I have visited Australia about 4 or 5 times in my lifetime, each time I have headed initially to Brisbane, and then traveled around from there.
Hotels in Brisbane are on the whole very reasonably priced. In fact if you are looking for Cheap Hotels in Brisbane and you have a bit of time to do a little research you can normally find quite reasonable Brisbane Accommodation and save yourself a considerable amount.
There are a number of interesting places to visit in Brisbane, and if you decide to base yourself in the city you are also in close proximity to the popular tourist attractions at the Gold Coast as well as the wonderful beaches of Surfers Paradise.