Thank you all for replies - great to see other peoples favs so will check them out again eg Daves NGC 3132 in Vela.
Eric's Doodad has still got me intriuged .... how come it hadnt been discovered until very recently, when it is seemingly a great dark nebula??
"... a striking example of a dark nebula in the southern skies. The so-called “Dark Doodad” lies in the constellation Musca, just south of the Southern Cross.
one of the more conspicuous dark nebulae in the sky. It stretches in a north-south direction for 3 degrees, and has unusually well-defined edges. This makes it relatively easy to see in dark skies."
http://oneminuteastronomer.com/OMALi...rk-doodad.html