The Rock Legends stamp sheet delivers a tongue-in-cheek take on some of New Zealand’s quirkier rock formations, taking us on a tectonic tour of New Zealand’s head-shaped geological wonders.
The miniature sheet below says - "Have we got rocks in our head? No, but we've definitely got heads in our rocks."
Have you ever looked at a rock or head-land and seen a human face. There are many places around New Zealand where you can do just that. Slowly carved out of the rock by wind and water, these rock shapes are permanent reminders of Mother Nature at work in the world around us. Coupled with a bit of human imagination these faces become lifelike, being often best shown in certain profiles or certain light conditions.
The Miniature Sheet.
This set of stamps followed a recent trend of NZ Post by only being issued as part of a miniature sheet. This makes it hard to get good images for our blog. The reason for the delay in this page being published
The Stamps.
It has been difficult to find much information on many of these stamps so we have been forced to settle with what information was provided by NZ Post.
$1.30 - Kaiaraara.
This rock is also affectionately named after its resemblance to ‘The Iron Duke’, the Duke of Wellington.
$1.30 - Lion Rock.
Not just a head, but a whole lion. Arguably our greatest rock legend, this volcanic beast rests undisturbed on the black sand beach at Piha.
$1.30 - Elephant Rock.
Elephant Rock lost its glorious trunk a few years ago to the whims of Mother Nature. We commemorate this legend in 2019.
$1.30 - Te Hoho Rock.
Guarding the famous Cathedral Cove, this majestic character is a familiar face to anybody who has visited this scenic wonderland.
$1.30 - Castlepoint Reef.
Another rock portrait that stares out to sea. This legend tells of a giant wheke (octopus) that sought refuge here in a cave from the great Kupe.
$1.30 - Motukiekie.
This iconic sea-stack has become a must-see portrait at dusk. Not just a pretty face either, it’s also host to some of New Zealand’s rarest birdlife.
$1.30 - Tunnel Beach.
A colossal cliff face stares out to sea. Beyond the rugged beauty, this area is famous for the tunnel that was cut through to access the beach in 1870.
$1.30 - Punakaiki.
30 million years of pressure is starting to show on this face. These limestone ‘pancakes’ have created some interesting coastal characters.
$1.30 - Anapai Bay.
This handsome fella stands watch over golden beaches. He’s sometimes referred to as ‘photographer’s rock’ due to him being so naturally photogenic.
Technical information.
Date of issue: 7 August 2019.
The number of stamps: Nine gummed stamps.
Denominations: 9 x $1.30.
Stamps and first day covers designed: Eighty One Group, Wellington, New Zealand.
Printer and process: Southern Colour Print Ltd by offset lithography.
The number of colours: Four process colours plus metallic.
Stamp size and format: 35mm x 34.55mm.
Paper type: Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper.
The number of stamps per sheet: 9.
Perforation gauge: 14.286 x 13.895.
Period of sale: Unless stocks are exhausted earlier, these stamps will remain on sale until 6 August 2020.
Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
Information & images for this post came from.
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