Hello,
Check the weather first. This time of year, much of Asia can have rain every day, though thankfully not all day. A relative of mine is in Australia at present and the weather is so-so (she never listens to me) which is to be expected as it is mid winter. Late November or early December is probably the best time to go and you can be on the beach while they are all freezing back home.
Thailand is a travel hub for Asia (unless you plan on going to India), and you can pop in and out of the country. On arrival by air you get 30 days visa free, and by land, 15 days visa free, to a total of 90 days in a 180 period.
Your RTW can have overland sections and there are some cheapish airlines if you book the flights early, for side trips. Pick up the Daily Mail for Saturday or Sunday as it has lots of travel ads, including RTW companies. These people are often well travelled and can help your RTW itinerary.
Going RTW via Asia is fairly cheap (though the later you leave it, the less choice there will be and the more it will cost. I would book very soon). Via the Americas is far more expensive so maybe do that another time, and get better weather?
While much of Asia is cheap, Australia is expensive, and New Zealand quite expensive. So, maybe more time in Asia and less time there? America is of course quite expensive.
How much money to take? As much as you can. Apart from places like Japan, Singapore where accommodation is expensive, south Korea, I would like £25 a day in Asia for accommodation, food, etc. It really depends on what kind of accommodation and lifestyle you want. Out most nights and eating in restaurants that could triple or quadruple.
Australia and NZ I would like at least £50 a day. Accommodation is expensive in Australia. Check out the Accommodation link at the top of the page to get some ideas for where you are going.
I would arrive in northern Australia and work my way down south, then a flight to NZ. Distances are great in Australia and flying sometimes the best way. Cheaper to book flights beforehand. Unless you particularly want to go there, I would give Perth a miss because it is further away than NZ is from the east coast of Australia.
Stop in Asia on the way there, and maybe a different place on the way back. If nothing else it will break up a very long flight. I found a car is handy for getting around NZ but fairly expensive. No problem going between the islands as they allow for that, but one way rental as in not dropping it back where you picked it up is expensive there and in Australia.
Work out some concrete plans and then come back here for more advice. Remember you will need some visas, which are time limited, so don't get them too early. You will also need at least six months still on your passport the day you return home.
My boyfriend and I have been travelling around the world for 8 months doing a similar thing to what you're planning on doing, except Europe instead of Aus and NZ as we're from Australia.
Round the World tickets can be really good, but we found that it was better for us to book individual tickets because it was more flexible and ended up being cheaper. Some around the world tickets go on miles and some by destinations, and you can only fly with certain airlines.
You would also need to decide whether you're a YOLO traveller or you want to book things and have your itinerary worked out. We were a bit of both, but be careful because sometimes if you leave your accommodation booking too late you will be charged for it.
You would also need to look at whether you can hire a car and work this into your budget. It would be particularly helpful in North America because it can be quite tricky to get around as the public transport system isn't fantastic and you could end up paying an arm and a leg for a flight or have to sit through bus rides of upwards of 20 hours to get from one major city to the next.
Also, check the weather for the time of year that you're planning to be there before you decide which way you're going to go in your trip.. try and stick to one season, summer if you don't mind the heat, that way you can pack less and it makes everything easier!
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