I'm currently living in Perth for work while my husband is living in Los Angeles. He's coming to visit mid-December through mid-January and I'm going to take most of that time off work. I'd love any advice on an itinerary. I was thinking of meeting him in Sydney, spending some time there, then heading back to WA.

We are very active people, love snorkeling, swimming, hiking, (although neither of us dives), LOVE animals and nature, wine tasting, beach and cool cafes and restaurants. We're not really luxury resort/golf course/tennis/gift shop people if that makes sense. My husband is really not into tours that feel like "tours" with a lot of travelers on them. For instance, "all inclusive" packages never seem quite right for us. We'd rather eat at a really cool authentic local restaurant than in the hotel.

When we went to Costa Rica, we sort of paved our own way and it was wonderful. Did great hikes, had some cool adventures. So, I guess I'm looking for a similar way to tackle this vacation. It overlaps Christmas, so I'm trying to be conscious of the fact that things might not be open that day, so we would want to plan accordingly.

Some thoughts I've had are Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, Kangaroo Island, Melbourne, Broome, Margaret River, Bali, Rottnest Island. Obviously, we cant do all of those, so I'm just curious if anyone has opinions or advice. We're not working with unlimited funds so I'm trying to be semi-budget conscious. Thanks for any input!