Thanks! Followed back! Wow, I have always really wanted to travel the world, but I have only been to Australia, Canada, and through most of the USA.
It is true, Australia can be pretty damn expensive. Luckily my boss helped with a lot of the costs. I did see a lot of backpackers though during my stay in Australia and spent some time in backpacker bars ;). Basically, you just have to stay away from the cities. When we traveled to Cairns (Great Barrier Reef) the prices were crazy! However, we moved a little ways outside the tourist hub and the prices were much more realistic. Like I said, based on the number of backpackers I ran into during my stay, I think it is possible to do a budget trip through Australia. Just avoid the tourist HUBS at all costs (pun intended).