Australia is huge. Any attempt to cover it in two weeks is extremely ambitious even for the most energetic traveller. While most of the activity and popular spots are on the east coast, I have heard great things about the isolated beaches on the west coast as well. Have a look at Australia's Instagram handle and the beaches north of Perth. Then there is central Australia and Uluru, which would take its own sweet time to cover. Bill Bryson writes a wonderful account of driving on the lonely road from Darwin to Alice Springs. That seems like a journey worth doing. Therefore, writing a travel guide for around two weeks is nearly impossible. You have to cover an entire continent. However, I am making an effort to cover the popular, touristy spots.
Sydney - Around 5-6 days are enough for Sydney.
A place that I highly recommend is the Manly beach, travelling from Circular Quay by a ferry and spending an entire day there. For the athletic ones, try renting a bike and cycling up to the Sydney Harbour National Park for great views. The only interesting animal I spotted is the Echidna but the journey is worth it. I would also suggest having a salmon or a barramundi there. Personally, I prefer the bowl at Fishmongers, but you can check Tripadvisor for the best restaurants. The Pines is also a lively place serving great variety of beer. Perhaps when you come back in the evening, you can spend time on the Circular Quay or the Rocks Market. You will most likely get enough of the Harbour Bridge on this day.
You would need an entire day for the Blue Mountains. The journey is time consuming and takes about 2.5 hours by train from the Central station (choose a station that is closest to you) to Katoomba and a bus from there to Scenic World. Do note that Sydney transport is cheapest on Sundays, capped at about AUD 8.40, so try to keep the longest journeys on this day. Blue Mountains offers several treks, but the trip can get quite tiring if you choose to trek aggressively. If you are lucky, you will get a cloudy day without rain. In any case, make sure you carry plenty of water. I found the Blue Mountains underwhelming because they are similar to the Nilgiris and not as majestic as the Himalayas. For those who are the touristy types, Scenic World offers a cable car, rides, and a walk around the Blue Mountains that will give you enough opportunities to take pictures.
The day after Blue Mountains can be spent lazing around Barangaroo, Surry Hills, and shopping around Martin Place. Surry Hills has a good Indian food joint (Maya da Dhaba) and the locality is quaint. I loved the place. You can also get difficult to find Indian stuff at a shop close to Maya da Dhaba. Barangaroo has its own charm, and ideal to spend an evening. However, the restaurants here are expensive. For the aggressive trekker, there is an option of choosing the Harbour Bridge walk, which takes you almost to the top and offers great views.
The much photographed Opera House is somewhat overrated, although you surely cannot miss the landmark of Sydney. While visiting the Opera House, I would suggest spending some time in the Botanical Gardens, or the Museum, depending on what you prefer. A good day to visit the Opera House is when they have a performance. If you still have some time and energy left, visit Hyde Park and St. Mary's Cathedral on the same day. The latter is breathtakingly beautiful.
Do note that for all the souvenirs, one of the best places is Paddy's market. This is near Haymarket and offers Australian souvenirs such as kangaroos, boomerangs and magnet stickers featuring the Harbour Bridge, all made in China.
For Friday evenings, you can consider visiting one of the pubs near Sydney Town Hall. It is perfectly OK to go pub hopping. The 3 Wise Monkeys near Kent Street is a popular one. I liked the PJ O'Brien's as well, especially around Christmas.
If you like to get away from the hustle bustle of the city, save a day for the Royal National Park and the beaches nearby. It is close to Sri Venkateswara Temple and Stanwell Tops. A bus goes directly from the Stanwell station to the temple, but from there onwards, you will need to rely on Uber. This area has plenty of cockatoos, who are intrepid enough to perch close to you if you have something interesting to offer. The beaches here are generally better than Sydney. The wedding cake rock is close-by and ideal for people who like to post on Instagram (you can see why).
Lastly, you should visit Bondi beach, which is actually a full day affair. There is also a coastal walk around Bondi, where you can spot whales if you are there in the right season. For Bondi, I would just say go there and decide. Another option is the Glebe flea market. Pick that for a relaxed day. I am not sure if you would end up buying something, but a flea market has its own fans. If you have a spare day, you can consider the Manly Walk or Jervis Bay, both of them taking almost an entire day. There is a skydiving option as well close to Jervis Bay. Personally, I would not recommend visiting the Taronga Zoo. You can watch Kangaroos during the remaining part of the tour.
In Sydney, the Chemist Warehouse is a great place to get awesome deals on perfumes. The grocery stuff can be had from Coles or Woolworths (the former is better). For liquor, the best place is Dan Murphys, although the stores are difficult to find.
