Air New Zealand hands down.

NZ better in the following ways:
1. NZ J pods are wider and longer, more comfortable
2. NZ IFE monitor faces out, not in unlike AC
3. Food, wine, service, IFE are better than AC
4. No need to make int'l -> domestic connection at SYD which is a pain (as explained above).
5. NZ NA flights arrive around 6am and Oz flights depart around 9am. Lots of time to make a short downstairs (arrival) to upstairs (departure) connection and relax in NZ AKL lounge.

Only complaint about NZ AKL lounge is you have to buy razor etc from a machine in NZ dollars.