I haven't used an 8 inch scope in your light conditions, but I'd reckon you should have no trouble with 47 Tucanae NGC 104 a spectacular globular cluster near the small magellanic cloud, the tarantula nebula NGC 2070 and other nebulae around the Large Magellanic Cloud, Eta Carinae nebula NGC 3372 and various clusters around that area, the Jewel box cluster NGC 4755 near beta crucis (star at the pointers end of the cross bar of the cross - the cluster is on the pointers side of the star). M41 is another nice globular cluster in Canis Major not far from Sirius. There's heaps more but that would be a start.
If you have binoculars, its also woth just scanning the sky and noting fuzzy different looking patches, then pointing your telescope at them. You will be surprised at what you find. The challenge is then to work out what it was that you've been looking at.
Do you have some software or maps that will help you find things? If not, Cartes du Ciel is free software that will help you print star maps to help you. You can look up NGC and Messier objects and print out charts showing where they are.
The site for Cartes du Ciel is
http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/
I'm sure you will get a zillion more suggestions! Happy star hopping, there is a lot to look at up there.