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Hi Greg,
I am a member of the SAS as well. If you really want to be blown away by the southern sky you really need to go to Leyburn. It's a bit of a drive but it's worth it for sure. Make sure it's a night around the new moon to make the most of it, hopefully you are here around that time?. I grew up in the country, but when I was younger I don't remember seeing the Milky Way as bright and as clear as I have seen it at Leyburn. A couple of guys from overseas make the trip to Leyburn around June each year just for the sky.
In saying that, if you can't make it to Leyburn, you don't need to travel far from the coast to get a half reasonable sky. Any where on the other side of Mt Tamborine is OK. The south western side of Springbrook Mt is good. There is a lookout on Springbrook Mt that looks south, there is also an observatory up there, although I have never been there. Of course it's not as dark as Leyburn, you won't see all the dark fuzzies but you will see the usual high lights. You need darker skies to see the LMC and the SMC.
My backyard in suburbia is OK most of the time, but early in the morning (2 or 3am with no moon) when most of the population has gone to bed and light pollution is minimal does makes a difference. I am sometimes surprised at how much I can see from the backyard (I am about 12km north of Surfers Paradise). Hope this helps and I hope you are not here during a full moon.
Cheers.
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