Just thought I'll update this thread with a very recent experience I've had as it might be helpful (or not) to Matt.
I responded to a job advertised on Seek through a recruitment agent and gotten an interview. The agent told me that while the client is actively searching for a .NET person, they are exploring the possibility of hiring a non-.NET person who has good experience in another language. During the interview with the potential employer (a very small creative agency) they told me that they had been searching for a suitable candidate for a long time but there is apparently a lack of .NET developers in Christchurch, hence they are willing to hire someone else without an awful lot of experience in .NET but who they think can pick up the skills rapidly.