Well after more than a year of collecting parts (for a stock MY03), I finally dropped off the car at ASG on Thursday for the install and Verso. Parts ended up being:

VF28 (thanks Ludwig)
APS CAI w/K&N filter (thanks Pete)
Process West TMIC kit
Walbro pump
STi injectors (pinks - 550cc top-feed)
Silicon turbo inlet hose
HiTech 3" TBE (had RMS install a splitter into the dump pipe to match up with the VF28) (twin tip sleeper spec )

End result: 200.3Kw and 333.5Nm (will post torque/power and boost/afr plots once I scan them).

Off-boost, car feels the same (no surprise there). On boost... "Nice! I like!"

Car pulls amazingly well from 3500-5500, though things fade after 6000 (to be expected with the VF28 I think).

Cold start may be a bit rough, but will give it a few days to see how it goes.

All around, the car has stayed well within what I need for a daily driver, but is a lot more powerful now when the right foot goes down hard.

Sean and Nick and the rest of the guys at ASG all seem to be top blokes, and I'd be happy to go there again (and may end up doing just that, as my CAI is giving me the shits with how "vocal" it is! We'll see...)

Thanks to everyone here for their input and advice on the questions that I've asked. I literally wouldn't have been able to do it without you guys!

Cheers and see you out there -

Nik