Realist said:
Yeah that sounds good, Contiki tour Switzerland, Venice.. ahhh yes. awesome!
As soon as you land in England, available at Gatwick or Heathrow Airports, get hold of free maps of the London Underground, Bus routes etc., if you drive, get a satnav, as it's hopeless trying to find your way anywhere. A blind man could find his way in Sydney better than a fully sighted one in London.
Plan bus routes carefully, it costs £1-50 on the same bus no matter how far you travel, or you can get day passes. Taxis are mega expensive ( timed meters ), so use mini-cabs ( priced on mileage ), good idea to ask how much it's going to cost at the start of the journey, otherwise you could be well and truly ripped-off - they have no prices displayed and vehicles are not marked except for discs on the corner of front and rear screens, there are lots of rogue cabs around. There are night buses, numbered N53 for instance, that are available throughout the night.
If you arrive at Heathrow ( London Airport ) there is an underground service into London. From Gatwick there is a rail service to London Victoria. That will save you an unbelievably priced taxi ride.
As to going to the countryside villages in November, well that's up to you, not sure any locals do that. Getting about by car is very slow going at the best of times. Sydney is a country village compared with London and beaches are a two and a half hour journey away, at least.
There is a free Aussie Newspaper at metal stands, here and there, in the City of London that is useful.
Don't be put off by all this as every Aussie does well in London. Two weeks isn't long though. Try the pubs and pub river boats along the Thames, start at Cleopatras Needle near the Enbankment Underground, go West not East. Piccadilly Circus Area, Charing Cross Road and China Town are interesting Pub and club areas.
You need about 2 years, not two weeks.