My anecdotal experience: My concord wine went from tasting like donkey piss to exquisite wine but it took almost three years. When it's done, I'd recommend you put it away and forget about it for a couple of years.
I use the Corona bottles almost exclusively. Strong bottles and easy to get the last drop before the yeast flows. I just throw a towel over them to keep the light out. Star San eats the label paint but it takes quite a few cycles to get them off.
Surely Australia has recycling centers. My local small town center has saved me hundreds of champagne and beer bottles. I'd pick up 2-300 at a time. They were happy to have them used again and didn't mind drinking the samples I'd drop off.
http://www.tabc.state.tx.us/poe/buying_alcohol_from_out_of_state.asp
It is not legal for a person in Texas to order/purchase malt beverages or distilled spirits from an individual or entity outside of Texas and have it shipped into Texas.
I made some wine that tasted terrible so I put it in the crawlspace under my house and forgot it for two years. Gave a guy a bottle and he said it was delicious so I tried one. He was right. Oh what a difference two years made.