Why not do diploma with TAFE etc for LAME theory, then get bit of experience.
Once with at least year of experience, you'd be eligible for skilled immigrant residence visa (takes couple years from abroad), pop in to Canada, do some study to get local maintenance papers and then you'd be more interesting for employers.
If I were you, I wouldn't spend thousands of C. Dollars as an international student.
You can get WHV for Canada, one year open work permit until 31st birthday application (35 for UK citizens). If you manage to impress a company on WHV (you can do that AFTER student/tourist visa for short conversion training or whatever is needed to get Canadian training certificate, I'm not familiar with this particular issue) already having some certs and experience under belt,
they'd offer you a job. Skilled residence visa is MUCH EASIER and FASTER to sort from Canada, entailing visit to Buffalo, paperwork etc, matter of months rather than years. Lots of points (though different 'marking' to OZ DIMA) for job offer just like in NZ. I've read about some heli pilots from OZ/NZ/wherever doing WHV for a season and then being offered job so that they can sort skilled residence visa.
IT IS DOABLE. If you're motivated, plan stuff ahead, it'll work. I'm also going to be pilot engineer/engineer pilot and love all sorts of flying, helis especially, although my rotary training plans were screwed up big time due to USD/GBP/etc rates, deposit interest rates etc, tightening credit markets for later use etc. Well, plan B and C in place already.
I myself may do FAA A&P exams later on after my training in the UK. That would be fairly simple thing, sitting PC based exam based on test prep questions
.
From what I read, there is shortage of experienced LAMEs in Australia. I know availability of jobs has some correlation with boom/bust, but.. I'll probably just fly in Canada when over there :-P Years from now, though. I know, newbies don't have it easy, but unless you have spare wads of cash, you'd get some training back home where you can put the fees to HEC loan etc.
----------
just my view on how I'd tackle it being Aus citizen wishing to bail out doing what you say. Me myself would rather end up in OZ and its immigration system is tougher than NZ or CA.