Minecraft-ify your New Zealand holiday New Zealand

Pack your virtual backpacks and sharpen those pickaxes, because Aotearoa New Zealand has officially entered the Minecraft multiverse.

That’s right, our mates over at Tourism New Zealand have teamed up with Warner Bros. and Mojang Studios to bring us a world-first: a full-blown New Zealand DLC for Minecraft. Translation for the game-challenged? You can now paddle a waka through Abel Tasman, spelunk glowworm caves in Waitomo, and stargaze in Tekapo — all without leaving your gaming chair.

This pixel-perfect paradise isn’t just about sightseeing, it’s an interactive playground brimming with Māori culture, native wildlife, and adrenaline-pumping adventure. Fancy a digital deep dive into Māori traditions? Want to get lost (without actually getting lost) in the misty fjords of Doubtful Sound? Done. You can even jam out to the ancient sounds of taonga pūoro while plotting your next quest.

And here’s the best bit, if you fall in love with blocky New Zealand (which you will), you can turn those pixels into plane tickets with the real-life 100% Pure Minecraft Itinerary. Because why stop at virtual bungy jumping when you can do the real thing?

Launching just in time for A Minecraft Movie (filmed in NZ and starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black), this DLC is your chance to explore Middle-Earth 2.0 before booking the adventure IRL. New Zealand: now available in 4K and 8-bit.