A new album on Spotify aims to let listeners do something they're likely craving for - going on a journey and taking some time out to relax and focus on themselves.
Tourism New Zealand's Mindful Journeys is narrated by James Rickard, the master carver at Te Puia in Rotorua, who tells the story of Aotearoa over the sounds of some of the land's most iconic locations.
The first track begins on the shores of the beaches of Northland, with the sound of surf and seabirds merging with the native birds and insects of our forests.
The audio journey then travels through places such as Rotorua, the West Coast, Central Otago, the Southern Alps and the Marlborough Sounds.
The tracks include the unique sound of kiwi calls, tui song, the Pacific Ocean colliding with the Tasman Sea, and bubbling geothermal mud.
Brodie Reid, Tourism NZ's director of marketing, said this is another way for people to experience Aotearoa during a time when the ability to travel is limited.
"In New Zealand we are so lucky to be immersed in nature, and given the chaos and unknowns in our lives at the moment, we wanted to remind New Zealanders the calm and serenity that can be found on their back doorstep," Reid said.
The album's release comes at a time when the use of apps designed to help people relax and sleep are booming in popularity, with at least two mental health or relaxation apps featuring in the iTunes top ten most weeks.
Tourism NZ says the sound of nature is proven to help relax and "physically change the mind and body systems by having a positive impact on the flight or fright nervous system".
