Heya Liz - thanks for the kind words
I got a little wrapped up last nite... looked at my iPad and realized it was 4am + condensation on the scope so thought I should call it a night...
Last night I was mainly hanging around the Orion constellation and spotted M42/M43... just a faint grey smudge with 4 distinct bright stars...
I have confirmation that my Telrad was shipped today and should be here next week from the states
The celestron kit has a good combination of filters, barlow and lenses... although no sites specify if they are wide or not? The postage from the states for that kit is 50 AUD so it still comes out about 40 cheaper than the 2nd hand kit for sale on these forums and also local sites/ebay sellers which want 280+ shipping (I will be saving a good 100+ here).
I guess my main question is what benefit do "wide" eyepieces that everyone is recommending have? How can you tell the difference when buying online between a wide and "normal" eyepiece? Do wide eyepieces hinder on clarity for a wider FOV?
Sorry for all the questions guys... ive got books and am googling my heart out however I really cannot find a clear answer on this topic...