Ah yes yokes - great things. Joysticks are ok, but the keyboard is impossible to use to control the aircraft. I have the CH Products yoke and I think it's great. I also have a Saitek joystick, which is good too.
Also, I think that having decent AI traffic is worth it - look for Project AI (PAI) and World of AI (WoAI), both of which are good. For New Zealand, there's also the Great NZ Light Aircraft Project (GNZLAP) which can be found on NZFF or Avsim.
Did you get my reply PM Crowe?