Australia for 4 weeks!! 28thDecember2015-23rdJanuary2016

You will have to provide more information about your interests before anyone can give you meaningful advice. Based on the research you have already done (and you have done some research, right?), what are the things that appeal to you about Australia?

Bear in mind that you are visiting during the peak summer holiday season, so prices and demand will be higher for transport and accommodation especially in and between the most popular coastal destinations.

For NYE -- Sydney Harbour, without question.

Hey!
Yes I have done some research, my rough route was going to be Melbourne/Great Ocean Road - Sydney - I'm then debating Uluru, although would this be worth it with such a short amount of time - travel up the NSW coast - Brisbane - ?Great Barrier Reef - Travel back to Melbourne for flight home. I want to spend some time in Melbourne but am flexible to do this at either the beginning or end of the trip. I want to spend time on beaches and do some activities. I am pretty relaxed and open to ANY suggestions and like trying new things!
I'm aware it's peak season but hey, money is money, whether I am rich or poor, if I don;t spend it and enjoy myself whilst I can, someone else will spend it when I;m no longer here haha!!
Awesome, that's the general vibe I'm getting for NYE :) xx

If money is no problem, flying in and out of Ayers Rock for 3 days is actually kind of sensible. There are a few key locations, tick them off and then fly out. Great thing is you can fly there from Melbourne, Cairns, or Sydney. Likely to be terribly hot though.

Sounds like for 4 weeks fly into Melb, get over jet lag, then fly up to Sydney (make sure you have booked accom) for NYE (note access to the harbour foreshore is highly restricted on the day of New Year's Eve, unless there by around 11:00am - yes am - unlikely you will get a patch of grass). Have 6 days in Sydney, incl. day trip to Katoomba, day trip to the Royal National Park (via Bundeena ferry), if you are up for a long day trip take the train south to Kiama for some classic beachside town. Head north, logically perhaps Byron (super peak so may be a hassle for accom)or perhaps have a few days at South West Rocks on the way up for idyllic beach time, or even Nambucca or Yamba. Getting to Byron / SW Rock, take the train and coach (nswtrainlink). From Byron head to Noosa (bypass Bris and Gold Coast). Then fly up to Cairns for Cape Trib and a few days on the reef. Fly to Ayers Rock for 3 days and then fly down to Melb for 5 days plus 2 for great ocean road.

Thing about the above is it is the classic itinerary and you will miss out on seeing the heart or regional Australia. Towns like Broken Hill, Longreach, Dubbo, Charters Towers. Let alone Tasmania (which for January I recommend over wet season Cairns) places such as the Tarkine, Strahan, Huon Valley, Cradle Mtn

Your bigger problem with peak season is not so much the money, but actually finding somewhere to stay. This is a great time to be in Australia, but the entire country is on holiday and most of them are at the beach, and everything is booked out. So, to the extent that is still possible, you really must plan, and book, this time of year.
A few things:
- Melbourne will be quite dead this time of year, but will pick up in mid-January as the Australian Open Tennis starts. This will also make accommodation hard to find from this time. But Melbourne is a great city and well worth a few days. The Great Ocean Road is lovely, but, again, will be packed this time of year.
- If you're into cricket Australia is playing the West Indies in Melbourne when you land, but be quick, because the way the WIndies are playing, it will probably be over on day 3, which is the day you arrive.
- Sydney has possible the world's finest NYE fireworks and it's well worth doing whatever you can to see them. You can join 400,000 people cramming the harbour shore, and, as noted above, have to stake your spot very early. Or, if Money really is not a problem, book an expensive place on a harbour cruise, the various events at the Opera House, or for $200 a spot on a ferry.
- But accommodation will be very hard to find, and anything near the harbour will be super expensive and demand minimum stays of 3-7 nights. Again, if money is no problem, do it. If not, maybe stay a little out of town and catch a train. If you were to do one big splurge on this trip, an expensive Sydney hotel, and NYE party would be well worth it for the once in a lifetime experience.
- Sydney this time of year is beaches, parks, all free and all wonderful. Darling Harbour, the Manly Ferry, Watsons Bay Ferry, bus or drive to Palm Beach (Summer Bay). Blue Mountains day trip is always a good idea. Kiama is lovely, and so to the beaches nearby such as Gerringong and Seven Mile, and especially Jervis Bay.
- Heading up the coast to Queensland is normally a good idea, and places like Byron, Nambucca, Yamba etc are lovely, but again, will all be booked out. Finding anywhere to stay will be very hard. Maybe fly to Brisbane, stay in the city or nearby, and do day trips? But if you can find places to stay, go for it.
- Cairns and the Whitsundays however should be easier as it is not peak season as this time of year as it is very hot, very humid and very wet. It's still worth it as the reef and rainforest are stunning, but just be prepared for the weather.
- Same with Uluru. A magnificent part of Australia, but it will be extremely hot. The trick is to go out at dawn and dusk (which are the best viewing anyway) then spend the day by the pool or in the air conditioned accommodation.
- Tasmania may be worth a look. Fabulous rainforest, old towns, beaches, and not quite as in demand.

