thanks. it didn't really say about how much time to leave between flights. i did find a webpage where international travellers posted their experience of LAX, though. It varied. Some had no trouble - through in 20 minutes. Most took 3ish hours to get through. One guy just about missed his flight 5 hours later. Getting through customs can be a nightmare when you are travelling on a foreign passport - but the US embassy in NZ didn't seem to think that NZ was a security risk... That being said one of the bloody terrorists forged himself a NZ passport - so customs is a bit cautious with NZ passports now. Though I am a white, NZ born Kiwi and not a recent immigrant, still one never can tell whats going to happen at customs (strip searches are certainly not unheard of).

The US embassy in NZ has up to date visa information and they said you didn't need a visa so long as you were out of North America (including Mexico and Canada) within 60 days and you weren't going to be working or studying at all. There were other exceptions like criminal convictions and speeding fines... But my record is all good... There is an exemption for 'abuse / addiction to substances' too - good thing i don't have a perminent disease there, huh ;-)

US baggage restrictions tend to be higher, apparently, because people want to take all their make up and hair dryers and crap like that... There are more restrictions on carry on luggage in flights going into / out of the US after Sept. 11. Not quite so strict everywhere else. Must make sure I'm good about that so they have less reason to stop me...

When I've changed carrier on international to Australia then domestic within Australia I've never had any trouble with them WAVING the luggage restriction because they can see that I've just arrived on an international flight. I guess I was just wondering whether that is likely to happen or whether I'm more likely to get stuck with a fine...

Thanks for the help peoples.