There's quite a big gap between the aerobridge of the former gate 3 (I think it is now gate 7) - the one chiefly used by Qantas 737/767 metal and the international terminal aerobridge (which doubled as domestic 4A (now 8 I think)) and quite often in the period between midnight and 12:30am (especially if there is a delay) they will slot an arriving JQ A320 into that gap. 2 weeks in a row that was the SYD flight and we sat and watched the (late) DPS flight disembark on the adjacent aerobridge, then we were pushed down the stairs onto the tarmac, up the stairs attached to the back of the aerobridge - and then rather than simply being allowed to enter the terminal through the old domestic gate 4A (with the concertina gates blocking you from going into international arrivals) we were transferred out to the outside walkway down the stairs again and then sent out into the terminal on the domestic ground levels arrival gate. It was crazy. Admittedly it only happened twice (I fly in and out >40 times a year) but it was completely unnecessary.
I see, when using the place regularly before, now 12+ years ago only one gate could be used for international and that was next to the gate normally used by Ansett, with Qantas normally using the 3rd gate next to the turbo prop gates.
Getting back to the lounge, back then it wasn't too bad, the flights were spread better throughout the day, with some morning departures and some early afternoon departures, with cut a couple around middnight. My how things have changed if it is so busy that late at night.
