pot pies. Everyone sounded like Paul Hogan (not hulk hogan).

After solving the problems of having my credit card activated (in australia and no money) and hearing about the San Francisco Earthquake and finding places to eat (the service sucked and whater and sallad were not to be found) and learning to drive on the wrong side of the road from the wrong side of the car we left Sydney for or adventure.

The sad part was there were no waves and one day it was very windy.

We visited Tundcurry, Yamba, Seal Rocks, Byron bay (as opposed to Botany bay) where we ate at Ringo's, New Castle, Port Maquarie Burly Heads and Surfers Paradise. Then We returned to Sydney to visit the Sydney Opera House (and its Bathroom), The Sydney Zoo, The Sydney Bay Bridge, Manly The Sydney Tower and some other things and places.

I saw Kangaroo's but the only Koala Bears I saw were dead on the road. The oddest thing was how the outskirts of Sydney Reminded me of Santa Barbara with all the Eucalyptus Trees.

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