I'm sure it depends on if Auckland is your home lounge. If it isn't then I have found them usually to be havens. Christchurch Koru is definitely one of the best lounges I have been to around the world. It may not have fancy showers or a champagne bar but for a domestic lounge it's pretty stellar.
The idea of FFs getting cheaper prices I found was an odd idea. I mean the entire point of FF programs is to reward the people that are more likely to pay their higher fares with non monetarial rewards to keep them, well, spending money.
Air NZ fight prices are ridiculously expensive compared to most international airlines, that is pretty true. They have a monopoly on the best flight times to the USA so if I can fly with them, I usually will choose to, especially once they start their flight to New York, won't even be a contest, and paying full business fare is definitely not cheap, but I don't think they are any worse than Qantas.