Auckland In Australia? Kiwis Criticize CNN New Year's Eve Blunder (VIDEO)

(Source: YouTube/NewsViralHD2)

CNN was recently in the hotseat after mistakenly reported that Auckland is a city located in Australia. The American news channel showed a video of the annual fireworks display at Auckland Sky Tower with a caption of "Auckland, Australia."

The CNN video footage went viral on social media, including Twitter, where many Kiwis criticized the popular news channel. Some Kiwis on Twitter urged CNN staff to take geography lessons since they obviously didn't know where Auckland is. One user tweeted: "Breaking news: CNN has moved Auckland in Australia for 2014!"

Apparently, it was not only CNN who committed a blunder in its coverage of Auckland. A British newspaper reported that Auckland is the capital of New Zealand instead of Wellington. According to an article on Telegraph, "the city of Auckland was the first major world capital to let off fireworks as the country marks the beginning of a new year."

The statement may be true in 1841 when Auckland was the capital city of New Zealand. Wellington became the nation's capital in 1865 because it was geographically located at the center. According to local reports, the Wellington City Council decided to not push through with its New Year's Eve annual event.

The Telegraph has previously committed errors in reference to New Zealand. In May 2012, Kiwis reacted to an article describing Sir Edmund Hillary as a "great Briton" when in fact he was born and raised in New Zealand. The Telegraph wrote an article an article about Mr Hillary and regarded him as the "first Briton" to join the International Space Station crew.

New Zealand was the first country to welcome 2014 with a fireworks display that lit up the sky from Auckland's Sky Tower. Thousands of people gathered to watch the fireworks that signaled the end of 2013 and the start of a new year. The streets were packed with people dancing to welcome 2014.

Another Twitter user makes a joke about the CNN blunder:

Hey @charolyn_ can u guys give us notice nxt time so we can tell our kiwi mates we've taken ownership of Auckland!