Originally Posted by
Kiwiwings
There must be a way to get from the departures area to immigration though... I'm sure they have a way to accommodate people who either miss their flight, or need to leave the airport after clearing security.
Nope.
Once you've cleared security in both Australia and New Zealand you've also cleared immigration. To re-enter the country a special process needs to be followed to readmit you to the country. You can't simply walk out a door.
This is very different from places like the US where there is no such thing as immigration as the airlines submit your details.