We have been a supplier of OSMO Hardwax Oils for a while now and have found that they have been great in all applications. They have an Oil specifically designed for Kitchen benchtops. OSMO Top Oil which is foodsafe and contains linseed, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, sunflower oil, soybean oil & thistle oil. You can buy it from VCS Products in Perth or Natural Timber Oils in Melbourne.

Hardwood is still a great option and will last for decades if maintained. It would still be my first choice. In particular if it does suit the existing house. The new composites like Millboard, Inex, both look good once down. The Inex for example gets stained (or painted) like a standard timber but the product is a bit like a fibre cement so is almost unaffected by moisture. How long will they last.... well they are quite new to the market.....

Have you been to visit some kitchen showrooms? You can customise the photo search here on Houzz quite a bit. For example, you can simply select [dark wood[(https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/kitchen-design-ideas-with-dark-wood-cabinets-phbr1-bp~t_10444~a_17-103) cabinet finish in the filter options. Then add more filters like floor colour, kitchen layout, cabinet style, wall colour etc if you wish. Leave the benchtop and splashback options open and see what results you get. You can then save any photos that appeal to your ideabook.

Not an Australian product, but definitely a lovely alternative to the indonesian woods. Worth a look, http://www.hardwood.com.au/media/roasted-decking/roasted-decking-brochure.pdf