Hi!
I spent two years travelling solo (10 years ago), a year each in Australia and New Zealand. Don't worry about it. It's the best way to go by far! When there's no one else around to change your plans for, you can really find out what it is you want to do, free from the expectations and obligations that you're used to operating under. Stay in the hostel's lounge for a day every so often, just because you need time to mull over recent impressions. Waste a day sitting at the harbour, watching ships pass by. Amble endlessly through the botanic gardens, experimenting with your camera. It's the small experiences like that which you'll later remember most fondly, and for which you probably wouldn't take the time if there was someone else with you who wasn't in the mood for exactly the same.
How long are you going for? I'm assuming a full year on a Working Holiday Visa, since that's what we see most often here, but if not, then not all of the following might apply to you.
Specific tips: Have a rough itinerary for the year, so that at any given point, if you feel like you need to get away from the current place you're at, you know exactly where to go next, and can just hop on the next bus. But then when you're actually there, treat that itinerary as more like a guideline. If you like a place, stay longer! If you hear a fellow backpacker talk about this place in the other direction which sounds awesome, go check it out! If you want to backtrack, just do so! Feel like changing the climate? Fly halfway across the country! Really, don't let preconceived notions and plans affect what you're doing. You'll experience, see and learn so much that you'll change quite a lot over the course of a year - slowly, but definitely - and you'll probably discover quite some new things about what you like to do.
New Zealand is even more amazing than Australia, especially if you like nature and/or hiking. Since you're in the neighbourhood, don't miss it, and give yourself some serious time to properly explore it.
Australia is an extremely easy country to travel around in (and so's New Zealand). The infrastructure is superb, and everyone is completely used to solo backpackers. You'll encounter lots and lots of really friendly and helpful people if you need advice or assistance with anything. Generally you won't need to look further than the people manning reception at your hostel.
September is a great time to be pretty much anywhere in Australia. If you were staying for half a year, then I'd recommend exploring the north first once you've arrived, since December through March is the wet season up there.
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