Thanks for the advice Redman, you've certainly given me some food for thought! Just googled all the plants you mentioned, I particularly love the look of the fan flowers & cushion bush. I think that's what I will do, try & fill the garden beds with ground covers & then use some taller plants to add height.
Have you got any tree suggestions? DH doesn't want any eucalyptus anwhere near the house because of their massive roots & mess they make. We will plant them along the fence line further away from the house though
My parents have a native garden & have wooly bushes in there. They are lovely & soft, the kids thought they looked like xmas trees so decorated one in tinsel last year! I think I might add some of these as well