hey kanga
a lot depends on your marital status, believe it or not.
as an aussie, AWAS would be a good option for you if your'e single. particularly saigon.there's also a new york operation too.
the money is ok, not brilliant, but you have a fair amount of autonomy working for them.
as for RBA, well, blokes leave there for numerous reasons, it gets a little quiet at times, but it's a cruisy job with not much stress. you do however tend to develop a real dislike for mosques when they wake u at 4.30 in the morning. gulf air is a loser of an airline, dont keep many european expats, also emirates are stealing their pax, but emirates pay decidedly average pay too. if u have a uk passport perchance, contracting in europe is where you'll make the big bucks these dayz. the days of making a lot in third world countries are few and far between now.
believe it or not, you've got a pretty good life in oz, with not bad pay. just get a great accountant to minimise tax mate. they're worth their weight in gold.
my advice if you've got your heart set on going overseas and are not married is to go with AWAS, you actually get to see a lot more than the average engineer sees. if you are married, then brunei might be ok as it helps to have someone else to talk to when the lights go out, as they regularly do. failing that, singapore is good but expect to work hard for your dosh. SASCO sometimes wants guys with your ratings.
good luck.