You set foot in Australia and give no second thought to the budget. 10 pounds a day, no problem. All you have thoughts for are coral reefs, Bondi beach and camping the dessert.

But then, as do thousands of backpackers to Australia each year slowly realise, there is a budget. It hits home, believe me.

So can you experience all this on a 10 pounds a day budget. For sure.  And you will come away with some of the best highlights of your life and meet some fantastic people along the way. 

It just takes a bit of organisation thats all.  This may sound daft, but to be aware of your budget all the way thru your trip is the best way to stick to it. You will meet so many people backpacking in Oz that have no idea how much money they have left in their travelling pot.  Most plan to go away for 12 months and return home in less than 6 months. 

So this is serious stuff

Before you go – get your monies organised into an online friendly bank account, so you can check spending as you go.  Get yourself comprehensive travel insurance so you don't have to pay out for any unforeseen expenses along the way.  Don't be tempted to buy 'travelling' clothes before you go.  Clothes and shoes are all much cheaper here than back home. If you are hitting Asia before Oz then stock up there – especially for i-pods and cameras!

Get yourself a working visa before you go – that way should you want to supplement your cash, you can easily. Working on your trip is not as dull as it sounds.  If you want to earn some serious bucks you need to hit a city for a couple of months and take a sales/office job.  The plus side of this is that your new social life will far outweigh the office dullness! Aussie's are seriously hospitable and know how to sink a few beers on a Friday night!

Can't stand the office, get into Hospitality. If you can't afford to pay to go to a certain gig or racing event, then how about working there?  Whether its waiting, lifting or handing out flyers, getting paid to watch gigs, grand prix, tennis, horse racing etc is the way to go! Or get yourself a job helping out on a yacht or island resort hotel to get a touch of the high life!

Check out www.redcross.org.au for events.

Cost of living here is so cheap – for a cheap eat take some snags to the local beach or park.  Most have pay BBQ's so you can enjoy dinner al fresco for a few dollars.  'Bring your own' restaurants cut down on drinks bills hugely.  For a cheap dinner in a city try the food halls of the shopping malls.

That should get you started. Scrimping for a bit will allow you to splash out on that diving course or Whitsunday cruise you have always wanted to do!