Apocalypse-fearing wealthy Americans, and Kiwis, are reportedly shipping survival bunkers to New Zealand where they believe they will be safe.

Claims 35 underground survival bunkers have been shipped to New Zealand by mega-rich Americans fearing an apocalypse have been debunked by local authorities.

According to international media reports, US based company Rising S has manufactured, shipped and buried bunkers in New Zealand in recent months – one to the value of NZD$12.1 million.

The company's top-end models come with a gym, hot sauna, swimming pool and hot tub, game room with billiard tables, bowling alley and media room. The budget bunker, priced US$39,000, includes a bunk bed, basic air filtration system and kitchen counter.

SUPPLIED/RISING S COMPANY A large bunker getting installed underground designed and manufactured by Rising S Company in Texas.

News site Bloomberg reports the bunkers were loaded onto 19 tractor-trailers to start the trek from Texas.

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According to the article, one landed in Picton, across the Cook Strait from Wellington, to be transported to the West Coast. The other arrived at Auckland's Waitemata Harbour bound for Northland.

SUPPLIED/RISING S COMPANY An underground bunker installation as shown on the Rising S website.

The claims have baffled local councils, port authorities and luxury real estate agents.

Rising S Company general manager Gary Lynch told Stuff there were about 35 underground bunkers in New Zealand.

He would not disclose the bunkers' locations, but said the most recent shipment was late June or early July.

SUPPLIED A floor plan of the most expensive bunker Rising S offers.

"They have been installed all over NZ, not only for Americans but we have also provided two shelters to New Zealand citizens as well for private security reasons."

In January last year, news broke that Peter Thiel, an influential tech investor, had been granted New Zealand citizenship after pledging to invest in the country's start-up sector. He owns a multimillion-dollar piece of land on the ege of Lake Wanaka.

Days later, The New Yorker published an article about wealthy "doomsday preppers" and their growing interest in New Zealand as "a refuge in the event of a cataclysm".

AP News that Lake Wanaka landowner Peter Thiel, an influential US tech investor, had been granted citizenship sparked a flurry of reports of wealthy foreigners saw New Zealand as a doomsday safe haven.

Bloomberg's report on September 5 said five Silicon Valley executives co-owned an "escape" jet – a Gulfstream G550, one of the few jets capable of the making journey from the US to New Zealand in one haul.

Ollie Wall, an Auckland-based real estate agent to the super-rich, said he had heard rumours of the bunkers but seen no evidence.

"We deal with a lot of wealthy Americans and a lot of them want to have the option of being here, but the only thread they have in common is that they love the friendly people and they can be away from the their crazy world and still be in a very developed country with green trees.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF Land at Damper Baym, Lake Wanaka, is owned by Peter Thiel.

"My guess is there's been a sensationalist spin on that."

Tasman District Council spokesman Chris Choat said the was no record of resource consent applications for the survival bunkers on council books.

"The paperwork would be mountainous, let alone consents needed to service such a bunker that would need to be sealed so the inhabitants can survive an apocalypse ... I would question the veracity of the claims."

RISING S COMPANY Bunkers range from economy to luxury designs and in price from US$39,000.

Shipping something of that scale to Picton, and have it transported in secret through Havelock, Nelson and Murchison to the West Coast, was unlikely to go unnoticed, he said.

"Seriously, no-one has seen these things arrive and you can't breathe or sneeze without someone from the other side of the district not knowing about it."

A Port of Picton spokesperson said they were not aware of any underground bunkers arriving, and Picton was not a direct container port.

SUPPLIED/RISING S COMPANY A bunker living room designed and manufactured by Rising S Company in Texas.

Likewise, the Queenstown Lakes District Council had no knowledge of any bunkers.

"No resource consent or building consent applications have been made for a large bunker in our district. Some people have consented basements however and these could potentially serve as a panic room," a spokesperson said.

Buller Mayor Garry Howard had not heard about a bunker on the West Coast, while Grey District consents planner Michael McEnaney said he had not seen any applications for $12m bunkers.

SUPPLIED/RISING S COMPANY The Rising S Company's bunker warehouse in Murchison, Texas.

"That's something you'd expect to hear about if it came through council," he said.

Westland mayor Bruce Smith did not think the West Coast was suitable for a doomsday bunker because of its proximity to the Alpine Fault.

Lynch declined to provide evidence the bunkers had been shipped and installed.

Supplied A bunker living room designed and manufactured by Rising S Company in Texas.

"Whether or not they question the credibility or not they are still there ... I do have evidence of shipments but absolutely will not show that publicly."

He said he "was not willing to discuss" the various councils' lack of knowledge of any underground survival bunkers existing.

Lynch started the company in 2003 and had sent the bunkers to Asia, parts of the Middle East, South America, Africa, Australia, Ireland, the UK and "all over Europe".