If it would be of any help, I did sit there on 2 occasions that I can remember, but they were not NZ. One was QF 747 and the other SQ 777. The fuselage starts to narrow on that row where it was not possible to fit a third seat without affecting the aisle. I don't recall proximity to the toilets being a problem, the noise from the flight was loud enough to cancel out any noises from the toilet. It is a rare part of the plane where you get just 2 economy seats on a wide body. I believe it reclines just as much as the seat in front. Pax may queue there after meals to use the toilet but it was not long and I did not notice it being a problem.