2013 Christmas

The 2013 Christmas Issue features activities which people in New Zealand would normally do on Christmas Day. In New Zealand Christmas falls in our summer season so while those in the Northern Hemisphere might make a snowman or enjoying winter things, here in New Zealand we're off to the beach for a swim and picnic.

     70c Gift giving.                             $1.40 Christmas lunch.

2008 The Chronicles of Narnia II

 Prince Caspian.

       The second movie of the Chronicles of Narnia was Prince Caspian, another of the brilliant stories by CE Lewis. NZ Post released this issue of four values, again showing key scenes from the movie.

        Stamp issues on movies filmed in New Zealand have become popular with both stamp collectors and movie buffs. This issue prove no exception.

 

50c – The Pevensies.

 A year has passed since the amazing events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are back living in London. Their lives change in an instant when they are catapulted from an English railway station back to Narnia, where their help is desperately needed by a prince in trouble.

The picture on the 50c value shows the four children, back in Narnia, playing in the water.

2005 The Chronicles of Narnia I

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

        This movie is based on the second book of The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. I don't know why they didn't start with the first book telling of how Narnia was created by Aslan the Lion. Anyway the movie vividly brings to life this popular children's story using stunning graphics and visual effects.
        The story opens as World War II brings the carnage and terror of the Blitz to London. The four Pevensie children - Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy - are sent away to stay with Professor Kirke in his ancient mansion. It is a strange house fill of many apparently unused rooms. It one stand this wardrobe by itself.





                       Lucy and the Wardrobe - 45c

         In a game of hide-and-seek Lucy decides to duck into what looks like an old wardrobe, only it turns out to be a doorway to the strange and mysterious world of Narnia. She meets the faun Mr. Tumnus, who takes her to his house and tells her more about this extraordinary yet dangerous place ruled by the cruel White Witch. Narnia is under her spell and locked in an endless winter.

2012 75 Years of the RNZAF

        In 2012 the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) celebrated 75 years since it was formed in 1937. NZ Post used its annual military issue to mark this important milestone with a set of 15 stamps. They were issued as a miniature sheet with each stamp have a postal value of 60c, giving the whole sheet a face value of $9.00.
        Below the sheet, I give further details about the subjects depicted on each stamp.

International Yachting.

       With the America's Cup races on at the moment I thought it might be an idea to go back and find if we can trace how New Zealand came to be competing with the USA for the cup. This blog is the story of New Zealand International Yacht Racing.


       New Zealand has had a long history of yacht racing. These two Health Stamps below show the sport of yachting and yacht racing, popular with both adults and children. Many people started as children in yachting classes such as the P-Class, then as they grew older progressed on to larger classes until they found themselves in what we call the blue water classes. These are the ocean going yachts and international competitions. 
       This has led to New Zealand being known all over the world for both the quality of its yachtsmen and for the quality of its boats. So wherever you find a international yacht race you are most likely to find a New Zealander in the middle of it. 

 Our Yachting Heritage.     

 

1946 - The Soldier (Yachts in the Background)

1951 - Yachting The popular Takapuna Class, training ground for many young yachtsmen.

1949 - 1952 Cancelled Royal Visits.

1953 Royal Visit.

The 2001 Royal Visits Issue.

2013 Upper Hutt National Stamp Show

         The Upper Hutt Stamp Club is celebrating its Golden Jubilee in 2013 with a national stamp show and to commemorate New Zealand Post is issuing an exhibition miniature sheet and exhibition souvenir cover. The issue date is the 13th September to mark the opening of the exhibition. 
         As much as I dislike miniature sheets designed for specific exhibitions I do realise NZ Post needs the opportunity for marketing and sales of their philatelic products. In the light of this, I will therefore continue feature these special issues on my blog.

         The miniature sheet shows a view of Upper Hutt looking across the Hutt River. The two stamps featured on the sheet came from 2013 New Zealand Native Ferns, issued on the 7th February. In the first design ($2.40) the Umbrella Fern is shown with its distinctive fronds like the ribs of an umbrella. The second design ($2.90) shows the Silver Fern with fronds of beautiful green as shown which have bright silver on their under sides. Both stamps show the juvenile frond in the form of that spiral pattern known in New Zealand as the koru. 

        The special cover above, shows more of the photo shown on the miniature. Notice the special post mark with a native wood pigeon designed for this issue. Both the miniature sheet and the cover show the logo designed by the Upper Hutt Stamp Club for their exhibition.

        For those who are interested, Upper Hutt 2013 will be held from 13 to 15 September at the Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre, 836 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt. Located 30 kilometres north-east of Wellington city, Upper Hutt boasts 70 per cent of the region’s parks and reserves, and this is the first time the city has hosted a national stamp show.

2011 The Victoria Cross

         
The Victoria Cross is a bronze cross 41 mm high and 36 mm wide, bearing the Crown of Saint Edward surmounted by a lion. The cross was originally intended to be the Maltese Cross with the inscription "For the Brave" but this was changed to "For Valour" by Queen Victoria who thought the former wording might imply not all the men in battle were brave.
          The ribbon, described as crimson or wine red, is 38mm wide and passes through the bar from which the medal hangs. The bar in engraved with ornamental laurel leaves.
          On the reverse the bar is engraved with the recipient's name, rank, number and unit. On the reverse of the cross is a circular panel on which the date of the act  for which it was awarded is engraved in the centre. See the example of the VC awarded to Edward Holland on the right.

2013 Health Issue.

Forward to 2014 Health Issue.

  
        Thousands of New Zealand children grow up on farms and in the country, and the 2013 Children's Health stamp issue celebrates the unique ways of life of these children and their pets. I can relate to this since I grew up on a small farm, actually the one I own today. You will find a picture of us kids with our pets at the bottom of this post. We also had the usual dogs, cats, lambs, pigs, even gecko lizard which would be illegal today. Ringo, my pet gecko actually turned out to be a female when she had babies. LOL. 
          On 18 April 2013, Te Puna Whaiora Children’s Health Camps launched its new name, Stand Children’s Services, Tu Maia Whanau. Stand Children’s Services aims to nurture the dreams and aspirations of our nation’s children, allowing them to find their turangawaewae, their 'place to stand’

For our full Health Stamp Collection use the links in the page bar above.
To see this issue in our collect 2013 Health.



               

70c +10c - Lamb.                              $1.40 + 10c - Piglet.

2013 Coastal Lighthouses.

         Yesterday, 4th September, NZ Post issued this set of five stamps showing coastal scenes from around New Zealand. They called this issue New Zealand Coastlines but I like the title I gave this post above is better since each stamp shows a New Zealand lighthouse.
        New Zealand consists of two major islands and numinous smaller ones. The country has a long winding coastline with many areas dangerous for shipping. Most of these places are protected by lights which warn of the dangers. Once these lights were manned by keepers who lived with their families in this isolated locations but now most lights around New Zealand are automatic, just requiring servicing on a regular basis. 
         Most of these lighthouses have appeared at least once in other stamps issued by New Zealand so I have decided that at some point I will create a collection of all the stamps featuring lighthouses.

70c - Castlepoint.

Castlepoint on Wairarapa coast, named by Captain Cook who thought it resembled a castle. This is the only one of these lighthouse that I have actually visited.