One of my co-workers just returned from two weeks in the Outback, and he's been regaling us with tales of his Australia vacation ever since.

He talked about all the exciting adventures he had on his 4WD safari, as well all the beautiful sites he saw in the remotest parts of the country. And of course, he had plenty of pictures to show us from his Australia vacation. Usually, I would get tired of someone going on and on about a particular trip, but since I've always been interested in traveling down under, I soaked up every word my co-worker said.

Soon after, I began seriously considering booking an Australia vacation for myself.

I'd been saving money for quite some time, so I figured I had the necessary funds for the trip. In addition, I hadn't taken any days off in about two years, which meant I'd be able to spend about a month touring the Outback and all the major Australian cities. I decided to go for it, and called a travel agent the very next day.

Since I had read plenty of guidebooks over the years, I was able to describe in detail the kind of Australia vacation that I had in mind.

The travel agent typed some things into her computer, flipped through a few brochures, and then told me that she could put together an Australia vacation I would be happy with. I was actually very impressed with the proposed itinerary she gave me. But when I reached the page with pricing information, my jaw nearly hit the floor. There was no way I'd be able to afford this Australia vacation after all. I asked the travel agent if she could come up with a better deal, but she said that was the best she could do.

And just like that, my Australia vacation appeared to be out of reach for at least another year. When I went back to the office, I explained to my co-worker what happened. He just shook his head and told me that I had gone about everything the wrong way. He booked his entire Australia vacation on the Internet and saved hundreds of dollars off the prices that travel agents had quoted. He then took me over to his computer to show me exactly which sites he had used.

I was able to peruse numerous Australia vacation packages that included many different kinds of options and activities.

I decided to go with a custom plan that would allow me to devise my own itinerary. This was completed in a matter of minutes since I knew exactly what I wanted to do down under. I then hit the "submit" button and held my breath as the site calculated the total price of my proposed Australia vacation. When I saw the final figure, I couldn't believe how low it was. I would be able to go after all!

I leave for my Australia vacation next month, and I couldn't be more excited. This trip will definitely be a lifelong dream come true.