I think I'll hold off until I can get just the right gear. I would like to be able to take pics of the planets with a film SLR and maybe later with a toucam or similar (as yet I don't know enough about them). I'm looking at this as a one-off purchase as I probably wont be in a position to buy something better later on. I also have so much to learn about the different types of telescopes, half of the language means nothing to me.
I hope you all have a terrific time at Ballarat with good skies and look forward to seeing some great shots in the gallery.