My budget wouldn't stretch to real wood veneer, also I don't think I'm sufficiently good at woodwork to have made a decent job of it.

So I used a rag to wipe wood stain onto the MDF, giving it a sort of woodgrain effect. Then I used several coats of Danish Oil to give it a deep lustre and provide protection. The result actually looks quite good - most people think they are made from Rimu (a native NZ hardwood). The only mistake I made was not making sure I'd sanded all of the PVA overspills off - so there are a few lighter patches where the stain didn't take properly. But I can live with that.