The adrenaline first struck at the 460m par-5 10th with an eagle, a repeat of his third round feat. The 27-year-old sank a 25-foot right-to-left putt from the green's edge to move into title contention.
He was on the charge.
"A putt that long gets you pumped up at that point of the week."
After grasping the sole lead on the 16th, his drive and five-iron took him to the green on the 525m par-5 17th.
The plan was to be aggressive and attack the pins.
"I had just made a few birdies [three in succession]. I knew I was in the hunt, so I tried to get eagle or birdie at worst."
Countryman Terry Pilkadaris could only contemplate "what if" in his two-stroke defeat.
Rarely is someone paralysed by consistent pars - his round included 17 of them and a birdie - but Nisbet's nine-under par 62 was a trump card.
Pilkadaris had been in front the best part of two days - he went bogey-free at Millbrook course - and held an advantage of five strokes heading into the last round.
Yet the 44-year-old needed a hole-in-one on the last to force a play-off. He found the green and settled for par, earned $117,300 for his angst.
"Hats off to Danny, shooting 62 to win is amazing," Pilkadaris said.
"I think whenever you're walking out with a lead like that, you've got a bullseye on your back and everyone's having a go.
"There were no mistakes, but I didn't make enough birdies. I didn't hole the 10-footers I had been making [earlier in the week]."
Pilkadaris had been chasing his first tournament win in 13 years, but endured another second.
"They all sting. I've had a bunch, this is No.7 [since the last win]. But I didn't hand it to him. He went out and earned it."
Nisbet had a chance to reflect on a feat which held sentimental value.
"We had great family ties with Kel Nagle. One of my neighbours [in Queensland], who has recently passed, was a great friend of Kel's and kept him updated with my junior golf.
"It's kind of a surreal thing to be put up against him, with so much of that extended family history."
Nick Voke finished as the best of the New Zealanders on 20-under par, claiming a tie for seventh.
"It was pretty crazy. That's my first time at a New Zealand Open and I think I handled the pressures well. I'm pleased with how it went."
He will return to the United States next month for PGA Tour - Canada qualification school.
The 23-year-old and his caddy agreed to go for a sky dive, if they made the top 10.
"We'll do some research tonight. Hopefully it'll be a good day for us. My caddy's s**tting himself, if you'll excuse my French."
