NZ disappearing off world maps: Rhys Darby, Ed Sheeran solve NZ's greatest conspiracy theory

Ed Sheeran and Sir Peter Jackson make an appearance as Rhys Darby solves the mystery of New Zealand disappearing from the world map. Photo / Rhys Darby

Six months after teaming up with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to get to the bottom of why Aotearoa is disappearing from world maps, comedian Rhys Darby has solved the mystery case.

Darby and Ardern conducted an extensive investigation into the conspiracy, finding that New Zealand has been left off many maps, including the game of Risk, Vancouver International Village, Central Park Zoo, Spanish in-flight magazines and Starbucks, among others.

In a video posted to Facebook this morning, Darby said he had finally cracked the conspiracy with help from an "elusive source".

"Citizens of Earth, I've finally done it! After months of intense investigation both in a field and in my garage, I've now solved the mysterious case of why New Zealand is missing off world maps," Darby wrote.

"Yes, it was a tough biscuit to crack but with a little bit of help from an elusive source, the answer has now landed on my doorstep!"

Ed Sheeran makes a cameo appearance along with Jacinda Ardern.

Ed Sheeran and Sir Peter Jackson make an appearance as Rhys Darby solves the mystery of New Zealand disappearing from the world map. Photo / Rhys Darby

But it is Sir Peter Jackson who steals the limelight, helping Darby eventually solve the conspiracy which has stirred up Kiwis' interest around the globe.

Darby's video was created by Augusto, the same ad agency that filmed Jacinda Ardern's trip to New York.

Fans took to Darby's video, with many agreeing that New Zealand gets left off maps all the time.

"This is something I have noticed since I married my Kiwi husband, it's true!!!" one person wrote.

Another added: "It started with the Chatham Islands (they're missing from most NZ maps) and now it's NZ - maybe the conspirators don't like NZ being first in the world to see the sun?"

While Darby and Ardern have poked fun at New Zealand's mysterious absence from world maps, many New Zealanders are sick of it.

The sub-Reddit "Maps without NZ" has more than 40,000 readers and includes submissions of the many maps of the world that fail to include Aotearoa.

#mapswithoutnz in Lisbon. :'( pic.twitter.com/IRz9MMzCB3

— Steve Dennis (@subcide) May 30, 2017

#mapswithoutNZ #NZousted pic.twitter.com/piMGeinGBo

— Tafao campbell (@ZQN1986) June 5, 2017

Meanwhile, at the Nuclear Security Summit, New Zealand has ceased to exist. #ProphecyOrPrediction ? pic.twitter.com/aVpWkS3fDH

— Rt. Hon Las Vegas Plague Badger (@SontaranPR) March 25, 2014

The BBC went out to the streets in London to show some of those maps to people and test whether they could figure out which country was missing.

The good news is that a lot of people spotted the empty space where New Zealand should be.

"I think I would complain as well," one of the people said.

Others, however, understood the lapse. "Oh, but it's so tiny, nobody notices it," someone said.

New Zealand is not alone in being forgotten, in 2004, Wales found itself glossed over on the front cover of a EU statistics book.