Annual New Zealand Stamp Collections.

Each year New Zealand Post produces 'The New Zealand Collection' - a comprehensive album of all the stamps produced in in the past year. This premium publication features stunning pictorial images and extensive commentary on the year's stamp issues from some of New Zealand’s most well known personalities.

The advert header from the NZ Post Site.

We have decided to feature four years of these collections (2013 - 2016) on this blog since it's part of the New Zealand Stamp Scene. I know it will turn into a free advert for NZ Post but I hope that over time this post will become more of the historic page. Prices are included for interest only and these items will not be sold by this blog. For current price and availability please contact NZ Post via their website  https://stamps.nzpost.co.nz/

 

2013 Collection.                                        2014 Collection.                                           2015 Collection.

                                         
2016 Collection.                                               2017 Collection.

Antarctica Post - Page Two

        Antarctica Post has issued a new stamp each year since 2002. These stamps are designed and issued with the help of New Zealand Wine Post. Their stamps secure special delivery between the USA bases, South Pole Station or McMurdo Station to Antarctica Post Agency in Dunedin. Once the letter reaches New Zealand it is forwarded using other postal services.

         As well as providing a postal service they also have an eye for the collector market as well. They offer a service where for $10.00 they will provide a letter or postcard cancelled at the South Pole and sent to you via New Zealand. Examples of these can be seen on this page.

         There will be some small, poor quality stamps in this collection until we can find better replacements. We considered it was better to present a complete collection rather than go for a part collection of good quality stamps. Like we did with our NZ Wine Post collection, this post will be published partly finished with further work continuing after that. For updates see our 'What is New in this Blog.'

Our collection of Antarctica Post stamps has continued to grow until now the decision has been made to establish the second page.     

Go Back to Antarctica Post - Page One.  (Issues 2002 - 2009)

2013 Matariki - The Koru.

         When the star cluster known as Matariki appears in the night sky it signals the Maori New Year and a time of new beginnings. The Matariki 2013 stamp issue celebrates the koru - a pattern symbolising new life and regeneration.

          Matariki is a significant event for Māori and is widely acknowledged to signal a change of seasons. In traditional Māori society, Matariki was believed to foretell whether the year ahead would be plentiful. It was also a time of festivity when communities would come together to reflect on the past and look ahead to new beginnings.

          The message of new beginnings is represented in the koru pattern, which is derived from an unfurling silver fern frond. Each of the six self-adhesive stamps in this issue incorporates the koru pattern along with aspects of traditional Māori culture that have particular significance during the time of Matariki.

New Zealand Wine Post 2010 - Today

         Stamps and many of the items found on these pages can be purchased from:-

New Zealand Wine Post. (Stampmetro) 

         This is the third part of our New Zealand Wine Post collection, taking us through the third 10 years. This collection is incomplete and needs a lot more work in some areas but we've decided to open it for viewing as we continue adding new items and completing further sections.

         The Wine Post, also known as New Zealand Wine Post, is a privately owned postal service in New Zealand. It is operated by Weston Winery New Zealand, which is the World's Most Southern Winery and acts as its only post office. The Wine Post began issuing its own postage in 1990. It is one of the many independent posts of New Zealand which has a deregulated postal environment. The Wine Post stamps are for their domestic and international postage for their own winery.

                 Collection Overview.

                Page One - New Zealand Wine Post   1990 - 1999.

            Page Two - New Zealand Wine Post   2000 - 2009.

            Page Three - New Zealand Wine Post 2010 - Today.

            Special Page - New Zealand Wine Post - Official Stamps.

                  Special Page - New Zealand Wine Post - Wine Labels.

Wildlife - Game Bird Habitat.

         The New Zealand Game Bird Habitat Trust, established under the 1953 Wildlife Act, exists primarily to improve New Zealand game bird habitat, and secondarily to improve the habitat for other wildlife. The key purpose of the Game Bird Habitat Trust Board is to distribute funding for the development and enhancement of wetland habitat for the benefit of game birds and other wetland inhabitants.

         The New Zealand Fish and Game Council commenced issuing $10 license stamps in 1994.  The stamp is affixed to the game bird hunter's license thus validating the license for the current year. $2 of the license fee goes towards establishment and protection of Game Bird Habitats. The stamps and related products such as miniature sheets and First Day Covers are also marketed by NZ Post with funding received going back to the Habitat Trust.

