Working in different timezones

One thing that often gets overlooked about being based in New Zealand while supporting Australian projects is the time difference.

If I start work at 8am NZ time — which is actually a relatively late start for me — I already have a two-hour head start on most of my Australian colleagues. That means actions, questions, or documents sent through late in the Australian afternoon can often be reviewed, progressed, or resolved before their teams even start the next morning.

The benefit becomes even more noticeable on larger pieces of work. By lunchtime Australian time, I can usually provide an accurate view of complexity, risks, and likely delivery timing. For someone working in the same timezone, that update might not happen until late afternoon, which often means any course correction doesn’t occur until the following day.

It’s a small geographic difference, but on fast-moving programmes it can materially improve responsiveness, decision-making, and overall project efficiency.