If you haven’t heard about the release of “A Minecraft Movie”, have you been hiding in the Waitomo Caves? The hype is real, and it’s about to get realer as Tourism New Zealand has partnered with Warner Bros and Mojang Studios to create a free “Aotearoa New Zealand” game across six epic locations! Plus, you can turn pixels into prizes and WIN a trip for two worth $9,500!
“Aotearoa New Zealand” is a free DLC (downloadable content) game, giving your clients a fun way to explore the Land of the Long White Cloud without actually going there. It’s the most recent exciting travel industry level-up we can think of and a fitting tribute to the country’s starring role (yes, more than Jason Momoa) in “A Minecraft Movie”.
Full of adventure
Across the game, six enchanting New Zealand locations have been brought to life through the Minecraft lens, taking users on an in-game quest across the country’s iconic attractions.
This is Tourism New Zealand genius (again!) because recent research revealed nearly 70 million global Minecraft players were seriously considering a trip to New Zealand. It’s the perfect tool to inspire your clients to play first, then come play for real in New Zealand.
Anything you can imagine is possible
Inspired by the “Aotearoa New Zealand” game, take your business to the next level by connecting the dots (pixels?) for your clients.
From the in-game experience discovering the rich culture, spectacular landscapes, and warm, welcoming people to the IRL trip of a lifetime. It’s the ultimate level to unlock!
Discover the six locations and how your clients can go from “wow” in the game to “wow, wow, wow” in real life!
1. Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Offering a magical experience to a realm that feels too otherworldly to be real (yet it is), it’s no surprise to find the Waitomo Glowworm Caves in the game.
From serene boat rides to adventurous black water rafting and abseiling tours, your clients will learn the history of the cave and Māori origin stories as the twinkling glowworms light a path like a starry night sky. It’s so good it glows!
Thousands of curious visitors have followed in Māori Chief Tane Tinorau’s ancient footsteps to catch sight of millions of glowworms. Their mission when they reach them? Be as quiet as possible; too much noise and the glowworms might switch the lights out.
2. Kāpiti Island
Like a video game can move through time and space, Kāpiti Island, a thriving bird sanctuary just north of Wellington, transports visitors to a unique natural environment rich in human and ecological history.
Birds are everywhere – streaming overhead and milling about your feet – and many are endangered and no longer found on the mainland. To protect the home of playful kākā, flightless takahē, and more, you can only visit with Kāpiti Island Nature Tours.
Led by the knowledgeable 8th-generation Barrett clan, this paradise for birds and visitors offers day visits or the chance to glamp overnight. The rowdy call of nocturnal birds (especially the kiwi) provides the ultimate nature sleeptime soundtrack.
3. Te Puia
Te Puia is a geothermal wonderland as enchanting as any fantasy game. As large as Disneyland, it’s home to the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest geyser – the Pōhutu Geyser – and hectares of geothermal mud pools, hot springs, and silica formations.
The beating heart of New Zealand, Te Puia is also a hub for Māori culture, offering visitors the chance to taste hāngī (traditional Māori cooking), see live cultural performances, and witness the country’s best traditional weavers and carvers at work. There’s also the award-winning Kiwi Conservation Centre onsite.
4. Abel Tasman National Park
Like a player winning every level, Abel Tasman National Park has plenty to boast about. This hidden gem in a richly adorned crown offers spectacular scenery and all-day sunshine. It’s perfect for hiking, camping, and kayaking – virtually and IRL.
The park’s crowning glory is the 5-day Abel Tasman Coast Track, one of the country’s eleven great walks. Clients not game for that kind of commitment? Book them on a fun adventure paddling a traditional Māori waka (double-hulled canoe) with Waka Abel Tasman tour. The founders began the company to share their Māori culture and love of the ocean.
5. Lake Tekapo
Renowned for its black magic, New Zealand’s unspoilt wilderness extends beyond the Earth’s surface when stargazing at Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve at Lake Tekapo/Takapō.
The Summit Experience tour with Dark Sky Project affords exclusive professional observatory access with high-powered telescopes. It’s found atop Mount John in the world’s largest gold-status dark sky reserve! Wow.
By day, your clients will love Tekapo Adventures‘ 4WD and hiking tours to privately owned backcountry farms where merino sheep and alpine landscapes await.
6. Patea Doubtful Sound
There’s nothing doubtful about why Patea Doubtful Sound features in “Aotearoa New Zealand” – it’s beyond spectacular, especially its most famous feature, the almost ninety-degree fiord walls that slash into its coastline areas.
Tour on a range of RealNZ cruises, including a fab overnight option. Which is perfect to give your clients time to ponder if Captain James Cook ever realised what he had missed when he refused to enter the sound because the fiord’s considerable height made it “doubtful” he’d get enough wind to sail back out.
Undoubtedly spectacular, the sound looks much as it did in Cook’s time, with ample snowy peaks, primaeval forests, and bottlenose dolphins to captivate.
Ready to upgrade your knowledge?
Take your “Aotearoa New Zealand” Minecraft DLC knowledge to the next level and inspire your clients with game-changing trade resources. Find them on the dedicated Tourism New Zealand’s Minecraft Trade Hub.
Here, you can download the official 100% Pure Minecraft itinerary, elevate your understanding of the game’s six locations in the Minecraft DLC video series, and complete the Minecraft course on the 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist Advanced programme.
And the best bit? Level up like no other before 11 May 2025, and you could win a trip to New Zealand for two, valued at over $9,500!
Find out all the deets here.
Anything you can dream about
There can only be one lucky winner, but that doesn’t mean your dreams are dashed. Quite the opposite, as you can create an idyllic self-famil with Tourism New Zealand’s Explore Self-Famil Discount Programme.
Access over 400 discounts across airfares, accommodation, experiences, and transportation. Travel between March and November each year and boost your confidence in selling New Zealand to your clients by experiencing it firsthand.
Learn more
Visit Tourism New Zealand’s Travel Trade Website to access downloadable resources, ski resort factsheets, videos, itineraries, and inspiration for your client’s visit to New Zealand.
Unlock more achievements when you complete Tourism New Zealand’s online modules available on the 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist Programme. Plus, sign up to Tourism New Zealand’s Trade Newsletter, and join their Trade Facebook Group for product updates and to connect with your Australian peers.
This article is brought to you by Tourism New Zealand
