I say don't. My friends looks bad after two months. Stained with white circles from water damage. However , hers doesn't look sealed or oiled well enough. It's quite raw looking. Some woods must be more suited then others. If you don't have children and don't leave anything drying or wet on your benchtops it would be ok.

I guess some people associate 'beach' homes with weatherboard cladding, inside wall panelling, and wooden floor boards to give that relaxed vibe. I personally thing stone would also look effective and require less maintenance in comparison to the wood. Remember, sand has a tendency to scratch floorboards, therefore, over time, it may require some TLC to restore to original condition. Stone would simply require a vacuum and mop and would give a seamless look to the home.

Here are two websites with samples of flooring in different Aussie woods. Realistically, though, there's quite a big variation so you probably need to go and have a look at some good-sized samples to get a feel for what you're getting. http://www.borthwick.com.au/species/timber-species http://www.boral.com.au/timberflooring/showcase.asp It's been quite a while since we looked at flooring, but I do recall that most of the Australian species seemed to be on the reddish or yellowish side rather than the grey. Maybe grey ironbark might be worth a look?

I have only seen one wooden bench top that has managed, over time, to keep the wet out and avoid that black mouldy creepage where the water splashes behind the taps and around tap inserts. It was built by a carpenter and then the owner applied oil to gain the colour desired before applying several coats of marine epoxy (several = at least 5), sanded back before every new layer. It was burn proof and the colour locked in by epoxy coat with no maintenance required (until a visitor put a burning pot on it and left it there while attending to fire on stove, still... only left a black ring. That said, the owner promptly got out the sander and ground back until black ring was no longer charcoal texture, then reapplied oil and layered epoxy until black ring looked like it belonged (can't do that with any other surface I can think of?). After 15 years there is no sight of the insidious black mould from water penetration so I suppose it is the same recipe as with most thing successful projects in life, research, research, preparation, preparation, preparation and don't falter at the finish line.