Andrew,
I think what would really serve the purpose would be a Daiwa Catalina, which is available soon in high or standard gear ratios, $599 with a five-year Australian warranty unless you buy it overseas, in which case there is no warranty. It's the reel that is replacing the Blast and Saltist, and offers a higher spec including the waterproofness of the Z series.
Twinpower and the Stellas you're looking at are the only upmarket 2008 Shimanos that aren't getting all the upgrades - Paladin gear system, Propulsion line management system etc. So they're not exactly at the leading edge, unlike the new Sustain FEs, Stradic FIs, Stella FDs (up to 4000) and some others.