Woah, I'm glad I started this thread. I'm drowning in excellent material. Many thanks guys!
Rob, thanks once again, some great maps there!
Glen, excellent find! Those ebooks are spot on, I've had a quick skim and there appears to be heaps of great information in them.
Paddy, thanks for your info, I went down to the local library and borrowed "Atlas of the Southern Night Sky" some good info there too. I might get my own copy if I find I can't part with it.
I'm in touch with another library to see if I can get "Turn Left at Orion" on loan from them. Well it's cloudy tonight so I'm going to be doing a fair bit of reading.
I tried finding Sombrero and the Blue PN last night again without the maps and just from memory and I found them instantly. Then I got ahead of myself and just for fun I tried to find Centaurus A. Haha, yes why bother but I had to have a go. I reckon I found the spot but nah nothing happening there far too dim.
Then I took a shot at Anatares (I've only viewed it through binos before) it was hanging in the misty glow above Manly. What a sight! I don't know if it was the bad seeing but it was like a traffic light gone mad, blinking green, orange, red and blue.
[edit] It must have been the sea mist causing it to refract as it hasn't done that the last few times I've looked at it [/edit] My favourite star so far, and in my Astrological constellation too.