DST Ends in Australia and NZ on April 3, 2011

There are four states and one territory that follow DST each year. States and territory that will end DST on Sunday, April 3, 2011 are:

    * Australian Capital Territory.
    * New South Wales.
    * South Australia.
    * Tasmania.
    * Victoria.

Australia has different time zones due to its large geographical size. DST is synchronized across these states and territory, although not all of these places are in the same time zone. Australia's daylight saving schedule will begin again on the first Sunday of October, when the clocks move forward by one hour at 2am (02:00) local time to 3am (03:00) local time on Sunday, October 2, 2011.

Areas that do not observe DST include the Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, and Norfolk Island. Lord Howe Island does observe DST, however when DST ends the clocks will move back by half an hour to UTC+10:30 from being 11 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC+11. timeanddate.com has more background information about time in Australia.
New Zealand’s Daylight Saving Schedule

New Zealand will also end their daylight saving schedule on Sunday, April 3, 2011. New Zealand’s daylight saving schedule slightly differs from Australia’s in which it annually starts on the last Sunday of September and ends on the first Sunday of April the following year. New Zealand will start DST again on Sunday, September 25, 2011. timeanddate.com has more background information on the time in New Zealand.

The Chatham Islands currently observes DST from the last Sunday of September until the first Sunday of April each year, as with the rest of New Zealand. The Chatham Islands are on UTC+12:45 when they do not observe DST. The islands move their clocks forward by one hour to UTC+13:45 when it is on DST.

0 like Current Time

It is daylight savings time yet again, and although it happens every year, it’s still hard for many of us to remember what spring forward really means.  Many of us have to check the time to confirm we have current time, and not last week’s time. And it’s better to be safe than sorry.

But clocks, they can be pretty boring. But not these. Here are five super cool online clocks that not even your kids will think are super cool.

Daylight Savings Time 2011

t's the weekend to spring ahead to daylight saving time.

For one night, there's the prospect of 60 fewer minutes of shut-eye, but ahead are many months with an extra hour of evening sunlight.

The official change was at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday.

Not everyone in the U.S. makes the switch from standard time. The exceptions are Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.

Standard time returns Nov. 6.

Daylight Savings Time 2011

 This Sunday, we’ll spring forward ahead, but lose an hour in the process, so while I am thrilled that after this cold and snowy winter to finally be entering the spring season, we’ll also lose and hour.

For some, daylight savings time proves to be more hazardous. There are more reports of increased traffic and workplace accidents. Some say heart attacks rise during this time. Generally speaking, the biggest obstacle is a lack of sleep in our already sleep deprived culture.

For our family, it’s not so much the hour that’s the problem as it is adjusting to it being daylight longer each day. Somehow the change doesn’t faze me quite as much as it did back when my kids were babies and toddlers.

Back then, it was torturous to get the kids in bed on time. I would usually put a toddler down at 7:30pm for the night but once it started to stay light out, it became more difficult for them to calm down and go to sleep. Right before bathtime, I would draw the curtains and try to make the room as dark as possible so they wouldn’t object to going to bed.

It often worked except those few times when the wind would blow just enough to ripple the drape and cause the small drop of sunlight to appear. Then I’d hear, “the sun is still up, why do I have to go to bed?” But like I said, it worked most of the time when they were very young and just learning how to speak and tell time. (Click here for 5 great tips to surviving daylight savings time with your family.)

Now that my kids are older, they stay up longer past daylight but it’s these lengthier days of sun that signal them to play longer, run around later, and as they bask in the warmer spring days and outdoor fun, they generally stay awake more hours. Then we start the nightly routines later which means bedtime get pushed up a little.

Gradually, we’ll have grown accustomed to the longer days but initially the abrupt change seems a bit jarring. Spring is a funny time of year. We start out freezing on the little league fields and end up sweating, holding bottles of water… just in time to usher in summer, and best of all summer vacation.

Daylight Savings Time: A Handy Guide

This Sunday morning at 2 a.m., Daylight Savings Time begins. This means that all clocks that don't automatically switch over will have to be manually moved ahead one hour. Got it? We have compiled a handy list of critical "Do's" and "Don't's" to help you get through this potentially confusing time.

DO:

    * Set your clocks ahead one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday morning

DON'T:

    * Go crazy with the salt; sodium is a killer

    * Call your stepfather "dad" immediately; make him earn it with trips to the ballpark, Christmas presents, etc...

    * Buy DVDs while vacationing overseas; they probably won't work on your player

    * Dismiss Quadrophenia; it still holds up today

    * Return to your high school and expect all your old teachers to remember you; they've taught a lot of kids

    * Go overboard with anniversary gifts; a handmade card and intimate dinner is more than enough to show you care

    * Talk on your cell phone while ordering at Chipotle; it's confusing for everyone

    * Claim to know everything about Cirque du Soleil just because you saw one show in Vegas

    * Look your dog in the eye while administering her/him ear medication

    * Set a series recording for a show on your DVR before talking to your roommates about it