G'day Chris,
Oh, the joys of being on the bottom rung of the ladder. So many choices… so little money… so many big bills… so many opinions. This is in no way a slur, when I started training I had zero hours in my logbook.
My advice would be;
Instructing is a career choice. Only do it if that is what you aspire to. We have all heard of the inexperienced trying to train the unexperienced. I have had 1500 hour instructors come and work for me that had no real experience and were not suitable for charter operations. They had the same one hour experience 1500 times. Sure, they had some cross country time, but still lacked the qualities I look for in charter pilots.
I suggest you go and complete the CPL and a SECIR concurrently in a consolidated structure with a good Australian school. This will build hours whilst achieving the basic requirement to make you employable at a cheaper cost than concentrating on each goal at a time.
You will not need a CIR in your first year of commercial operations but it may well save your life in the first year up north. This is where you are likely to grab your first job, and will surely end up in IMC whilst VFR. (Been there, done that, but didn’t get a T-Shirt, just soiled underwear) The following year is a renewal with some asymmetric stuff to upgrade to a MECIR, (short answer, obviously a bit more involved than a renewal) which your employer should fund anyway (or don’t work there)
In a couple of years you are experienced in ME, IFR, Charter operations, pax handling, commercial pressure, dodgy aircraft, cranky chief pilots etc. The world is your oyster.
My 2 cents worth, good luck with your endeavours.
.