As an Australian, my 2 cents worth:
- ditch Uluru and Perth
- I would go for Sydney >> Byron Bay >> Brisbane >> Cairns (including Reef and Daintree Rainforest) and try to get a flight out of Cairns**.
I would not bother with Uluru - as others have suggested. It is just too expensive to get to and stay at. If you like Australia, it would be a reasonable destination for a 3rd or 4th trip done as a part of a cross country road / camping trip from Darwin to Adelaide - but that is a huge undertaking and not for the first timer to Australia.
** Regarding flights, a fact that is not well advertised because it cuts out the transpacific carriers is that there are a huge range of options to get to Australia from the US and back if you are prepared to stopover in Hawaii (usually - but not always - you will need to spend one night there). I would seriously look at doing it this way.
- ditch Uluru and Perth
- I would go for Sydney >> Byron Bay >> Brisbane >> Cairns (including Reef and Daintree Rainforest) and try to get a flight out of Cairns**.
I would not bother with Uluru - as others have suggested. It is just too expensive to get to and stay at. If you like Australia, it would be a reasonable destination for a 3rd or 4th trip done as a part of a cross country road / camping trip from Darwin to Adelaide - but that is a huge undertaking and not for the first timer to Australia.
** Regarding flights, a fact that is not well advertised because it cuts out the transpacific carriers is that there are a huge range of options to get to Australia from the US and back if you are prepared to stopover in Hawaii (usually - but not always - you will need to spend one night there). I would seriously look at doing it this way.