Just don't steal my seats. I've long been planning the same trip and am (like you) now approaching (again, like you, about a year out) the ability to spend the time to do it. (I'm not getting a Ph.D, though...) I've also more or less seen all of Europe and would love to go back to Australia.

So if I find out that I can't get to SYD next October or so because you took the last seat in F, I'll be hoppin' mad!

(Seriously, have fun on the trip--it'd be a blast!)