PS: Tirerack will no longer sell / export them to Australia as the local agents (who charge substantially more than what I paid) must have complained.....

You can certainly get more performance oriented than the Blizzaks, which are overkill for the roads in New Jersey, and I would suggest that people do so.But you can still get high performance high aspect ratio tires that are as firm as a priest at a little league game
And you can also get high performance snow tires with decent aspect ratios.
Think truck tires