HI Greg,
I too have been down this path. In Sydney nowadays you will always be flat out seeing any galaxies, and none but the brightest nebulae like M57 and M42. I can't now with a 200 mm scope.
I've tried a 300 mm dob reflector in the past, and found that not portable enough to travel with, then a 100 mm refractor, which was quite portable, but it lacked the aperture I wanted at dark sites. I now use a 200 mm C8, a Schmidt Cassegrain. It is easy to collimate, quite portable, and has a bit of power.
So with something like that, 200 mm to 250 mm aperture, at a dark site, you will get a good view of all the well known objects.
Now, the cost, most important. With the budget you plan, you will will get the most scope for the money in a 2nd hand dob reflector, and paying attention to portability and speed of setup, I reckon a 200 mm dob is the way to go, since you intend it for visual use. It will still be portable enough. You can also fit it out with a push-to kit like Argo Navis (the best option I think), and that can be transferred to a future scope.
eg
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=94746
Cheers