if i buy a car in australia for backpack travel, which state plates should it have?

i'm thinking of buying a car for a backpacking trip in australia.
i've heard there are state plates that give better conditions law wise (states in australia). is this true ,what are the conditions, and which state is that?

thanx

I don't think any state in Oz have any major difference in their laws. The only state that may cause you any inconvenience is New South Wales, where I live, as they require a machinery inspection each year when the registration is due, meaning you have to head back to the state to renew your rego. All other states allow you to renew your rego with out an inspection. Some states also allow you to rego for 3months, 6months or 12 months. When you buy a vehicle here they usually have some months rego left, so you may not have to re register it.
If you are not going to be here more than a year I wouldn't worry about it.
There are places in Sydney where you can buy a vehicle with a buy back agreement, the are also markets where you can buy a vehicle from a departing backpacker at bargain prices. Somewhere around the "Rocks" area in Sydney I think, you could inquire on the net. Lots of luck you will enjoy Oz.

I live in Australia and I have never heard that it is better to have plates on your car from a particular state. When you purchase a car it will come with plates and I am sure you will not be able to pick and chose which state plates you want. Here is a site that gives you some information http://www.tma.com.au/index.asp?sKeyword=&iRegionID=-1&iStateID=-1&iMenuID=5&iEditorialID=811

and here are some sites that are interesting :

http://www.australiatravelsearch.com.au/
http://www.australianexplorer.com/

No state plates give better law conditions then others.

However, Victorian plates are better to have as their registration is cheapest.

It would be wise, if possible, to buy and later sell the vehicle in the same state. The problem you might have if you buy in one state and sell in another, is that any modifications made, may not be legal in another state, and the new buyer would not be able to register it there. All other laws re traffic are national, so it shouldn't make any difference. Just check to see if it's been lowered, raised or altered in any way before you buy. We travelled around Aus for 2 years with SA plates with no problems! Happy trails.

Keep in mind that cars in Australia are expensive - even used cars. And registration is also very expensive, though insurance is probably cheaper than you are used to if you live in the US. Also, before selling, in some states you will need to obtain a roadworthy certificate (RWC). If anything goes wrong with the car while you own it, it could be expensive to get the necessary repairs done to obtain the RWC.