Finding Accommodation in Australia, is very easy. There are all kinds of accommodation to suit all budgets. As a general rule, the closer to the sea and to downtown, the higher the prices are. Also, the bigger cities are more expensive and the prices reflect this. Even so, it's not difficult to find something affordable everywhere in Australia. If you are trying to decide where to stay, and you have left the decision to find accommodation to the last minute, don't worry too much about it. There's plenty of accommodation available. The only exception will be when something important is happening in town, for example, Formula One race in Melbourne, or Indy 300 on the Gold Coast. During these short periods it is hard to find ( almost impossible!) cheap accommodation in a good location.

Real Estate Agents in Australia  have shops that specializes in sales and rentals of houses and apartments. They are as easy to find in Australia, as pop corn in a cinema. In every suburb and city or town in Australia there are at least two Real Estate companies. That is the why you should check as many as possible, because they have different accommodation lists available. Real Estates must be registered and are strongly regulated by the government, with every Real Estate agent required to do a Real Estate course about the rules and regulations. In the Real Estates Agents' you will find houses, apartments, land and business for sale, for lease, for rent, for auction, as well as short term and long term accommodation. The list of sales and rentals are usually listed on the window outside of the shop, (Photo above) but they have a bunch of other offers inside too. Their services are usually free for renters or buyers but charge a commission for sellers and landlords.

Tourist Information in Australia or Tourist information kiosks, are in every city and town of Australia. They have a list of almost all accommodation in town including hotels, motels, backpackers hostels, Bed & Breakfast, farmstay, houseboats, camping & caravan parks. They help you not only with free maps and tips, but they also sell publications and have heaps of free leaflets on tourist attractions, what is on, restaurants, events etc. Some of them make the call for you to reserve an accommodation or tour. Some also have lists of neighboring cities. 

Publications & Specialized books -  Travel guides such as Lonely Planet, Jason, and many others, sometimes have different lists of accommodations and prices not shown in the Real Estate or Tourist information. For example, once, someone told me that in Tahiti the accommodation prices were up in the moon and I couldn't find anything below US$ 60. In one of these books I found a place for only US$ 15 per day and it was nice, clean and very well located. Another good place to look is in any Australian bookshop (most located inside shopping centers). There, you can find books such as The Backpackers guide, The Camping guide, and guides for many other things. Hotels, motels, camping grounds and backpackers also have similar guides for different towns.

Newspapers - If you already in a town, in your beautiful palace with a sea view etc... and are planning to hit the road the next day, it's good to know that in the tourism section of any newspaper there are lists of private renters and smaller hotels that offer discounts and packs. For example: In Brisbane you can check in the Courier Mail newspaper for accommodation on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Frazer Island, Moreton Island, and much more. Accommodation; such as a house, beach front on South Stradbroke Island, furnished with anything you need for A$ 800 per week is an example. Of course if you are traveling in a group of 8, it will only cost A$ 100 per week per head. What a bargain for a house that is located 5 meters away from wetting your feet in the ocean. The newspaper also has a section for people who want to share a room or have a room to rent to you.

Internet - On the internet it is very hard to find something cheaper than newspapers or travel guides. Anyway, sometimes...Who knows?

Some expressions used in the Australian newspapers about accommodation