The famous Sydney Opera House, dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II (1973)
Australian War Memorial, Canberra
The beach at Merimbula. School is just out for summer break, and these two are having a great time!
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Australia Visit: Sydney, Canberra, and MerimbulaI had the pleasant surprise of an invitation to Australia from my friend Joe Johns. Joe and his wife Jean moved to Australia about 20 years ago to serve as chaplains in the Australian Defence Force. Joe and I met when I was rector at Mount Angel Seminary, and both he and his wife Jean were students at the seminary.
Joe's invitation at the end of 2024 was hard to refuse (it's summer in Australia), so I left Portland the day after Thanksgiving, heading to San Francisco, with an overnight in New Zealand, then on to Sydney, where Joe met me. We spent about 5 days in Sydney, touring this marvelous, modern, busy, and beautiful city. From there, we headed by train to Canberra, the capital of Australia, for a visit with Archbishop Charles Balvo, the Vatican ambassador to Australia. Archbishop Balvo (originally a priest of the Archdiocese of New York) and I were seminarians together at the Pontifical North American College in Rome in the mid 70s. From Canberra, Joe and I headed south by car to a coastal resort town, Merimbula—an old whaling town—for sun, sea, and rest. It was a wonderful two weeks in Australia, with summer sun, and I had a wonderful time. Joe is a great host, and he took care of all the arrangements. To see the pictures, 1) click "Slideshow" to see all of the pictures; and 2) click "Slideshow Highlights with Captions" to see a select few with helpful captions. My thanks to Joe, and, enjoy these few picture memories. |
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Joe Johns at the train station in Canberra
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Pat at the train station in Canberra (yes, we traveled first class)
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Pat at the distinctive Sydney Opera House (Jørn Utzon, architect), a UNESCO World Heritage Site