I have the same one as Elleabear, I always go for Canon. I can't think of a compact digital to recommend, but I plan on buying a Canon one in the near future.

I have had a Nikon compact digital which was really good, easy to use - but I got sand in it and it died.

The Digital Camera Warehouse in Northcote is really good - the staff can probably talk you through the products and recommend something. Otherwise, I know there's some websites that will review different cameras and give you an idea of how they compare - I know these websites are out there, but I've never used one myself.

GL!