Hi, I'm relatively new here myself and have been in a similiar situation.
One thing I wouldn't rule out is an apprenticeship, particularly with a large company. It's what I'm doing now (after dropping out of uni) and the salary at the end is often close to graduate level but with no debt, thus you should be able to save up for pilot training reasonably quickly. Also, a few employers (often the large organisations) will contribute towards the fees for a degree after the apprenticeship if they feel you have the aptitude for further study. That is the case in the UK anyway, don't know about NZ.
Just for reference, my plan is to get a PPL by the end of the 3rd Year of my apprenticeship and maybe get an instructor's rating a couple of years after that so I can instruct part-time. Beyond that, I don't really know where I'll end up but this approach should give me the security of a career I can fall back on minus the debt.