Hi Suzy,
I will go against the grain here. Get GOTO. It will make your introduction to our world a lot simpler. If you set yourself $1500-$2000 as a budget you will be pleased with the results.
Something like this is great
http://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatche...telescope.html
We started out with a Meade ETX 125, but this is what supercedes it nowadays
https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=8480
Yes there is a learning curve to understand how to drive the things, but that is easier than learning celestial mechanic and where things are in the sky.