Gold coast - recommending 3-4 days here at best, because it is expensive and over-rated (looks great from the air though).
The amusement parks can be skipped if you wish, as they would take up two days of your time. Among the amusement parks, SeaWorld is the worst and the one with the amusement rides is the best (Warner Bros Movie World). SeaWorld still seems to be stuck in the 1980s. They actually have a car and bike show which looks straight out of a Hollywood movie starring Chuck Norris. Movie World has two great rides. One is the Superman one, and the other is the DC Rivals hypercoaster, the longest and the tallest one in the Southern Hemisphere.
Gold Coast is essentially a nightlife destination, so you can choose to spend your days visiting the touristy spots close by (there are plenty). Personally, I would recommend taking the surfing classes, which are immensely enjoyable. In three days, you should be able to get a decent hang of the surfboard. Gold Coast hotels are relatively expensive but choose a sea-facing one, close to the city centre. Do visit Infinity Attraction and do this very slowly, taking every bit of your time. Gold Coast also offers a transport card that can be used for unlimited travel.
Cairns - I would spend at least 5 days here. My favourite destination in Australia.
For two days, you can take one of those tours where they make you stay on a boat overnight. You will spend the day scuba diving, snorkeling etc. You just cannot miss the Great Barrier Reef. Even though I spotted plenty of fish, a sea turtle grazing on the algae was the highlight.
You can choose the Daintree rainforest for one day. This is the oldest rainforest in the world and they might allow you to handle Koalas and feed Kangaroos. Later they will give you an option to have Kangaroo meat in your lunch. Extremely weird. Another option is to go for a crocodile tour. I stayed at the Travellers' Oasis, a lovely hostel, and the lady at the reception is a reliable guide. You can go by her advice. Do note that the sun is very harsh in Queensland and you would need to keep applying sunscreen and wear a rash vest when you are in the sea.
There are two great islands near Cairns - Fitzroy and Green island. You can choose to visit them both. I chose Fitzroy, which has among the best beaches in Australia, is ideal for snorkeling and kayaking, and is essentially a tropical paradise.
Even otherwise, Cairns is a relaxed tropical town. You will enjoy every day that you spend here. If you are in a hostel like the Travellers' Oasis, you might come across a group who is singing and dancing. The market near the Esplanade is a nice place to spend the evening. Or for someone like me, you can just walk around the isolated streets, watching the sunset, the flying foxes, and experience the peace.
Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road - You can cover this in one day, or spend 5 days here. I would recommend keeping 3 days for the Ocean Road on a hired car, and two days in Melbourne. You can get a hired car on an Indian driving licence.
Go to the Twelve Apostles in the evening (any other time of the day does not work). You can also hire a helicopter here if you have money to spare. The area here is infested with flies, so you can carry some kind of a repellant.
You should stay in one of those cottages that you find along the road. Technically, you can cover the road in one day, but go slowly, and stop wherever you like. Stay close to the Apostles on the day you visit those because it will be dark by the time you are done, and you might prefer not to drive then. The night sky is lovely if you stay in a cottage among the farms, although it can get frightfully cold once the sun is down.
For the next night, either choose Apollo Bay, Lorne or Port Campbell. Each coastal town has its own charm. If you choose a 3 day visit to the Ocean Road, you will spend the day either on the beaches around Apostles, surfing close to Angelsea, or trekking near Lorne/Apollo Bay. There are plenty of limestone rocks in this area and we were lucky to find a peaceful cave. Some people even spend a week on the Ocean Road, so the route has plenty to offer. Just pick what suits you best. I did not enjoy the trek near Lorne, where we hoped to spot Koalas at a close distance. Later on, near the lighthouse, we came across a baby Koala who was trying to get to the top of a tree. It was hardly two metres away! Somewhere on the small roads that branch away from the Ocean Road, we saw kangaroos grazing on a farm. The moment they spotted us, they leapt over the fence and vanished into the horizon with a few long jumps.
Uluru etc - Haven't been here but from whatever I have read, the drive here is mind blowing.
You will not find such terrain anywhere else in the world, and Uluru is breathtaking. It is highly recommended to drive there, taking your own time, instead of opting for a quick visit via a flight. Uluru is sacred to the Aborigines and has been handed over to them. I have also heard that the west coast of Australia is very pretty, but it is a long way off. You can try looking up the pictures and if you find them convincing enough, plan that along with the Uluru visit.
Don't go to Canberra, even though it is tempting, being near the east coast. Instead, it might be a good idea to spend a day in one of those small Australian towns. Some people prefer to spend time in the wine growing areas of Australia, which are close to Sydney, such as the Hunter Valley.
That is all for now, but I will keep adding when I remember something.
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