Harry - more than a million people watch fireworks from Sydney Harbour foreshore on New Years Eve.

Katy - here is a good website for you for Sydney NYE: http://www.sydneynewyearseve.com/fireworks/ - you also need to let us know what you are interested in if you want suggestions on what to do. I agree with Harry that anywhere along the coast will be packed to the rafters over this period.

I have been to Uluru/Yulara at this time of year. I love the heat (and I am Australian) so I didn't mind the 40C+ temperatures every day. However, as you are a pom you may struggle a bit. I did mind the flies there, but apart from that I had a wonderful time. The standard tour now is three days.

Last-minute decisions are not always the best. Finding accommodation at this late stage for Sydney on New Years Eve is going to be the big challenge, along with finding accommodation along the coast between Melbourne and Sydney. In Sydney, if you have to stay out of the city make sure it is on a train line, and no further west than Parramatta, north to Chatswood or south to Rockdale.

Hey Guys!
Ok, so I'm sitting down this morning and formulating more of a plan. I've booked myself accommodation in Sydney over New Years. I wouldn't say it is so much that money is no object (I'm definitely not rich) more that I don't need to scrimp and save quite as much as perhaps I would have needed to a couple of years ago. Coming up with an itinerary now, will post shortly. Watch this space, all views/help welcome!! Once again, thanks sooo much for your help!! xx

Northern New South Wales and South East Queensland are also scenic and interesting places to visit!

There's plenty of touristy stuff but if you are travelling off the beaten track plenty of nice little towns and scenic places (places like i Bellingen, ii Evans Head / Yamba - very scenic coastal areas with adventure Kayaking etc... iii Lennox Heads - with lovely Lake Ainsworth for a cool swim, or if you get as far as Queensland then definitely take a trip to North Stradbroke Island (Straddie) off Brisbane - it's a show stopper in terms of stunning coastal scenery and lots of wildlife like dolphins and sea eagles etc.. ) In all of these places there's a mix of accom options including camping, renting cabins in a caravan park, staying in a pub, or contacting real estate agents and hiring a unit / appartment for a few days. Defo would recommend this later option for Straddie (eg just contact a real estate agent on the island and rent an apartment for 3 days - you'll love it!) Little country towns like Katoomba (Blue Mountains West of Sydney) and Maleny, near Brisbane are also very scenic and nice to visit - cooler in summer and normally lots of artists and creative folks nearby brings a bit of colour and makes these little towns interesting and great fun!

It's getting warm though - Summer is here - so early mornings and later afternoons best time to look around without getting fried! Seek refuge in places with cool sea breezes and / or a bit of altitude if it get's too warm!

hey Katy!
good on you, I am sure you will love my country.
Well, Melbourne and Sydney are very different. I mean, what are you after?
Melbourne has music and restaurants and little alley bars.......Sydney is a big bustling city with a gorgeous harbour and beaches....all our capital cities are fairly different.
I would do Sydney for NYE! You cannot beat the fireworks on the Harbour Bridge.

Also head up the east coast for sure.
I would recommend;

Coffs Harbour area - central coast NSW
Hawkesbury area above Sydney - central NSW
Byron Bay - North NSW
go inland a bit to Mt Warning and surrounding areas - north NSW
little towns and areas like Pottsville - north NSW
go out west if you can to see the difference
Brisbane - try it, we are different in attitude up here
Gold Coast for a trashy glitzy experience
Gold Coast hinterland for beautiful mountains and forest
Cairns is beautiful but very hot
Out west, Stanthorpe is lovely - south west QLD.

ok you also have to realise how huge this country is. Sydney to Brisbane is about 1000kms apart.
Bear in mind travel times.