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Pacific Time Zones

The Pacific region spans the widest range of any timezone grouping — from UTC-10 (Hawaii) to UTC+13 (Samoa, Tokelau). Australia alone uses 5 different offsets across its states and territories, and the International Date Line cuts through the region, making the Pacific the point where each calendar day begins and ends.

Time Zones in the Pacific

New Zealand Standard / Daylight Time (NZST/NZDT)

UTC+12

UTC+13 in summer (NZDT — Sep to Apr)

New Zealand

AucklandWellingtonChristchurch

Australian Eastern Standard / Daylight Time (AEST/AEDT)

UTC+10

UTC+11 in summer (AEDT — Oct to Apr). QLD stays on AEST year-round.

NSW, VIC, ACT, TAS (QLD: AEST only)

SydneyMelbourneBrisbaneCanberra

Australian Central Standard Time (ACST)

UTC+9:30

UTC+10:30 DST in SA (ACDT — Oct to Apr). NT stays on ACST year-round.

South Australia, Northern Territory

AdelaideDarwin

Australian Western Standard Time (AWST)

UTC+8No DST

No DST

Western Australia

PerthFremantle

Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time (HST)

UTC-10No DST

No DST

Hawaii, USA

HonoluluHilo

Chamorro Standard Time (CHST)

UTC+10No DST

No DST

Guam, Northern Mariana Islands

HagåtñaSaipan

Daylight Saving Time in the Pacific

The Pacific's DST picture is complicated by the Southern Hemisphere calendar. Australia and New Zealand observe DST during their summer — which runs from October to April — the inverse of the Northern Hemisphere schedule. This means Australian clocks advance in October and revert in April.

Australia has fragmented DST rules: New South Wales, Victoria, ACT, and Tasmania observe AEDT (UTC+11) in summer; South Australia observes ACDT (UTC+10:30); but Queensland and the Northern Territory do not observe DST at all. Western Australia trialled DST from 2006 to 2009 but permanently rejected it by referendum.

Hawaii is one of only two US states (along with Arizona) that never observes DST, staying on UTC-10 throughout the year. Most Pacific island nations — Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga — use fixed offsets with no DST.

Cities in the Pacific

AucklandSydneyMelbourneBrisbanePerthHonoluluSuvaPort Moresby

Popular Comparisons

Auckland vs London →Sydney vs Los Angeles →Honolulu vs New York →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Queensland observe daylight saving time?
No. Queensland stays on AEST (UTC+10) year-round, unlike New South Wales and Victoria which move to AEDT (UTC+11) in Australian summer (October–April). This creates a 1-hour gap between Sydney and Brisbane during DST periods, which can cause confusion for east-coast scheduling.
What time zone is Hawaii in?
Hawaii uses HST (Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time, UTC-10) with no daylight saving time. Hawaii is one of only two US states that does not observe DST (the other being Arizona). This means Hawaii is 5 hours behind the US East Coast in winter and 6 hours behind in summer.
How far ahead is New Zealand of the UK?
New Zealand is 12 hours ahead of the UK (GMT) in winter and 13 hours ahead in NZ summer (NZDT). During UK summer (BST) the difference narrows by 1 hour. At peak difference (NZ summer, UK winter), New Zealand is 13 hours ahead.
What is the International Date Line?
The International Date Line (IDL) runs roughly along the 180° meridian through the Pacific. Crossing it westward adds a day; crossing eastward subtracts a day. Samoa and Tokelau are west of the IDL (UTC+13/14), while the US territories of Howland and Baker Islands are east of it (UTC-12). The IDL curves around populated territories to avoid splitting countries across two calendar days.

Related

← All Time ZonesAsian Time Zones →Americas / US Time Zones →DST Guide →Timezone Converter →