New Zealand time zone history
New Zealand has 2 zones of its own in the tz database. Standard times run from UTC+12 (Auckland) to UTC+12:45 (the Chatham Islands), a spread of 45 minutes. All 2 zones change clocks for summer time under the current rules.
The 2 zones of New Zealand since 1970
Zones at a glance
| Zone | Area covered | Standard time | Clock changes today | New standard times since 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham Islands | Chatham Islands | UTC+12:45 | yes | 0 |
| Auckland | New Zealand (most areas) | UTC+12 | yes | 0 |
What sets each zone apart
- Chatham Islands: Its standard time, UTC+12:45, is one of only 14 offsets among the 312 zones that are not a whole number of hours from UTC. Mean solar time at the Chatham Islands is about UTC−11:46, so the clock on UTC+12:45 runs a calendar day ahead of the sun, plus 31 minutes.
- Auckland: Auckland left local mean time (UTC+11:39:04) in 1868, tied seventh-earliest switch among the 298 zones with local mean time in the record.
How the zones compare with Auckland since 1970
- Chatham Islands: always 45 minutes ahead of Auckland.
Clock changes in 2026, 2027 and 2028
April 5, 2026 (back 1 hour); September 27, 2026 (forward 1 hour); April 4, 2027 (back 1 hour); September 26, 2027 (forward 1 hour); April 2, 2028 (back 1 hour); September 24, 2028 (forward 1 hour)
April 5, 2026 (back 1 hour); September 27, 2026 (forward 1 hour); April 4, 2027 (back 1 hour); September 26, 2027 (forward 1 hour); April 2, 2028 (back 1 hour); September 24, 2028 (forward 1 hour)