Microsoft Releases World Update 12: New Zealand

Microsoft took to their website to announce the release of the much-awaited World Update 12: New Zealand. The release marks the 12th such “World Update” by Microsoft in their geographically specific, scenery enhancement update series for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Microsoft Flight Simulator team states that they brought together the latest topographical and geographical data to replicate New Zealand’s expansive and awe-striking geography in stunning photo-realistic quality. The update includes up-to-date satellite imagery, aerial photography, digital elevation models, and enhanced photogrammetry for various cities. The cities updated with enhanced photogrammetry include Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Nelson, Queenstown, Tauranga, and Wellington. The team has also included various beautifully handcrafted airports namely, Gisborne Airport, Milford Sound Airport, Martins Bay Aerodrome, George River Airstrip, Rotorua Airport, Lake Tekapo Airport, Whangarei Airport, and Quintin Lodge Airstrip.

New Zealand is an island country in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean, 2000 km east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and 1000 km south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. It consists of two main landmasses – North Island and South Island and over 700 smaller islands. The country’s varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps, owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions.

Home to around 4.5 million people in the Pacific, New Zealand is famous for its national rugby team, its indigenous Maori culture, and its delightful, stunning landscapes. It is also known for its Manuka Honey, sheep, kiwi fruit and Haka, a traditional war dance.

The update also includes three new bush trips and discovery flights, four new landing challenges, and more than 70 new points of interest across the country. The team has also incorporated the Hobbiton Movie Set, an awe-striking, picturesque location where The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies were filmed.

The update can be downloaded and installed from the in-game marketplace by all users for free. The release notes can be found here, on the Microsoft Flight Simulator forums.