Watt (26), who won his fifth Bowls Dunedin title to earn his gold star last summer, took up the job as bowls co-ordinator and coach at the East Cessnock club in New South Wales last April.
''It was an opportunity to improve my bowls by playing regularly at a higher competitive level against better players,'' Watt said yesterday.
''I went to Australia to improve my game and get a change in lifestyle.''
He has played in the New Zealand development team against Australia at home and in Australia.
''It made me realise how more competitive and stronger they are than us in all levels,'' Watt said.
New Zealand can match Australia at the top level but at the level below this Australia has more depth.
''Their club pennants are a lot stronger than ours. It's a big step up.''
Watt is in the process of shifting to the Nelson Bay Club, near Newcastle.
New Zealand representative Richard Girvan is the bowls manager at the club.
Watt has completed his apprenticeship in heating ventilation and air conditioning and is making a serious bid to break into the Black Jacks for World Bowls in 2016.
Watt has been in the top echelon of New Zealand bowls for the last decade and was in the 10 man New Zealand squad before this year's Commonwealth games in Glasgow.
But he has never been able to break into the five-man Black Jacks team for major events.
Watt reached the quarterfinals of the Speight's-sponsored invitation singles last year when he was beaten by eventual winner Ali Forsyth (Taren Point).
He needs a good performance at North East Valley this weekend and at the New Zealand championships in Auckland in January.
''When I get back to Australia I will have regular games in the stronger competition and focus on my bowls a bit more to improve my game, '' Watt said.
His target over the next four years is to be in the Black Jacks team for World Bowls in Christchurch in 2016 and the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.
Watt started strongly at the invitation singles yesterday beating Colin Wheeler (North East Valley) 25-15 and Jim Scott 25-18.
