G'day Generalninja and welcome to the site
My advice, for what it's worth, is to get a decent set of nokkies first and a couple of star charts or a planisphere. Spend a bit of time getting to know the sky and try to get in contact with some local people or group (or the IIS forums) and see what they use.
Don't rush, take your time and above all, enjoy yourself.
A good scope is a big bite out of anyones budget and is a decision that should be made only after some careful consideration if you don't want to wind up with something that really might not be exactly what you want.
The multitude of choices can be a bit overwhelming to a beginner (it certainly was to me) so take your time and get it right.
Yeah, I know, probably not the cut and dried answer you were looking for, but in actual fact, it's really not bad advice.
The more you learn, the more learned your questions will become.
Best wishes for the future
Cheers, Phil.