Do you mean our summer or the northern hemisphere’s summer? If it’s our summer stick to the south, if it’s our winter then head north. Don’t bother going across the country if you’re trying to save money, it’s not worth it, stick to the eastern half of the country. Book domestic flights early. Tiger Airlines is the cheapest domestic airline, but the service is poor, they have strict baggage limits and check in requirements, and flights are often cancelled. Try Jetstar, Virgin Blue or Qantas if you don’t want to risk it. Stay in hostels and backpackers to save money, and look for accommodation with a small kitchen to avoid eating out too often. With that budget as long as you are a bit careful you’ll have no problems. It won’t make much difference to your budget whether you visit NZ or not, just a personal preference. Queenstown in NZ is a great place for tourists (although it’s kind of expensive). If your’e coming in our winter then NZ will be cold, and snowing in parts. Edit: If it’s your summer then it’s our winter – don’t worry, the north of Australia is hot even in winter, and the south is cool to mild. I’d suggest visiting Sydney, the Gold Coast, Cairns and perhaps Uluru and/or Kakadu at that time of year depending on your interests. Avoid our school holidays if you can to save money on accommodation (the first two weeks of July in most states).

as an Aussie living in the US i have done that trip too many times to count…always from Atlanta, but not much different from NY… find yourself a flight to the west coast…most people choose to fly out of LA but its so crowded and congested that ive learnt my lesson and wont do that again… try flying out of San Fransisco…much better airport, less people and honestly i have found the staff to be friendlier and more accommodating… the cheapest flights i have found are always with Air New Zealand…they are awesome to fly with. you can get a flight to either Sydney or Cairns (my home town) through Auckland… it is always cheaper to book flights on the web directly from the airline…i like Delta for flights within the US… hope this helps…

ill let ya husband visit my great barrier reef