Reminder: Daylight saving time begins this Sunday

Daylight saving time starts this Sunday, 30 September 2018. Clocks will go forward by one hour, with 2.00 am becoming 3.00 am. Daylight saving time will continue until the first Sunday of April 2019, when clocks will go back by one hour so that 3.00 am becomes 2.00 am.

Many New Zealanders will experience a seamless transition, with modern electronic devices adjusting automatically. However, less modern devices may need to be adjusted manually. People may wish to adjust their clocks an hour forward before going to bed on the evening of Saturday the 29 September 2018.

While adjusting your clocks and other devices, it is also a good time to check your emergency plans, survival kits and smoke alarms.

Background History

Daylight saving was introduced in 1927, however the dates and times were changed several times over the following years.

During the mid-1940s, New Zealand standard time was advanced permanently by half an hour, and daylight saving time was effectively discontinued. This lasted until 1974, when an advance of one hour in summer was reintroduced.

Dairy farmers were up in arms over the idea of having to milk cows in the dark, and parents with young children worried about getting them to sleep while it was still light. The small Northland town of Ararua, home to many dairy farmers, went so far as to ignore the new time when the rest of New Zealand switched to daylight saving time. Locals erected a sign announcing that visitors to the area needed to adjust their clocks back by an hour.

Further information on daylight saving time and the laws that govern it can be found on the New Zealand Government website:

https://www.govt.nz/browse/recreation-and-the-environment/daylight-saving

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