New Zealanders know just how beautiful their country is, but a new video released by the makers of The Hobbit is about to give the world another dose of Middle-Earth scenery.



Stunning footage of New Zealand and never-before-seen shots of the making of The Hobbit have been released by director Sir Peter Jackson.



In the video, the stars of The Hobbit take a back seat to the New Zealand countryside as they gush about their love for the country.



Released with Tourism NZ, the video shows New Zealand in all its Middle-Earth glory, with the stars assuring fans the scenery was real.



Graham McTavish, who played dwarf Dwalin, said that on one shoot, the scenery looked like something out of Jurassic Park.



"I took a photo that I sent to some friends, [captioned] "dwarves on vacation", and they refused to believe that this was an actual photograph, that I hadn't photoshopped it," he said.



Martin Freeman, who played Bilbo Baggins said: "Meanwhile the backdrop is so beautiful it looks CGI".



"It looks too perfect.



"You can use that, as an advert for New Zealand if you want. Succinct, snappy, all positive - cut, brilliant, trademark."