Hi Brett
Welcome to Ice In Space.
I would recommend visiting a local astronomy club, such as the
Brisbane Astronomical Society. There, you will be able to chat to members who can show you their planetarium programs running on their notebook computers, and how they use these to navigate the night skies.
You should also be able to get some tips on how to set up and use your ‘scope. Unfortunately, the next club meeting at Kelvin Grove will not be until February 2008 as the Dec meeting is their Xmas party and the Jan meeting is a field night at Whites Hill Reserve.
Cheers
Dennis