Similar question: what's the earliest you can actually check-in during the same calendar day out of AKL?

I'm on the 9:40am departure to TPE in J, after arriving in AKL the night before on a separate ticket (QF, in J) scheduled for 11:30pm (so out of customs no sooner than midnight). I'm betting QF won't interline separate ticket to NZ, so I'll need to collect my checked bags and re-check them at NZ check-in counter in AKL. However, pursuing the departure schedule, it seems NZ usually has no international departures between midnight and 6:30am-7:00am-ish so I'm also guessing their check-in counter won't be open until somewhere like 3:30am-5:00am. Is that the case? Is there automated bag drop machines that would take my bags same calendar day but 8+ hours pre-departure?

I know in any event I can't enter airside until the next morning, but I'd like to check my bags so I can perhaps make use of the time and get out of the airport rather than babysit them at McDonalds for a long night. International terminal luggage storage appears to close at 11pm so the only other option seems to be walking them to the domestic terminal and using the 24/7 luggage lockers, but adding that detour is not desirable.