NZ and Aust are great places to back pack. I'd stay in backpackers, if you're on your own or with 1 other person. Or perhaps you may want to stay in camping sites. That's even cheaper than a backpackers if you have a tent. However, its nearing the end of summer over here and I wouldn't sleep in a tent during winter!
Places in NZ you should visit:
90 mile beach
Coromandel
Rotorua
Wellington
Nelson/Abel Tasman National PArk
Kaikoura - whale watching
Fox Glacier
Queenstown
Wanaka
Milford Sound
Lake Tekapo
Stewart Island - to hopefully see kiwis in the wild
There's lots of beautiful places in NZ and you can get by on a limited budget.
* Buy your groceries from a supermarket (Foodtown, New World, Pak n Save, Countdown, Woolworths).
* Join the YHA for discounted backpacker accommodation.
* You really need a car in NZ so if you're travelling with mates, get a car. See www.rentadent.co.nz or avis.co.nz, hertz.co.nz etc
* Or... as I suggested to someone else, check out www.spaceships.tv! Accommodation and vehicle all rolled into one cute little 'spaceship'
* Buy petrol from larger towns/cities
* Buy cheap wine from the supermarket
* Do lots of day walks in the bush (forest)
* Hit the beaches
The same rules go for Australia... except they have poisonous spiders and snakes so you gotta be more careful... there's none of that in NZ (except for 1 Australian spider that bites - but I doubt you'd see one!)