Can you renew a UK passport from New Zealand without flying back to Britain?

If you’re a British citizen living in New Zealand and your passport is expiring, you’ve probably already discovered the awkward truth: HM Passport Office’s standard renewal can take up to 10 weeks from overseas, and the UK government’s fast-track service only works if you’re physically in Britain. So what do you do when your passport expires in three weeks and you’ve got a flight booked to Singapore?