Can I respond to the question about growing Australian plants? I know it was aimed at Mike but I also garden in Cyprus, although, I believe, in different conditions to Mike. He describes his as sloping and his soil as marl whilst my 'field' is flat and with reasonably fertile soil. Personally, I find Westringia fruticosa, Lagunaria patersonii and Eremophilla maculata extremely useful and needing virtually no summer water once established.
Grevilleas can sometimes be found here too. As I look out of my window right now my neighbour's G robusta dominates the front of their house.
On a slightly different note, when the British came here in the late 1800s they planted several varieties of Ecalypts and Acacias. They did this especially in marshy areas in order to try to drain them and reduce the incidence of malaria. However, over the years they have become a pest, especially the Acacias, and the Forestry Dept have the task of clearing large areas in an attempt to allow the regrowth of native species.