NZ Girl - did you apply for Jetconnect long haul or short haul? You may hear something soon as there are assesment days for long haul coming in December for positions to commence early in the new year. Long haul is not that bad at all really, but can't comment on short haul.
Zeal, Jetconnect, Pac Blue or MAM (in Aus) are pretty much all that is open to NZ applicants at the moment and I personally can't see that changing in a hurry. Unless you are prepared to move further away and in most cases meet residency requirements wherever that place may be. I think too many people are quick to diss Jetconnect, the way things are going, they are turning out to be the best option in NZ - who would have thought!
It all depends on what sort of flying you are interested in doing. Zeal is pretty much Freedom operating on Air NZ A320 services accross the Tasman. Whatever you decide, take it for what it is now, not what it could possibly become in the future as anything could happen. People are always saying the downscale of conditions and outsourcing is the nature of aviation now days, and I agree, but in reality, its the nature of most industries now.