Please tweak y Itinerary
 

I will be flying into Cairns and will spend 5 days there. Then I will fly to Uluru and spend 3 days there. Before flying to sydney and spending 5 days there. Is that doable? I will not be renting a car. What do you recommend for Uluru. Is it worth the cost?
Thanks

Yours is a very do-able itinerary, but only you can decide whether a visit to Uluru is worth the cost. I have been there twice, but, due to the expense of getting and staying there, it is not a place I would recommend visiting unless it's a place you just "have to see" (as it was for me). If it's just a box to "tick off", then skip it.

I will say that not having a rental car at Uluru can be limiting since you would have to rely on pricey shuttles and/or pricey tours to get to Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Note: the only free shuttles are the one between the airport and Yulara Village where the accommodations are and the shuttle that circles through Yulara Village. There is a shuttle to Uluru and Kata Tjuta, but they charge for their service.

Very doable itinerary. If you can drive, I'd hire cars in Cairns & at Uluru, though.

If you decide to hire at Uluru, book ahead - demand can exceed supply.

I am thinking of dropping Uluru and adding Melbourne instead. Is this something you recommend? Or do you think I should split the time between sydney and cairns?
Thanks

You certainly have enough time for three destinations in Australia, but I don't know whether Melbourne would be a good choice for YOU.

Two things to consider: 1) What are you interests? What attractions in/around Melbourne would you like to see? If you know nothing about Melbourne, you might want to research it before committing to a visit there, 2) When are you planning to be in Melbourne? Winter (June, July, August) is not a time that I, personally, would choose to be in Melbourne.

It would be June. Can you recommend another destination? Uluru is so darn expensive to get there and I dont think it is worth it!
Thanks

You may absolutely love Melbourne and the weather may have no affect at all on your visit depending on what you want to do. If you want to spend 3 days in Melbourne visiting museums, touring galleries and trying new restaurants, then you may find Melbourne a perfect choice for you. But, if your idea of a good destination would be one that offers a lot of outdoor activities--hiking, biking, surfing, etc. then Melbourne may not be a good fit in June.

That's why I recommend you do some research to find a destination that appeals to you and your interests.

As Longhorn says, without knowing your interests, we don't know what would be best for you.

Have a look at the information tabs for Melbourne on the Melbourne forum - that will give you an idea of what's available there.

June is the beginning of our winter and it will be colder in the south, but not as cold as European & North American winters.

One option that may appeal is to spend more time in FNQ & explore the Atherton Tablelands, Cairns Hinterland.
That may tick your "outback" box without the expense of Uluru.

It will be nothing like Uluru - but there are some really interesting areas & things to see & do.

I like the idea of seeing the outback! Can you tell me more of how i would do the Atherton tablelands without a car?
I like history, outdoor activities. Im really up for anything.

Well, you could do a tour with Alan Gilanders www.alanswildlifetours.com.au
or some of the other short tours on offer. He's a local, tremendous knowledge and he could create a great day or two for you.

Undarra.com.au
Mareeba - have a look at the Tablelands website. www.tablelands.org/mareeba

Did you have a look at the Destinations tag here?

Have you looked at the Great Ocean Road out of Melbourne?

I have decided to split my time between Cairns and Sydney! THanks for the suggestions!