Almost due east, at the horizon, you'll find Cetus. Virgo due west. To the left of Scorpius sits Telescopium to the South. Above Telescopium sits Corona Australis with the tea pot shaped constellation of Sagittarius above. A large constellation Ophiuchus lay midway up in the sky, above Antares, the bright red-orange star in Scorpius.
Spring begins in the southern hemisphere.
There's a good way to tell the difference between a star and a planet in the night sky. Stars often twinkle due to Earth's unsteady atmosphere, whereas planets do not.