Aucklanders can now boast of having one of the world's best beaches, according to travel company Passport Magazine.
Karekare Beach on the west coast came second in a list of the top 25 beaches around the globe, ahead of popular holiday sites Australia, Greece and Hawaii.
An international panel of judges said the black sand beach "felt like being out at the edge of the world".
"The beach itself has a wildness, an out-there quality that makes it exciting.
"While not exactly unfrequented, there's still a feeling here that one is an intrepid explorer discovering previously unknown worlds."
The beach famously appeared in Jane Campion's film The Piano in 1993.
"Karekare might be a movie star, but it wears its fame and beauty effortlessly," the judges said.
L'Espiguette beach in France topped the list, and Panama's Bocas Del Toro came in third.
Newshub.
