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My first recommendation is that before you spend any of your hard earned money that you visit an Astronomy Club or viewing night in your area to get a feel for the different types of scopes available. A night out will also help you get a realistic idea of what scopes in your price range can do and see.
There are forum members all around Australia, New Zealand (and even the rest of the world) who I am sure would be tickled pink to show you their Astro stuff if you are in their area.
Some clubs will even have loaners so that you can try one out before you buy.
There are also some good retail stores in Melbourne (I think that is where you are) that I am certain would be happy to show you their wares too.
The budget that you have outlined can get you a nice scope, but the bells and whistles add up fast...It is helpful if you can have a good idea about what you want to do with a telescope so that you can best identify which features you are willing to trade off.
There is no doubt that aperture rules in terms of visual astronomy...that is, bigger scopes see more objects and more detail in those objects than smaller scopes. However, as size increases portability goes down...
For almost every advantage for a particular scope type there will be trade offs...knowing clearly what you are willing to sacrifice in terms of these advantages/disadvantages will help you make the best choice for you.
No doubt, a lot of people will chime in with comments...some in agreement and some conflicting...in the end, the best scope for you is the one that you will use and use often...
Good Luck in your search...and welcome to a wonderful hobby!
Clear Dark Skies...
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