1994 25th Anniversary of The First Moon Landing

On 21 July 1969 (New Zealand Time) man first set foot on the moon. The American astronaut Neil Armstrong, the commander of Apollo 11, watched by millions of television viewers around the world, stepped off the ladder of the lunar module, Eagle, on to the moon. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," he said.

Our school teacher brought a TV into the classroom and we watched in wonder as this historic event unfolded. First, there was the launch of the giant Saturn V that carried the tiny capsule with the first men who would walk on the moon. Daily, we followed their progress until finally, they came to the point where the lunar module separated for the trip down to the moon's surface. The first time they stepped out on to the surface came when we were supposed to be at school. So lessons were put aside as we watched those grainy black & white images of Neil Armstrong stepping out onto the lunar surface.

$1.50 - Neil Armstrong / First Man on the Moon.

2017 Matariki

    

      When in 2017 NZ Post didn't issue the annual Matariki stamp issue, I was a bit disappointed as I've come to enjoy each Matariki issue for their interesting and colourful stamps. I understand why they did this because two other Maori related issues were released that year. See 2017 He Tohu and 2017 Te Reo Maori - Maori Language. We don't want too much of a good thing, do we? In the absence of a Matariki issue, I have decided to add my own Matariki post looking at Matariki and some of the legends behind it. When I started this I was looking for a great page of stamps but I could only find two stamps that actually showed Matariki / The Pleiades, so I had to settle on a post using just these two stamps. 

2007 Southern Skies

The 2007 Southern Skies was an issue of five stamps, each showing a scene from the night skies above New Zealand, set as a background to five famous astronomical telescopes. 

Getting away from the lights of the city reveals the true wonder of the night sky; constellations and star clusters; comets, planets and many deep space objects. The moon in all her beauty as she goes through her phases. All this, before we begin using binoculars or a small telescope. Then even more wonders appear to us like Jupiter and his four larger moons; Saturn and her glorious rings; splitting stars to reveal them as binaries (two stars orbiting each other). Then come the big telescopes which produce those photographs of nebulas with their amazing colours. 

2018 New Zealand in Space

        On Sunday 21 January 2018 New Zealand’s role in the international aerospace industry was elevated to a whole new level when Rocket Lab launched its Electron rocket into orbit from Mahia Peninsula.

        NZ Post celebrated this extraordinary achievement with a commemorative stamp sheet containing the six stamps seen below. Further down will be the sheet itself, followed by the enlarged stamps and detailed captions.

       Virtual New Zealand Stamps wishes to congratulate NZ Post for developing and releasing this issue so quickly after the rocket's flight. They are six great stamps on a subject not usually seen on New Zealand stamps.

The Six Stamps.

2017 Southern Lights.

          Auroras (Southern Lights), are the result of electrically charged particles from solar winds reacting with gases in the earth’s atmosphere. The excess energy from these reactions creates a stunning light show that can be seen at the North or South poles. In order to view the Southern Lights you would need to be as far South as possible, which is part of the reason that New Zealand is such a prime location for viewing these colourful displays.

          The Southern Lights can range in colour from pink to green to purple, with the colours dependent on a number of factors. The type of solar wind particle, the type of gas molecule and the electrical state at the time of the collision all have an effect on the eventual colour of the aurora.

                    

          The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is located in the Mackenzie Basin of the South Island. The extreme lack of natural light and the multitude of clear nights make it the perfect combination for stargazing, or if the timing is right, for viewing the Southern Lights. The Mt John observatory is the University of Canterbury’s premier astronomical observatory and is a much favoured spot for catching a glimpse of the Southern Lights.
          This stunning stamp issue features six gummed stamps - each featuring a photograph of the Southern Lights, taken at the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. Each stamp shows a different view of the Southern Lights, with the various colours and patterns of shimmering light clearly evident in these stunning photographs.

                    

2008 Matariki - Maori Culture.

         For the Māori people, the night skies in June traditionally have huge significance: they herald the dawn of a new Māori year. In te reo Maori, yhe Māori language, Matariki is the name of the Pleiades star cluster, in the constellation of Taurus the Bull.  In traditional times, Matariki was a season to celebrate new beginnings and was important for agriculture in establishing the correct time to plant crops. It was also a good time to instruct young people in the lore of the land and the forest as being the colder months much more time was spent indoors. The constellation is also believed to have been used by navigators. See our post -  2007 Southern Skies. 

         The first rising of the Pleiades and of Rigel (Puanga in Māori) occurs just prior to sunrise in late May or early June, and this indicates that the old year has ended and the new year has begun. The annual appearance of the seven stars of ‘Matariki’ (or the Pleiades star cluster) signals a time for renewal, reflection and celebration!
         The actual time for celebrating Matariki varies depending on the iwi (tribe). It has become common practice for various private and public institutions to celebrate Matariki over the period of a week or month anywhere from early June to late July.

         This is the first in a series of annual Matariki stamp issues, exploring different aspects of Maori culture and heritage. In this first issue we take a fascinating journey through Maori history and culture. We celebrated not only the constellation itself but also connections that the Maori spiritual world has to the sea, to the land and to family (whānau). We also learn about the Maori worldview in which the gods, Sky Father Ranginui, Earth Mother Papatūānuku and their children, personify the dramatic forces of nature.

See our Matariki Collection.                      See our Index - New Zealand Maori.

1969 Captain Cook Bicentenary.

This issue commemorates the bi-centenary of Captain Cook's first voyage to New Zealand.

The Captain Cook Bicentenary issue marked two firsts. For the first time in New Zealand, the set appeared in miniature sheet form with the values se-tenant. It is also the first time that embossing was used on a New Zealand stamp to make the portrait on each stamp stand out.

The Four Values.  

2000 Scenic Definitives.

Definitives Tour.

Back to 1995 - 1997 Scenic Definitives.                   Forward to 2003 Scenic Definitives.

         The second post of our Scenic Definitives will only cover one year, 2000. The six value 2000 issue of Scenic Definitives was designed as an add-on to the previous 1996.97 issue which was still currently on sale. The stamps were issued in two sets, 4 values in March 2000 and the remaining 2 in October. In between, in April, the $1.10 stamp was reproduced in an adhesive format.

6 March 2000.

        

The Otago Peninsula - $1.00.                           The Kaikoura Coast - $1.10.