2006 Summer Festivals

In our final push, to publish all the stamps of  New Zealand, I was given this one, 2006 Summer Festivals. Nice colourful stamps with great subjects too. A lot going on, on each stamp, never seen them before but I love them. Allan also gave me such large sharp images which will really show off these stamp designs.  (Kim)

2006 Summer Festivals Joined Strip.

          When summer arrives, Kiwis throughout New Zealand head for the outdoors. In this diverse country, their activity choices are endless: for the sports-minded, the extensive array of water and land-based pursuits; and for the less energetic, the endless expanses of sun-drenched coastal beaches. But for everyone, there’s the delight of summer festivals – a wonderful opportunity to enjoy entertainment extravaganzas with friends and family alike.

          New Zealand’s Summer Festivals covered a spectrum of themes and activities – from family-focused events to music, theatre and dance and energy-packed sporting spectacles and competitions. Whatever you choose to attend, you can guarantee it will be good for the heart and the soul – a great way to enjoy the season of sunshine.

The Stamps.

45c - Dragon Boating.
Every year, New Zealand hosts a number of Dragon Boat Festivals – an exhilarating event characterised by fierce competition, active spectator participation and colourful cultural entertainment.

90c - Race Day.
For the horse-racing fraternity, summer signals the highlight of the racing calendar – the Summer Carnival and the richest and most prestigious races in the country, including the Auckland Cup, the New Zealand Derby and the Wellington Cup. The carnivals are renowned as much for their haute couture as for the horses and races themselves.

$1.35 - Teddy Bears Picnic.

Summer wouldn’t be summer without teddy bears’ picnics! As children delight in picnicking with their bears, the adults are no doubt humming the words to Jimmy Kennedy’s song of the same name, written more than 70 years ago.

$1.50 - Outdoor Concerts.

Outdoor concerts have been a feature of New Zealand’s summer season since the early 1970s. Ranging from large-scale events to smaller versions, highlights include the three-day WOMAD world music festival, the Big Day Out, the Christian-based Parachute festival, Auckland’s Pasifika Festival and the numerous concerts held in parks around the country. One of these that we have often attended is Christmas in the Park, held in the Domain in Auckland.

$2.00 - Jazz Festivals.

Whether you like it traditional or innovative, you’ll find a concert to suit you somewhere in New Zealand during the summer months – at vineyards, parks and private locations around the country.

The Usual Collectibles.

 First Day Cover - 1 November 2006.

 Miniature Sheet First Day Cover - 1 November 2006.

Miniature Sheet with one 45 cent, one 90 cent, one $1.35, one $1.50 and one $2 stamp.

Technical information.

Date of issue: 1 November 2006.

Number of stamps: Five gummed stamps.

Denominations and designs: 45c, 90c, $1.35, $1.50, $2.00.

Stamps and first day cover designed by: The Church, Wellington.

Printer and process: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand by offset lithography.

Number of colours: Four process colours.

Stamp size and format: 35mm x 29.4mm.

Paper type: 104g Tullis Russell red phosphor gummed stamp paper.

Number of stamps per sheet: 25.

Perforation gauge: 14.285.

Special blocks: Plate/imprint blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least six stamps from a sheet. Barcode blocks were available in both A and B formats.

Period of sale: These stamps remained on sale until 31 October 2007.

Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ

You can visit their website and Online Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/

Information & images for this post came from.

New Zealand Post (Stamps)