I went to Australia solo back in 2007 and stayed in hostels the entire time.
You can read about my trip here.
I have decided I will be staying in Hostels but another problem is what the am I going to do there?
I stayed primarly in
Hosteling International hostels and they were great.
Assuming it's beach weather, go to the beach! Check out the Opera House in Sidney, eat the street sushi, try the local beer.
But don't just eat out, get some groceries and cook for yourself at the hostel, you'll meet fellow solo travelers that you'll end up tagging along with on their trips or just knocking back pints around the corner.
I was just given these tickets yesterday without any planning. Im going to be pretty tight with my money because im not going there with much on hand. Think around 2 thousand to three thousand on me.
$2,000-$3,000 is way more than you'll need for 2.5 weeks. Don't keep it all in cash. Keep it in your Canadian bank account and call the bank to let them know you'll be using your card in Australia. I personally paid for all hostels/flights on my Visa while I was there, but used my CIBC card at the ATM's and typically took out $200-$300 at a time. Basically an amount that was sufficient to buy food/souvenirs/drinks but not enough that I'd be screwed if it were stolen/lost.
Also is there any trips I can take there? like a grayhound bus that travels the country? I could really appreciate some help on this as I am completely clueless.
I flew Quantas between city's in Australia, but I was also there for a month, so I spent about a week in Sidney, 2.5 in Melbourne and a weekend & change in Cairns snorkling with a ski buddy of mine. I should note I had friends in Melbourn as well that I stayed with a couple nights in addition to the hostel there.
Honestly if you can, EXTEND your trip. The flight is a killer & the jet lag can be brutal, so the more time you spend down there (within a reasonable budget) the better. Traveling solo & staying in hostels can streatch your budget quite a bit.