150 Grand - F
k!!!
I gather that's an over exageration. Come to NZ and do the lot, CPL, MEIR (CIR), C-Cat (Grade 3) Instructor, and ATPL theory for about $60,000 give or take a bit.
It's always going to be hard to get your first job in NZ or Aus, but if you want it bad enough, you will get there. If you work your arse off, you could expect to achieve all the above training in around 12-18 months. Depending on the state of the industry at the time, after securing your first GA job, it could take as little as 2 years before you're looking at a regional turbo-prop job. Although during the slow times of the past, even highly motivated people have spent up to 5 years working in GA.
As an idea, it took me a bit under 4 years to go from nothing, to regional job. These will probibly be some of the toughest years of your life, but that just makes the reward at the end all the more sweet. Don't listen to the knockers - if flying is what you really want to do - go for it! Put in the hard yards, focus, keep your eye on the goal - and remove failure from the list of options.
Good Luck
