Its not that hard to then go to OZ or somewhere to log a qualifying x country and have the restriction lifted
I am not so sure about that. Do you have first hand experience with this process?
My understanding is that you cannot just show up with a restricted HK PPL in a foreign country and simply go on a solo cross country flight and have your restriction lifted. In FAA land, you'd need a valid medical, a student pilots license, a couple of endorsements, and some flight instructor to sign you off (which usually means you first have to demonstrate that you know what you are doing). And TSA clearance and a proper VISA that allows flight instructions (visitor visa is a no-go). And then you still need to convince the HKCAD to remove your restriction based on that. You need a great portion of luck (for the HKCAD), patience I guess, and a fair amount of money.