Originally Posted by seawolf
the definition of a stopover varies on the itinerary. Since this is an intl itin, you use the 24 hour definition for the entire itin. You can stop at LAX for 23:59 or less and it will not be a stopover.
Yes, as long as the arrival at LAX is AFTER the day's departure to SYD (normally < 24 hours), you qualify for a "forced stopover" that does not count toward the "1 stopover or 1 open jaw rule".
So you could have a "forced stopover" on the outbound and/or a stopover/open jaw elsewhere on the journey.
Don't worry going batty on this trip. Most of us have done similar trips and they seem to go just fine. Enjoy!