Australian and NZ dollars buoyant versus defensive USD

* Aussie & kiwi hit one-month highs vs USD

* Greenback still paying the price for disappointing U.S. jobs data

* Holiday in Japan takes shine off market, local data have little impact

By Ian Chua and Naomi Tajitsu

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Australian and New Zealand dollars touched one-month highs against a still-defensive greenback on Monday after surprisingly soft U.S. jobs data revived speculation the Federal Reserve could keep policy loose for longer.

The closely-watched report on Friday showed U.S. employers hired the fewest workers in nearly three years in December, wrongfooting many in the market who had positioned for a strong outcome. News Search ID:nL2N0KJ291

The Aussie, which posted its biggest one-day rally in nearly four months on Friday, was up 0.4 percent at $0.9027 AUD=D4 having earlier peaked at $0.9033, a high last seen on Dec. 12.

Traders said buy stops were triggered when the Aussie broke above $0.9010, bringing into view chart resistance at $0.9040, the 61.8 percent retracement level of its Dec 10-18 decline.

An expected 1.1 percent rise in Australia's housing finance and a small dip in job advertisements failed to spur a market still taking stock of Friday's big moves. News Search ID:nS9N0DN017

"Both were in line with recent trends...though the weakness in demand for labour will continue to raise questions over how patient we should be for the full effects (of past interest rate cuts) to be felt," said Michael Turner, strategist at RBC in Sydney.

The Aussie slipped 0.2 percent on the yen to 93.35

AUDJPY=R , reversing half of Friday's 0.4 percent rise, while the euro eased to a one-week low of A$1.5131 EURAUD=R , extending Friday's 0.7 percent slide.

The New Zealand dollar NZD=D4 also hit a one-month high at $0.8326, surpassing its offshore peak of $0.8309.

Market participants expect the kiwi could push towards $0.8400 this week if business sentiment figures on Tuesday show that firms are becoming even more confident about domestic growth prospects. Technical signals also pointed to more gains.

"Friday's bullish reversal for NZD/USD should put pressure back on the key $0.8335 resistance and short-term range highs," JPMorgan analysts said in a note.

"Above here should seek a closer test of the $0.8416 November high, if not the October peak near $0.8545."

The kiwi has been pushing higher against the greenback since the start of the year as upbeat domestic data add to expectations that New Zealand will be the first developed nation to start tightening policy, perhaps even as early as this month.

Tracking gains in U.S. Treasuries, Australian and New Zealand government bonds rose on Monday. That drove NZ bond yields 0#NZTSY= 4.5 basis points lower at the long end of the curve.

Australian government bond futures rose with the three-year bond contract YTTc1 up 3 ticks at 96.970. The 10-year contract

added 4.5 ticks to 95.830.

(Editing by Eric Meijer)

((ian.chua@thomsonreuters.com)(+61 2 9373 1871)(RM: ian.chua.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: MARKETS AUSTRALIA/FOREX