So, I ended up biting the bullet (and splurging a lot...) and got a the 12 inch in the goto along with a few new eyepieces. I got about an hour and half in the other night before clouds swept over, and its been cloudy the last two nights, damn Brisbane weather...
Anyway, I posted a first light report in the observing section here:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...863#post696863 if anyone is interested.
It is a very good scope, and albeit very big, I would recommend it to others, even though I've only used it once.
I'd like to thank everyone for their help during the process, even if it was just through advice for others on other threads
