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Hi Chris
Welcome to IIS! You've started at the right point and you're asking the right questions!
You're likely to get a lot of advice that says "get a dob" and I'll give the same too. A dobsonian is a great way for beginners to get into the hobby without spending a lot of money. You get large aperture, easy to use, easy to move, easy to setup and they are just great value for what you get.
Start with an 8" dob - you can get these from around $399. The skywatcher dob at MyAstroShop, or the GSO dobs from Bintel or Andrews, are great scopes.
I wouldn't get a small reflector on an EQ mount. If your interest is in the moon and planets, the view will be somewhat disappointing due to the small aperture. Deep space objects will be dim and small.
An 8" (or 10" or 12" if you can afford it) is great on the planets and DSOs.
Equatorial mounts can be frustrating, because:
a) Smaller, cheaper ones are wobbly
b) They take longer to align and setup
c) The eyepiece can get in weird positions as the telescope moves around the sky.
The dobsonian base gives alt/az motion - just push/pull it to where you want. Put it on the ground and it's ready to use.
The CAS (Canberra Astronomical Society) is a great active society and I'd suggest getting along to one of their observing nights, where you'll get the chance to see these scopes first hand, and look through them too.
What's your budget?
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