Hollywood heavyweight Bryce Dallas Howard is spreading her love for New Zealand as the newest voice for New Zealand tourism Stateside.

The star of Pete’s Dragon and Jurassic World has teamed up with National Geographic Travel to direct a series of videos depicting her tripping across New Zealand, exploring spectacular parts of the country including the Bay of Islands, Waipoua Forest, Wellington, and Queenstown.

She will also star in Tourism New Zealand’s digital ad campaigns in the US and Canada and promote New Zealand in media appearances in the US.

A long-time fan of New Zealand (having previously filmed Pete’s Dragon here in 2015, spending time in Wellington, the Bay of Plenty and Southland, and visited Queenstown as a child on another film shoot with equally famous Dad Ron), Howard travelled here in April to film the videos, which are built around her favourite places and experiences.

She says: “Many people assume New Zealand is too far without realizing that the wealth of experiences the country has to offer makes the travel time completely worth it. I’ve been surprised how quickly the time on that flight passes each time I’ve travelled there. It’s really just a night’s sleep away and once you’re there, you’ve arrived at heaven on earth.”

“When I spend time in New Zealand, I always admire the importance Kiwis place on embracing nature and being outside. Just as much as the setting, it’s this gratitude for the planet and the lifestyle formed from it that makes me love this country so much.”

You can check out Bryce’s video series at the New Zealand Tourism trade hub.