          I first saw these stamps on the NZ Post website a few months ago. A web search revealed a few extra years to the ones offered by NZ Post. Since it seemed an impossible exercise to find all of these stamps, or for that matter even establish how many years they had been issued, I dropped the project in favour of many others I could complete. Yesterday I found them all except the year 2011 which I just happened to have already so now I am able to feature them in a post on this blog. 

          The date shown under each stamp relates to the year of issue of the stamp, not the year the license expires as shown on the stamp itself.

2013 Ross Dependency Definitives.

          On the 20 November, 2013, The Ross Dependency issues its annual definitive issue. This issue contains five values for use on mail posted at Scott Base and the surrounding area. Of course many of these stamps are never used for mail, instead being sold to collectors all over the world.
          I always look forward to the annual Ross Dependency definitive issue because they are usually colourful, interesting stamps. I have touched on these Ross Dependency stamps a number of times in this blog but one day I plan to put them all together into one big collection.
          The theme for this issue was the Antarctic food web. The five stamps featured five very different creatures who depended on each other in someway for their survival. New Zealand has done and is continuing to study the life in Antarctica and in the Ross Sea. This work highlights just how finely balanced the food chain in this environments is. It is hoped this research will lead to a greater understanding of the Ross Dependency and Ross Sea but also a greater appreciation of the natural balance of the world we live in. 

2013 The Hobbet II

The Desolation of Smaug.

See my complete collection of Lord of the Ring / The Hobbit stamps.

For a collection of all the miniature sheets released with this issue,

view our post 2016 A Journey Through Middle-earth.



         In Dec 2013 the long awaited second movie of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy was released. Created by New Zealand's famous director, Peter Jackson this movie was one of a series of three based on J.R.R. Tolkien's book 'The Hobbit.'
        Set in the same Middle Earth as the Lord of the Rings but some 40 years before, this story tells of the adventures of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.
        In the first movie they survived the beginning of their unexpected journey. This second movie pick up the story as the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous Mirkwood Forest. After escaping capture by the dangerous Woodland Elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself. Here they must face the greatest danger of all – a creature more terrifying than any before, which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself – the Dragon Smaug.

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.

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.

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.

2013 Prince George of Cambridge

           On the 11th September, 2013, New Zealand Post is going to issue a set of four stamps and a special coin to mark the birth of the royal baby, His Royal Highness - Prince George of Cambridge. Born on 22 July, 2013, to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George is third in line to the throne and will one day become ‘King of New Zealand.’

           When I was thinking about how I could present this set I decided it might be nice to also show those who were in the line of the throne before him. So I have included the baby photos of both Prince William and Prince Charles. At the bottom is the 1940 British Sovereigns stamp which takes the line all the way back to Queen Victoria. But first lets see the stamps and coin of Prince George.
          You may wish to visit my post 2014 Royal Visit to New Zealand.

2013 Classic Travel Poster

     Tomorrow (7th August) New Zealand will issue set of 20 stamps depicting Classic Travel Posters. Three examples of these can be seen below.

  

          The twenty stamps, all with the value of 70c, will be sold from sheets of 20 as can be seen in the view below of the wall poster which will be sold as well. As you can see they appear to be interesting designs but I have been unable to find out much about them. 

2013 ANZAC

New Zealanders Serving Abroad.

         For a number of years New Zealand has been issuing stamps to mark the annual ANZAC Day events where as a country we remember those brave men and women who have lost their lives serving in the NZ Military overseas. There are many services that take place that day including one in the small community in which I live. These services often are at dawn, known as a dawn service or dawn parade, or later in the morning at 10am. In the centre of Auckland they hold a large dawn service at the Auckland Memorial Museum which attracts thousands of people. What is surprising is that over the years as the old soldier have past on, their ranks declining, the numbers of younger people attending these services has steadily grown.   
         It is well known that New Zealand played a role in World War I and World War II but what is lesser know is the long list of other places where New Zealand men and women have served. New Zealand is proud of its commitment to peacekeeping and assisting other nations in trouble and our military plays an important role in this.
         2013 marks the 60 anniversary of the Korean War. To mark this event the 2013 ANZAC issue features six of the many places New Zealand Defence Forces have been deployed to.

2013 Margaret Mahy

          I must admit, not being a great reader of children's books, I did not know much about Margaret Mahy. As I was not particularly attracted to the stamps either so I decided to leave this issue out of this blog until recently as I started working on the ANZAC issue then I had a closer look at this one too. I saw the awards Margaret Mahy had received and I realised that she was an important author in her field. I have therefore decided to include this issue in my blog.

