* Aussie still within sight of 4-mth peak of $0.9310

* Kiwi down 1 pct vs USD for the week

* Aussie up nearly 1 pct higher vs yen this week

By Gyles Beckford and Cecile Lefort

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - The Australian and New Zealand dollars were firm on Friday, buoyed by short-covering after an attempt on the downside fizzled out and with investors cautious ahead of the U.S. jobs report.

The Aussie AUD=D4 edged up to $0.9240, pulling closer to a four-month peak of $0.9310 set this week. It bounced from $0.9205 hit Thursday when bears tried to push the currency below key support of 92 cents to trigger stops.

Dealers said some investors were reluctant to take big positions ahead of the influential U.S. nonfarm payrolls due out on Friday. Analysts polled by Reuters expect 200,000 new jobs were added in March.

"Each time the Aussie falls below $0.9209, the 50 percent retracement of the October-January fall, it's a wall of buying," said David Scutt, a trader at Arab Bank Australia.

"It will be a very hard nut to crack before U.S. payrolls."

He said only a spectacular U.S. figure could dent the Aussie. If the report shows an outcome in line with expectations or slightly better, Scutt forecasts further Aussie strength.

A break of $0.9220, would see the Aussie target $0.9190, then $0.9152, the 38.2 percent and 50 percent retracement levels of the March 20 to April 1 rally.

Immediate resistance was found at $0.9265.

The Antipodean currencies held recent gains versus the yen with the Aussie at 95.93 yen AUDJPY=R , from a 10-month peak of 96.12 set Thursday. It has gained nearly 1 percent this week and eight yen since a trough in February.

The kiwi was marking time after its gyrations earlier in the week, which saw it range between a two-and-half year high and a two-week low.

It last traded at $0.8553 NZD=D4 , having fallen around 1.1 percent this week. Again the U.S. jobs data would likely set its near-term direction.

"Should the number disappoint, we'd look for topside resistance around $0.8580. And on a stronger print, downside support should be around $0.8480," said ASB economist Christina Leung.

The flow of New Zealand data picks up next week with house prices, retail sales, business sentiment and manufacturing activity all due.

New Zealand government bonds 0#NZTSY= were largely flat with the hint of an offered tone at the long end of the curve.

Australian government bond futures bounced off multi-month lows, with the three-year bond contract YTTc1 1 tick higher at 96.890. The 10-year contract YTCc1 added 2 ticks to 95.825.

(Editing by Eric Meijer)

((Cecile.Lefort@thomsonreuters.com)(+61 2 9373-1234)(Reuters Messaging: cecile.lefort.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))

Keywords: MARKETS AUSTRALIA/FOREX