Hi Ralph,
Nice to have another Kiwi along here. I'll add my 2 cents worth.
I have a Skywatcher 8" reflector but on a Dob mount so I can't speak for the astrophotography side of things. I have had good reviews regarding the optics on mine from people when comparing different scopes at observing nights etc. (one was even an Australian so it must be right
)
It is an excellent scope for visual observing. I'm not sure how popular sky watcher is in Australia but seems to be getting good press here.
I bought mine through the same place as you are looking and found them to be very helpful and approachable.
Cheers
Gary
