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Stories Set in New Zealand
Middle-earth ranges, Māori epics, West Coast goldfields and Wellington vampires — Aotearoa films myth and modernity together. Start with these ten, then open the country on StoryTerra's map.
Open New Zealand on the StoryTerra map10 famous stories set in New Zealand
Live snapshot of the top 10 most popular catalogue items (2026-09-04). Click any card to open this entry on the live map.
Browse 58 books, 135 movies, 2 TV shows and 9 games set in New Zealand.
What We Do in the Shadows
Vampire housemates try to cope with the complexities of modern life and show a newly turned hipster some of the perks of being undead.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work…
Braindead
When a Sumatran rat-monkey bites Lionel Cosgrove's mother she's transformed into a zombie and begins killing (and transforming) the entire town while Lionel races to keep things under control.
The Piano
After a long voyage from Scotland pianist Ada McGrath and her young daughter Flora are left with all their belongings including a piano on a New Zealand beach. Ada who has been mute since childhood has been sold into…
The World's Fastest Indian
The life story of New Zealander Burt Munro who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle—a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.
On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God
You don't have to be a teenager to appreciate the humorous and often self-absorbed ravings found in 14-year-old Georgia Nicolson's diary, but it certainly helps. Now fans of Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging --…
Heavenly Creatures
Wealthy and precocious teenager Juliet transfers from England to New Zealand with her family and soon befriends the quiet brooding Pauline through their shared love of fantasy and literature. When their parents begin to…
Once Were Warriors
A drama about a Maori family living in Auckland New Zealand. Lee Tamahori tells the story of Beth Heke’s strong will to keep her family together during times of unemployment and abuse from her violent and alcoholic…
Boy
Boy an 11-year-old child and devout Michael Jackson fan who lives on the east coast of New Zealand in 1984 gets a chance to know his absentee criminal father who has returned to find a bag of money he buried years ago.
Falling Inn Love
When a San Francisco exec wins a New Zealand inn she ditches city life to remodel and flip the rustic property with help from a handsome contractor.
The 10 stories above are just a sample of the 204 in the catalogue for this entry. For the full live catalogue, open New Zealand in the StoryTerra app. On the live map you can also filter by the exact time the stories take place — any year, decade or century, from BCE to the future.
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