I am an every other day head shaver so I know what Jesse means. Congrats on the new house Jesse. Are you still in Sydney.?
I agree with JDog -- that the extra length gives the razor more to grab onto and gives a smoother shave. I'm not sure I'd go two days without shaving. If I have something big, I just forego shaving in the morning and shave before the event in the afternoon. The extra 6-12 hours of growth seems to make a difference.