The new passport exit smartgate is just like placing passport photo page onto a photocopier glass plate, pushing it into reader slightly, not as hard as the incoming passport entry smartgate, looking a bit to the right hand side to the facial reader, hear a little beep, and the swing gate opens for you.
Also they don't push you for the OPC anymore, there is a clear lid locked box just past the immi counters that has space for people to walk through once immi processed, and you drop your OPC into the box.
Soon, could be middle of this year, OPC will no longer exist!
Because you will have access to the QFi F lounge at MEl, ideally, I would get to MEL airport much earlier than if you don't have access.
The aim would be to spend an hour in the F lounge, as I did the last time I flew MEL - AKL in F.
That F lounge is much much much of step up from QFi MEL J lounge in the basement.