Taylor Swift 'hid under towels' to evade Kiwi media

Taylor Swift tells Zane Lowe about her problems with media during her recent trip to New Zealand. Photo/Apple

Taylor Swift has revealed the extreme measures taken to avoid media during her time in New Zealand, including how she hid under a pile of towels for 45 minutes.

Swift spent time in the country at the end of November to film a music video, visiting Auckland and Queenstown between tour dates in Australia.

Her visit sparked a nationwide frenzy to track the pop star down.

In an interview with Zane Lowe, the Kiwi DJ and radio personality who helms Apple's radio service Beats1, Swift made off-the-cuff comments revealing how she went to great lengths to hide from New Zealand media.

Taylor Swift talks to Zane Lowe. Photo/Apple

"We had a helicopter flying above our video set in New Zealand for like 45 minutes just circling around with a long lens," she said. "We're like, 'What do you think is happening here?'

"They didn't get the shot because I was hiding under towels. It was really fun," she explained, as a helicopter circled above her and Lowe.

"Okay, they get a shot of the video set ... it's not going to ruin the surprise of the video (but) at that point you're like, 'I resent being chased, so now I'm going to run from you.'

"Like, that's the dichotomy of it."

Swift, who made the comments before the interview with Lowe had started, was only photographed a handful of times in New Zealand.

She was snapped arriving at Queenstown airport with a black hood over her head, and again when she dined at a restaurant with her mother.

And she only posted one clip of her time here to social media, saying she was on a road trip in the South Island.

Her time her resulted in controversy over her visit to Bethells Beach, over claims the film crew lacked permits and could have potentially harmed nesting birds.

Cherokee Films released a statement saying it accepted responsibility, but stressing that "no dotterel was harmed" during filming.

"Taylor Swift and her management team were in no way at fault and did not do anything that violated permits or ordinances," the company said.

In her interview with Lowe, Swift also revealed her fear of being hacked by Apple after she wrote an open letter criticising the company's policy of not paying artists for the first three months of the service - which was later reversed.

"I was struck by this overwhelming sense of fear," she told Lowe. "Are they gonna turn my phone off? Are they gonna turn the video camera on? Are they watching me right now? Am I gonna wake up tomorrow and all my music is off of iTunes?"

Swift labelled her bestie, Kiwi pop star Lorde, one of the most honest people to join her on stage during her 1989 world tour.

"I'd have my friends walk down the cat walk [stage] because it was fun," Swift told Lowe.

"And we had some of the most amazing memories just around this tour," she said.

Swift named Este Haim from sister rock band Haim, who played support at multiple 1989 shows in the US, the funniest squad member.

Lorde joined Swift on stage in Washington DC early on in the tour.

* Watch the full interview here.

- nzherald.co.nz with AAP