Central Bank Rates - Swap question

At the bottom right hand side of this Forex Factory link http://www.forexfactory.com/news.php are the "Central Bank Rates" or Swap.

It shows the AUD with a positive 2.5% rate.

I bought the AUD/NZD a while back, small position, but I am getting negative interest.

If I buy the AUD/NZD pair aren't I buying the AUD? Shouldn't I be getting positive interest instead of negative interest?

The answer is simple I'm sure but what am I missing?

Thanks for your assistance.

What you are missing is half the transaction. Yes you receive 2.5% for buying the AUD but you are also selling the NZD for which you are charged 3.25% so you are down 0.75% overall.

It's called the carry trade and if you want to pursue it you need to find a currency with a lower rate than the AUD such as the EUR, USD or JPY. Even better, instead of buying the AUD, buy the NZD to get the 3.25% and sell one of the other currencies. So your trade could be long NZD/USD for example. But be aware that currency fluctuations could easily wipe out your gains from interest rate differentials.

Also you may find your broker may make some adjustments/charges so you could end up with less than you think. Check the small print!