2017 Christmas

        We often have visitors from Asia staying with us over the Christmas period. For them, a traditional Christmas is often something different, a new experience. So we go all out to celebrate it. 
        First off, the Christmas tree. I get our visitors into the car to head off to the Christmas tree farm. Of course, there is that tired old joke about having to run fast to catch them. "Especially the little Christmas trees, really fast ones," I tease them. Yes, I always get those confused looks too. "What's he going on about." 
        We drive up through the farm to the area they are harvesting and are met by a guy with a saw. I let my guests wander through the trees looking for that special one, the one with that perfect cone shape. Then the guys will cut it and we are on our way home. The next step is setting it up. Out comes the plastic bucket and some bricks to go in the bottom. Selected bits of firewood work well to wedge the tree into position and we can pour in the water. 
        Some Christmas wrapping paper is fitted around to hide the plastic bucket and then we are ready to start the decorations. Out come the boxes of lights and other things to hang on the tree and I stand back allowing our guests to do all the work. Finally, all the lights in the room are turned off and we switch on the tree lights. Coloured lights, shining and flashing among the other decorations on the tree.

       This stamp issue is about the traditional decorations used on Christmas Trees. There are eight stamps in all, five gummed stamps and three repeated in self-adhesive format. The purpose, stamps for people to place on their Christmas mail, both locally and overseas. The annual Christmas issue always goes on sale earlier enough for mail to reach its destination anywhere in the world before Christmas Day.

2001 Art From Nature

NZ Post describes this issue: - 
    This series of stamps celebrated the use of our natural resources – from Greenstone to Oamaru Stone, Paua, Kauri, Flax and Ferns. These materials are strongly connected to our national identity and have been used by New Zealanders to create items of enduring beauty and versatility. Each stamp tells the visual story of the raw material brought to life as a piece of art. The designs of the art and the colour schemes also reflect our national character.

1931 Health - Smiling Boys.

Red Boy & Blue Boy.

I'm not as experienced with collecting postage stamps having just recently started a collection on thematic New Zealand Farming stamps. In fact, there is an early post in this blog where in the comments I refer to one of the rarest stamps of New Zealand as a scruffy bit of paper. LOL But things change, we learn and grow so now I write some of the easier posts here. I wanted to try something harder and so Allan suggested I try this one.
First I just copied what Allan had written on them in the Main Health Stamp collection, found in this link 1931 Health Issue, then I continued to build on his work with more items, more researched details and my own ideas. This page is the result. Hope you find something of interest.   (Anne)

                  

1931 Red Boy - 1d + 1d.                                    1931 Blue Boy - 2d + 1d.

2009 Auckland Harbour Bridge 50th Anniversary

        For many of us, it’s been there as long as we can remember – but when it was opened in 1959, the Auckland Harbour Bridge was one of the most significant infrastructure projects New Zealand had ever undertaken. Soaring over the waters of Waitemata Harbour, it provided a much-needed link between the North Shore and Auckland City – with long-term benefits for residents, businesses and New Zealand as a whole.
       Fifty years since its opening, Auckland Harbour Bridge is an icon of New Zealand’s landscape. The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an icon of New Zealand’s landscape. Replacing a 40-kilometre drive or a cross-harbour ferry ride, it’s been key to growth in the region – transforming North Shore’s seaside villages and rural communities into a thriving city, and opening Auckland City and points north and south to previously unimaginable opportunities for expansion and development.

A used copy of $2.00.

        The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining Saint Mary's Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and is the second-longest road bridge in New Zealand. The main span is 43 meters above high tide to allow ships free access to the deepwater wharf at the Chelsea Sugar Refinery.

1993 Sealife Booklet

        This cleverly designed booklet shows the wealth of life and colour that can be found in New Zealand waters. The 10-stamp sheet makes up a panoramic view of the ocean, and each 45c stamp was cleverly designed to stand alone with its own individual subject. Many of New Zealand's major seafood industry export earners were represented in the design.

Above: - Inside the booklet.

Below: - The cover.