In a first for Minecraft, the popular survival game is adding a real-life location as free DLC.
The new Aotearoa New Zealand DLC is now available for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (the non-Java version) created in collaboration with Tourism New Zealand, Warner Bros. Pictures and developer Mojang.
The DLC is specifically developed by Piki Studios, a Māori game development team that have been publishing Minecraft Marketplace DLCs as an Official Minecraft Partner.
The upcoming Minecraft movie is filmed in New Zealand, and the country’s tourism board is on board with the idea which should explain the “100% Pure New Zealand” logo, the country’s current tourism campaign, all over this new DLC release.
The Aotearoa New Zealand DLC includes six different destinations and they are:
- Waitomo Caves (Waikato)
- Underground glowworm caves
- In Minecraft: do cave parkour runs in the style of 2D platformers, experience black water rafting, see stalactites, stalagmites and glowworm constellations
- In real-life: Guided Tour through Waitomo Glowworm Caves, explore Ruakuri Cave, go on a black water raft
- Rotorua (Bay Of Plenty)
- In Minecraft: turn through geothermal pools and geysers to collect items, watch a geyser explode, learn Māori culture through Māori pou (carved posts) along walking paths
- In real-life: Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland features colourful geothermal features, visit Te Puia to experience Māori culture including traditional carving and weaving and whitewater rafting at Tutea Falls
- Kapiti Island (Wellington)
- In Minecraft: search for native and rare birds including tūī, kererū and kōkako (some birds only appear at specific time of day)
- In real-life: guided tour through Kapiti Island Nature Reserve, learn from Kapiti Island’s mana whenua (traditional land guardians) about island’s history and conservation efforts
- Abel Tasman (Nelson/Tasman)
- In Minecraft: Paddle waka tuarua (double-hulled canoe) through Rakauroa featuring seal colonies, orca pods and penguin spots, haka rhythm game, experience a cutscene
- In real-life: go sea kayaking, hike through Abel Tasman Coast Track, go on guided Waka Tours and learn about Māori paddling traditions and legends
- Takapō/Tekapo (Mackenzie)
- In Minecraft: Drive a 4WD up Cass Valley, complete telescope challenge by aligning telescope to find constellations, see the real Tekapo night skies in high resolution via the Dark Sky Project building
- In real-life: Drive a 4WD, join a stargazing tour at Mount John Observatory, relax in hot pools of Tekapo Springs.
- Doubtful Sound (Fiordland)
- In Minecraft: control a boat from a top-down perspective, which switches back to first-person view at special points of interest for photo opportunities, ends with a cutscene
- In real-life: Get on a 40km Fiordland Cruise, spot wildlife including bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, and Fiordland crested penguins along the way
There’s a few activities that stretches out from being a typical Minecraft game which includes navigating a 4WD car, a 2D platformer and top-down boat navigating sequences, a haka rhythm game and more.
Yes, this sounds like very touristy activities, this is created in collaboration with a tourism board after all. But for those who rarely if ever travel, this sounds like a fun (and inexpensive) way to experience what the world offers from the comfort of your home, and through the lens of Minecraft.
The Minecraft Aotearoa New Zealand DLC can be downloaded via the Minecraft Marketplace beginning today.