MELBOURNE to AUCKLAND (MEL-AKL) on Air New Zealand A320 in business class

We had a slow taxi into the end gate of the pier. A long walk to and through the duty free shop to the sign for international transfer only to find a locked door. Unlike other airports with locked transfer doors (such as Manchester or Auckland in the middle of the night), there is no buzzer or phone, nor a manned desk to assist. I headed over to immigration to find someone to open it up for me. I was told to go back to the door and he'd arrange for someone to open up. Fifteen minutes later there was no sign of the door being opened.

There was one other person waiting with me, and she was as unimpressed as I was. Neither of us could think of another international airport with such a shoddy set up. After some more time waiting, by now I was wondering about my odds of making the onward flight. We found another officer who spent the next five minutes waiting to see if anyone else needed a transit and berating the airlines for somehow stuffing up.

Finally in the departure area I rushed to security. I was through in seconds and ran to the end of the pier. Boarding hadn't started so I headed down to the lounge in the dungeons (ground floor), where I was told the flight will be boarding a few minutes late. The agent did not recognise my boarding pass, which was one of the skinny ones issued at regional airports in New Zealand. I got it reissued because the one I had will not scan at the gate here. It is a pain, but I have to do this fairly often on same day return trips across the Tasman.

I grabbed a quick shower and boarding was called just as I was coming out.