Hi Paula, and welcome
Both of those telescopes which you mention will expand your viewing experiences. If you can stretch your budget to a 10", that would be my preference, however there are a few things to consider. Do you plan to transport the scope in your car? Or are you happy to observe from the backyard. Generally, Dobsonians can be tricky to transport, depending on the type and design. Some are more compact than other. Both the Saxon 8" and 10" Dob are both "Newtonian Reflectors" but the Dobsonian is mounted on a simple "lazy Susan-style" mount. Don't dismiss them, as you get more mirror aperture for your $$ ("more bang for your buck is the term you'll read here a lot")
Incidentally what scope have you been using? (Presumable not a lot in this terrible Melbourne weather
) Tell us about the scope and your experiences with it? But the sounds of it you've been concentrating on the Moon only? did you have problems seeing other objects?
If you get the chance, try to duck into
BinTel in Camberwell. They always have some Dobsonians set up in the show room. The guys there are very knowledgeable and when you see the telescopes "in the flesh" you'll appreciate their size, weight and portability. The other retailer with a good reputation is
Andrews in Sydney.
The other goodies highly recommended by members here are
Stellarium - free planetarium software, and have you considered a pair of binoculars? A very valuable piece of gear to own. You can spend hours on a banana lounge sweeping the Milky Way with a pair of binos.
If you don't want to jumping into a scope purchase just yes (although it sounds like you'e itching to move up to you're next telescope) perhaps contact the
Astronomical Society of Victoria or the
Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society if you're down that way.
Paula, there is so much info and advice available these day. I've just rolled off a snippit. Other members will jump in and pass on their valuable advice.
Regards,
Stephen