          Margaret Mahy (1936 – 2012) is the only author ever to have been appointed an Ordinary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (1993), and she won many of the world’s major prizes for children’s writers. In 2006 she won the highest international award for children’s literature – the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award, and is the only New Zealander to have done so. In New Zealand she was awarded the Esther Glen Medal and the New Zealand Post Book of the Year Award multiple times.
                                                                    (New Zealand Post.)

         Each stamp represents one of the five more popular of her books.

70c - A Lion in the Meadow.

2013 Coronation 60th Anniversary

Queen Elizabeth II 

60th Anniversary of the Coronation.

2013 The Australia World Stamp Exhibition

           To celebrate the exhibition the 2013 World Stamp Exhibition held in Melbourne, New Zealand Post issued an exhibition miniature sheet and souvenir cover. The miniature sheet incorporates stamps from the "Queen Elizabeth II - 60th Anniversary of the Coronation" stamp issue, set against an image of the exhibition venue - the Royal Exhibition Building.

           The exhibition was the largest collection of philatelic and numismatic items on show in Australia since 2005, and it marked the centenary of the 1913 Kangaroo and Map stamp - Australia’s first national postage stamp. It was be attended by national and international dealers, traders, collectors and postal administrations, including New Zealand Post.
        
          I don't particularly like the idea of issuing a set like this but I can see why NZ Post wants to promote the stamps of New Zealand at this International Exhibition. To me, the idea of issuing stamps and other items for the collector market takes away from the real purpose of postage stamps but then I suppose if it wasn't for the collector market we would just have a plan set of stamps with the face of the Queen and a value, updated every 10 years or so. 

 Miniature Sheet showing three of he Queens.





Special Cover with same design as the miniature sheet.

 

2013 Honey Bees.

         To mark 100 years of the National Beekeepers Association, New Zealand issued this attractive set of five values. The issue date is the 3rd of July and the stamps were be sold in sets or singles, as well as the usual miniature sheet and first day cover.
        There are a number of things which I like about this set. First the subject is one I like. I like eating natural honey and until recently we had bee hives on this property where I live. Secondly I find the stamps are attractive with clear pictures of their subjects. Thirdly the five stamps fit together to tell the story of honey from the flower to eating.

70c Collection the Nectar.

       On the first stamp the bees fly out to the flowers. Scouts have gone out and found the flowers then returned to tell the workers. The workers move from flower to flower collecting nectar as they go. 

2013 New Zealand Native Ferns

           On the 7th February New Zealand issued a set of five stamps depicting native ferns.

           New Zealand's climate is just right for the many types of fern found in our native forests. I live in a country area myself and the bottom half of my property has been allowed to return to native bush. First the gorse and scrub reclaimed the once cleared land, then larger trees like manuka began to appear. These larger trees killed off the scrub underneath making way for many other native species including our native ferns. I was down there today and in some places the ferns are now so thick it impossible to walk through.

The Stamps
        I like the design of these stamps. They have a pleasant appearance, are simple, well laid out and not cluttered. The fern is depicted in bold coloured diagrams with other detail drawings in grey. The ferns common and scientific names appear under 'New Zealand' and the demonization appears as a symbolic post mark. Nice design, well done.   

           

Hen & Chickens Fern.                                                Kidney Fern.

          (Asplenium bulbiferum)                                       (Cardiomanes reniforme)

    

2001 / 2013 Year of the Snake

          Each year of the Chinese lunar calendar is represented by a different animal. 2001 & 2013 were the sixth in the calendar cycle, The Year of the Snake. Traditionally the Chinese have thought of those born during the Year of the snake as being elegant, insightful, motivated and highly intellectual. According to ancient Chinese folklore, snakes were well thought of. They were considered to be deities in disguise, and a snake entering a house was said to bring good fortune for all who live there.
         See my complete collection of Chinese New Year Issues.

2013

         The 2013 Year of the Snake stamp issue reflects different aspects of Chinese tradition and culture. The four illustrated stamps also celebrate New Zealand's growing Chinese community and are an essential addition to any lunar stamp collection.

  

70c - Chinese Calligraphic Snake.

The Chinese 'snake' character on this stamp was painted by Zhao Meng-fu,

a scholar, painter and calligrapher from the Yuan Dynasty (1254-1322 AD).