How to visit Australia
"I did it all wrong. But that's okay, because now I have to go back."
How I did it: Bought a ticket to NZ, decided to tack on 2 weeks in Australia to boot. Flew into Sydney, took a bus to Bondi Beach immediately. Met fellow travelers, bought a bus ticket North. Saw Byron Bay and Surfer's Paradise before having to turn around to catch my flight out of Sydney.
Lessons & tips: If you go to Sydney, go to Melbourne. If you can skip Sydney (which I recommend doing - skip it), then go North to the Great Barrier Reef. If you have time (make time) to go to Uluru National Park (aka Ayer's Rock). Everybody I've talked to who's been has described as nothing less than life-changing.
