Bexy,
Good thing about you hitting Brisbane at end of December is having accomodation sorted with your friend and Sydney in particular would be near impossible to get anything reasonable at this stage - it starts getting booked as soon as hostels open bookings, usually six months before and regular places can be booked out within a couple of months, a seven day minimum period usually being a requirement between Xmas/NY.
It'll already be warm/hot in Brisbane and can get very humid, and likewise Fraser Island but plenty of shade and lakes/creeks/champagne rock pools there for swimming and great beaches at Sunshine Coast (on way north to Fraser) and Gold Coast, Stradbroke, Moreton and Bribie Islands and then all the way down the NSW coast and best to head south that time of year - see my comments on earlier post.
I wouldn't worry too much about bugs as you'll find them anywhere in warm/humid weather and just use longer sleeves/legs gear and "Bushmans" repellant especially about late afternoon/evening but quite possible you could see snakes, goannas, dingoes ( and even cane toads have got out there) and of course Cockroaches - and if camping, just keep insect screen zipped and absolutely no food anytime inside a tent or you could get a goanna joining you for company.
As for travelling solo, if you're a typical type friendly traveller, then chances are you'll quickly meet up with like travellers and Australia is no more dangerous than anywhere else to travel.
Matthew Counsel
How about specific examples of what you saved on with
Aussie Travel Saver - Home that you could just be flogging seeing as you used a different line about how mates had used it on another post - did a search myself for backpackers in Cairns (30+ up there) and none came up.
A 15% tour discount did come up but I'd be checking anything like that against other tours, and plenty of good offers usually available in Cairns.
DON'T BE CONNED FOLKS
Oz December 2008
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