Australia's scale catches people out: Sydney and Melbourne are an hour and a half apart by plane, and reaching the outback or the Great Barrier Reef adds hours more. Most trips concentrate on the southeast coast, where the two largest cities sit, and add one distant destination rather than attempting the continent.
The guides here cover Sydney, Melbourne and Australia overall. Seasons are reversed relative to the northern hemisphere — December to February is summer, which is peak season in the south and the wet, cyclone-prone period in the tropical north. Sun exposure is stronger than most visitors expect. Domestic flights, rather than driving, do most of the work on any itinerary covering more than one region.