Either will be nice, especially with a speckle through it, the black will be more dramatic, it depends what suits you the most, I myself would go for black as I like contrast and I'm a bit of a drama queen lol

So would something like this be ideal?

You are so right white is never out of fashion. I would set your budget and then look at your options. If you plan to stay in the house for many years then spend to the top of your budget (if that is going to give you a life time of pleasure), if you plan on being at the home for only a short time / few years then I would go mid range so it looks lovely, will have good resale value but you can invest your well earned money to go towards something else as well. Obviously Marble / Granite is the top of the range but there are so many cheaper and very attractive options these days that look just as good.

There are specialist benchtop repair companies that do this type of work. Ask for a quote. These two have been recommended in various online forums by people who use them, but I have not personal experience with them. http://www.toprepairs.nz/ http://www.benchdoctors.co.nz/