Unfortunately, buying more miles is not an option since I purchased American's maximum allowed in 1 year.

Perhaps I shouldn't have worded my statement as firmly about Sydney.. throughout this trip I am more interested in seeing the smaller towns/communities rather than staying around touristy areas, which tend to be in big cities. This is for several reasons, one of which is the costs are generally less outside of the main cities. From the few people I've talked to about this trip who know me well, they've suggested Perth or even Darwin, spending more time in the "outback" and wilderness. That being said, I'm traveling around the world to get a taste of each country, so I decided to add either Sydney or Melbourne.

Thanks for your input!!