Exceptional ALIEN and Tourism New Zealand Launch Aotearoa Country Special (Part Two)

‘I've traveled all over the world, yet the building blocks of my life are in Tāmaki Makaurau.’ Fashion designer - Kiri Nathan

Exceptional ALIEN and Tourism New Zealand are releasing Part Two of the Aotearoa Country Special. As borders and travel reopen, the project will showcase New Zealand through the lens of its exceptional creators and invite people to experience their inspirational stories and recommended travel tips.

Launching today, the Aotearoa Country Special (Part Two) will share the travel experiences of five exceptional New Zealand creators, including fashion designer Kiri Nathan, contemporary artist Sofia Minson, Fat Freddy’s Drop frontman Dallas Tamaira, Olympic gold medal freestyle skier Nico Porteous and sustainable fashion designer Maggie Hewitt.

The destinations explored in the second part of the series extend across both the North Island and South Island, including the locations of Auckland, Bay of Plenty, East Cape, Wānaka, Wellington, and the Bay of Islands.

New Zealand’s people and place is what makes it such an extraordinary country. This partnership showcases the best Aotearoa has to offer by inviting exploration in the spirit of Manaakitanga – a traditional Māori value encompassing reciprocal hospitality and respect from one individual or group to another.

The features will sit on the recently launched platform Exceptional ALIEN, which was co-founded by Justin Drape and Michael Canning. What began as a way to share the travels of creative friends across the globe has now become a fast-growing network of more than 120 world-beating creators sharing their insider recommendations across over 20 countries. Previous features have taken audiences to the Gold Coast with world surfing champion Mick Fanning, to LA with Crazy Rich Asians screenwriter Adele Lim, across Sydney with hospitality giant Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, CicciaBella), and through New York with MoMA’s senior curator Paola Antonelli.

Following this freshly published Aoteaeoa Country Special, the platform is set to grow its offering and release a series of creative projects throughout 2022.

Exceptional ALIEN co-founder Justin Drape says: “Creativity informs the most rewarding experiences that travel has to offer — be it food, wine, fashion, photography, design and entertainment — yet until now there’s no single platform that curates travel through a creative lens. There’s business travel, budget, budget travel, luxury travel and adventure travel. We’re curating creative travel. With our Aotearoa Country Special, people can learn about New Zealand through the personal stories, insights and recommendations of the creators featured. And creators know who, where and what is culturally interesting and relevant.

"We’re thankful to be sharing their inspiring stories and we’re thrilled that Tourism New Zealand has recognised that Exceptional ALIEN is a future-facing way to share and experience travel.”

Exceptional ALIEN co-founder Michael Canning says: "As travel reopens globally, we are seeing a new wave of travelers who seek experiences that are both creatively and culturally enriching. We are excited that our partnership with Tourism New Zealand, and our ongoing collaboration with the creative community, can celebrate Aotearoa through this creative lens in a way that is actionable for travelers.”

The Aotearoa Country Special (Part Two) is a curated, unique set of editorial features, social video and audio Travel Playbooks, including the story of the creators’ travels, cultural insights about New Zealand and recommendations to explore for yourself.