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Australians have been keen to catch a glimpse of US president Barack Obama on his 27-hour whirl-wind tour.
His actual title may be a little more formal, but you could be forgiven for thinking that US president Barrack Obama is a real-life rock star.
School kids, mums and dads, construction workers and the odd public official or two have been busy lining the streets to try and catch a glimpse of the world leader on his 27-hour whirl-wind tour.
And while Obama may have his detractors, you would be hard pressed to find any of them in Canberra at the moment.
Julia Gillard welcomed the president to Australian shores for the first time in an official capacity, in front of record crowds.
"It is well and truly possible for us, in this growing region of the world, to have an ally in the United States and to have deep friendships in our region," she said.
The president flew into Canberra earlier this week (November 16) and after enjoying a relaxing barbeque with the first bloke, is knuckling down to do serious business.
Addressing the federal parliament today (November 17) he told members of the house that "the bonds between us run deep".
"We are citizens who live by a common creed – no matter who you are or what you look like, everyone deserves a fair chance; everyone deserves a fair go," he said.
Obama's speech continues in the tradition of George Bush, Bill Clinton and George Bush senior – who together represent the four US presidents that have spoken before the house in the Australian capital.
The president shared his experience of visiting Australia as a child and how he was taken aback by the easy-going nature and optimistic outlook of the locals.
In addition to site-seeing and getting to known more about the Asia Pacific region there were also serious issues to discuss such as the 60-year-old ANZUS alliance.
Mr Obama said that relations between Australia and the US were the strongest they had been in many years – mirroring Gillard's statement that the nations stood "shoulder to shoulder" – and that his own country was committed to its role in the Pacific.
On Wednesday (November 16), he announced the decision to deploy 2,500 Marines in Australia, in a move that will see an increased US military presence in the Asia Pacific region.
Describing the move as "a deliberate and strategic decision" that will see the US "play a larger and long-term role in shaping this region and its future."
Photo credit: AAP at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/obama-in-australia