Sorry pal... IMHO, it just ain't worth it. Stick with PLT and be happy. You're in the first year of a 4-yr stint down under, but the great benefits of EXP are free domestic AA upgrades and SWUs.

In terms of free domestic AA upgrades, as PLT you'll be able to pay for them using stickers and hope for the best (tho it doesn't sound like you'll be doing much domestic travel in america in 2010 anyway.) And as for SWUs, if you're based in Oz then how valuable are they really? No convenient itinerary to anywhere in the world ex MEL involves long-haul AA metal. And even if it did, what's the point of enduring long-haul economy flights this year in order to earn status to get SWUs to avoid enduring long-haul flights in economy next year?

As an Aussie, my only noticeable benefit as an EXP when I'm down under is the access to the awesome new First lounge in SYD. It's astonishing. But sorry, it ain't worth a 40,000 mile run and the financial and time costs that that entails.

Give it up, be happy with a decent status, don't throw good money after bad, and rejoin the EXP club when you're back in the country where it really matters. That's what I'd do.