Thanks for all your comments,
TeamJQboy, That is interesting that you are getting car seats in the cabin. I must have had a noobie check-in girl when I travelled (I also got knocked back MEL-OOL on JQ about a year ago too mindyou).
Airbornesoon, The maxi rider uses the lap belt as the primary anchorage and has a top hook to go to an anchor point, the version sold in NZ is almost identical except it doesnt have the top hook (I personally loop the strap the hook is on over the seatback, just like the CARES system), it is a 1 piece design without a frame (the frame on newborn rated carseats would make the seat heavy and very cumbersome) its rated 8 to 26 KG and has a 5 point harness for the kid. I can fit it onto a coach seat in about 90 seconds and it weighs about 2KG. also it carries AUS and NZS (standards) marks.
LRH, agree totally about the DVD, I have to take a laptop with me when I travel. I have about 10 hours of spongebob, wiggles, dora at al on my hard drive before we go anywhere and a 4 hour battery life, definately good for a trans tasman trip and no discs to lose in the process.
also.. I wouldn't dare change bubs on a communal surface without that waterproof mat and a cloth nappy for any spillages.