Key seizes TV opportunity

John Key and his wife, Bronagh join President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Photo / Supplied

He appeared slightly nervous at first but Prime Minister John Key managed to throw in a few plugs for New Zealand as well as a few jokes at our expense when he appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.

The show aired yesterday in front of millions of US viewers and was on New Zealand television last night.

Hundreds of other viewers watched the Prime Minister's four minutes of fame using links from websites including nzherald.co.nz soon after the show screened yesterday. More than 300 people had viewed the clip on YouTube by 5pm yesterday.

In the short segment, a smiling Mr Key walks in to the tune of the national anthem, played by the show's band, throwing Letterman a casual low salute-style wave before stopping centre stage at the New York studio where the show is filmed.

Letterman told Mr Key that New Zealand had been ranked one of the five best destinations in the world for the past six years by Conde Nast travel magazine and asked him if it was a "wonderland".

Mr Key, wearing a black suit with a silver fern brooch, white shirt and purple tie, replied: "It's sure is."

He then responded to questions from Letterman about whether New Zealanders liked to be called Kiwis, and about the country's geography.

"You're near Tasmania - is that correct?" Letterman asked, to which Mr Key replied: "Yeah, and sort of Australia."

Letterman asked Mr Key what ocean New Zealand was in and was told the Pacific before the talk show host quipped: "How many years ago did you get on the plane to come here?"

Mr Key replied: "Well, I've aged a lot, yeah."

After some brief banter about the lengthy flight between the two countries, Mr Key delivered a list of the top 10 reasons to visit New Zealand which included the fact that it was "only a convenient 20-hour flight away".

Letterman asked Mr Key, "Do you get mail down there?" and he hit back, "Oh sure, yeah - by pigeon."

The show screened on Prime TV at 6pm last night.

THE TOP 10 ... reasons why you should visit New Zealand (by John Key on the David Letterman Show)

* The Auckland Airport now has a Cinnabon (a chain store specialising in cinnamon rolls and sweet food - in fact it doesn't).

* We have the loosest slot machines in the Pacific Rim.

* Only a convenient 20-hour flight away.

* It's like England without the attitude.

* Down there Leno's on at 9 o'clock (Talk show host and comedian Jay Leno).

* Get the whanau together, stay in a bach, crack open a chilly bin and slap on your jandals.

* Visit in the next 30 days, I'll pick you up at the airport.

* Seventy per cent of our energy is generated through renewable hydropower - look they don't all have to be jokes.

* We drive on the left side of the road - like the British and Lindsay Lohan.

* Unlike most of the world, we still like Americans.