I do believe I'll put the AP ambitions on hold indefinitely and stick with the 8" Dobsonian idea. Whilst it would be interesting to learn the intricacies of astrophotography, I think just pure stargazing will be a bit less of a money sink. Can't go buying shiny new things when I've got a house to build
Actually I could get some "deep cloud" photography at the moment, haven't seen a clear sky in weeks out here lol.
Thank you for your input gentlemen, it was much appreciated. I'm going to find a reason to drive to Melbourne this week and procure said Dobsonian. Standby for my next post asking what to do when you've been looking at the sun with your telescope for too long!