On Wednesday, Aussie TV celebrity Karl Stefanovic was promoting the idea that New Zealand should become a state of Australia; now an Aussie tourism campaign has been released that's heaving with praise for Aotearoa.
The Australian government has pumped AU$3 million into the promotion, which will be rolled out in New Zealand from today.
"Australia has long been the most popular international destination for New Zealand tourists, attracting 40 percent of outbound leisure travellers in 2019, and when you look at the wonderful and diverse tourism offering in Australia you can understand why Kiwis love to visit," the country's minister for trade, tourism and investment Dan Tehan said.
The ad lists a series of Kiwi achievements - including the pavlova, often claimed as an Aussie invention.
"This is hard to admit, but you're pretty good at coming first," the voiceover states.
"You conquered the world's biggest mountain, so we think you can handle the world's biggest reef.
"You beat everyone to Antarctica too; so go on, have the first icy beer off the tap."
The Australians also back the story of Richard Pearse being the first person in the world to fly, but add that he probably didn't fly over anywhere as beautiful as Australia.
The ad features lots of Australian scenery at its most spectacular including sunrise, which it concedes Aotearoa gets first, but suggests they do better.
"You may get the sunlight first, but it sure heats up before it gets here."
The video ends with a message to all Kiwis, asking us to add another line to our list of firsts by booking a trip to Australia once the bubble opens.
In 2019 there were 1.4 million visitors to Australia from New Zealand spending in total AU$1.6 billion, an average of AU$1255 per visitor.
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