ILR - Ancestry visa - calc continuous residency

Hi,
This forum is great, it helped me gain my ILR and now I have citizenship! I am now helping my friend start to prepare to apply for ILR, and would appreciate any helpful comments, as I have read the guidance and it's not clear on the issue we have.

My friend has an ancestry visa and arrived in the Uk in 2007, since then has it extended and will expire in a couple more years.
Since 2007 she did move with her partner to NZ from 2008 until March 2010, for a year and a half.

With the continuously residency requirement and the ability to be out of the country for 180 days, can she count some of the time she was in NZ towards the first year count of 180 days?
Even though she was not in the UK at the start of the 5 year period?

Or does she have to wait until Feb (28 days before March) 2015 to apply for ILR?


thanks

She may be able to consider part of the time as an absence as she had already entered the UK.

Amber thanks.
The only problem with the guidance is she won't be able to show she was working in the uk for that period.
So will that will an issue?

Thanks

Economically active during an absence, do you mean?