Australia is the perfect place for your first ever backpacking adventure. It was the first place I went to. Mainly because its a gentle place in which to ease yourself into the backpacker scene because its a relatively safe country, is easy going and there is a huge backpacker scene there. It's probably the most popular backpacking destination. I remember when a friend I hadn't seen for a while asked me where I had been and I named Australia as my first destination. Before I could say anything else he replied, 'Everyone who has been travelling has gone to Australia.' And he was probably right. Up until now Australia has always been safe. Apart from the few incidents you hear about in the papers, the majority of travellers get by without a single bad incident. The backpacker scene is so huge that it's a fundamental part of Australia's tourism. There is a huge network of hostels there, and the Greyhound bus service will get you pretty much anywhere you want. They even offer special long term tickets like one I used which was a Kilometre Pass. This meant that I could travel anywhere I wanted, when I wanted, until I had used up all my kilometres. Now that's what I call freedom!!