JDelphiki

Hello All, I am new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself. I am an American and planning on taking a backpacking trip to OZ at the end of April 2014. I have applied for the Work Holiday visa and hopefully will be getting some positive results soon. Australia has fascinated me for many years and I am extremely excited to explore! I have some family in Geraldton and Koffs Harbor that I eventually hope to go visit along the way. I had planned on starting in Cairns (wanted to see Daintree Rainforest and Kuranda) and making my way down the Eastern Coast (see the Whitsundays and Frasier Island) to Sydney over the course of 6-8 months... squatting for a while when I get comfortable and obviously working whenever possible to supplement my expenses. Eventually will take a plane from Sydney to Melbourne or Perth. I plan on living a pretty minimalist lifestyle and spending most of my money on experiences and adventures. I want to participate in WWOOF as well, for at least 2 months and possibly longer if I have favorable experiences. Many people in my life (lol the overly neurotic types) think that my idea that I can work and pay for my travels and exploration along the way is unrealistic. I guess I am looking for some positive reinforcement that it is completely realistic. I plan on leaving with a decent amount of money - $10-12k USD, and again plan on working extensively if necessary along the way. I have a Bachelors degree and have worked for 3 years in a Sales, Marketing, and product development role in the Business world here. I have quite a bit of customer service experience and there is very little that I would be unwilling to do (hoping to be able to work for some time on a fishing boat of some sort f, even if it is a completely **** job, and on a farm with cattle). Can anyone give me any advice or thoughts on this? Destinations I should see along the way? Thanks in advance! -Bean-