New Zealand launches ‘new’ world map with help from Peter Jackson, Ed Sheeran and Jacinda Ardern

The country is campaigning after being frequently left off world maps

New Zealand has created a new world map which puts the oft-overlooked Australasian country front and centre.

With the help of Lord of the Rings creator Sir Peter Jackson, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Flight of the Conchords star Rhys Darby and even featuring a cameo from Ed Sheeran, New Zealand tourist board has launched the ‘Middle Earth’ map concept with a video.

It’s a follow-on to the previous short film released earlier this year, which saw Darby try to solve the conspiracy behind why New Zealand kept being left off world maps.

In the sequel, the actor and comedian is still on the hunt for the answer; a mysterious call, which turns out to be from Jackson, leads him to put together a string of meaningless clues which somehow implicate Ed Sheeran.

“I’m not yet a citizen of New Zealand, but I’m working on it,” says the British musician on a clip played by Darby.

He informs the PM of his progress: “My lady, I’ve solved the conspiracy! He loves it here in New Zealand, he wants citizenship, but here’s the clincher – he wants it all for himself. So he’s taking us off all the world maps!”

Sheeran has a few NZ connections – he sang “I See Fire” on The Hobbit soundtrack, and famously popped round for tea and scones with Ardern back in March 2018.

Jackson’s solution is far simpler: “It’s not any one country or person behind this. New Zealand has simply been positioned in the wrong place.

“I like to call this the Middle Earth map,” he says, as Darby unrolls a map with NZ slap bang in the centre and the rest of the world’s land masses positioned accordingly.

Darby has one complaint – “Australia’s still looking a little bit too big next to us” – but other than that, Jackson has “nailed it”.

The video is all part of a new push to encourage more people to visit New Zealand and is undoubtedly one of the more successful tourist board marketing campaigns of recent years.

Hong Kong came under fire earlier in October for its latest attempt to entice visitors.

The tourist board released a promotional video showing a girl furiously searching for her passport, worried she’s going to miss an imminent flight. Instead she finds a note from her ex (or possibly current) boyfriend, who holds her travel document hostage until she completes a treasure hunt.

Critics accused the campaign of romanticising “abusive” behaviour.