That would be my recommendation. If you are planning to spend some time in Australia, head for Queensland by all means (it's guaranteed to be very hot and very humid), but do yourself a favour and head south to Victoria if you get the chance.Lol The booze & narcotics part was ironic. Those typically mix poorly, even at sea level. I never drink on flights anyway, but man, some of the flights I was looking at involve 30+ hours travel. I'm usually OK sleeping & reading. How about any tips for who to book airfare with & what's a reasonable price to/from New York. Any, since it'll be my first trip to AUS, I think I'll try to swing some side trips, if I have the coin. Are there must see's for a first timer?
When you get to planning stage, my daughter's partner is a Travel Agent, and he would be the best source of advice for fares, package deals and so. PM me if you want some advice, and this applies to any others who want help.
The cheapest is USD 1900, for a 37-hour trip.