1998 Underwater World

        The New Zealand coastline is around 11,000 kilometres in total. It is surrounded by some of the richest and cleanest waters on the planet, and a diverse underwater world that has earned New Zealand an international reputation.
        The cornerstone for such a rich sea life is plankton. Our seas teem with these minute plants and animals, so there is plenty of food for the wide range of migratory and local fish that live in the mix of cool and warm currents that reach our shores.

These special stamps featured some of the creatures from New Zealand's diverse underwater world.

1996 Coastal Wildlife

New Zealand's coastline is one of the longest in the world in proportion to the landmass it encompasses. Birds and mammals are able to take advantage of a rich plant life along this coastline and coastal waters which are rich in marine food. The abundant wildlife found along the coast is reflected in this stamp issue which features different aquatic birds and marine mammals.

Se-tenant Block of six stamps.
The six stamps in this issue were also released in a block of six format - incorporating two selvedges, at the top right and bottom left, to 'square-off' each block. The one in the top right corner completed the white heron illustration on the $1.00 stamp. The other, bottom left, featured Hector's dolphin.
Lower down this page you will find two examples of this block formed into a miniature sheet for sale at two international stamp exhibitions that NZ Post attended.

1996 Seashore Rock Pool Booklet

Rockpools are an integral part of the New Zealand Seashore, this stamp booklet issue depicts this unique environment. When joined together, the stamps formed a continuous picture across all ten stamps of the booklet.

The seashore rock pool is a unique environment in which not all sea creatures can survive. At high tide, it is completely submerged under water, sometimes covered by up to a meter. As the tide goes out, the rock pool is swept with the waves of the falling tide before becoming completely isolated from the ocean. It is at this point that the water left in the pool can get heated by the hot summer sun, sometimes almost drying up the pool. Then in comes the ocean again, a period being swept by the waves before the rock pool is completely submerged again. A tough environment, while many can't survive, many others, as featured in this issue, can survive and thrive. 

View of a seashore rock pool with some marine creatures found in such pools.

1995 Environment Stamp Booklet

New Zealanders are fortunate to live in such a unique and captivating land. There are plant and animal species that are found nowhere else on the planet but live here in a land that is both clean and beautiful. Every person can make small contributions towards maintaining the beauty and richness that surrounds them. The importance of caring for our environment is depicted in this Environment stamp issue.

Set of used stamps.

2018 Scenic Definitives

Definitive Tour

Back to 2017 Scenic Definitives.                Forward to.......

       The Scenic Definitive Series began in 1995 and since then has produced some amazing stamps. The 2018 Scenic Definitives stamp issue highlights three more views of New Zealand's unique lakes, mountains, beaches and stunning natural structures. 
       With steadily declining mail volumes the cost of mail services has continued to rise. By mid-2018 there was a need for rates changes and new definitives. In this case, there was a set of two gummed stamps and a set of two adhesive stamps. The lower value of both sets carried the same design.

The header photograph from the NZ Post website showing all four stamps of this issue.

2018 Reconnecting New Zealand.

        This is a spectular set of stamps. They have used the pictorial format to produce six large stamps showing the work and scope of this large project. The subjects of trucks, trains and diggers would appeal to thematic collectors as well. There are also some great photos on the covers and miniature sheets too with lots of good information regarding the views on each stamp in the presentation packs. Well done NZ Post!

 

         It took one year, one month, and one day to reopen State Highway 1 after the magnitude-7.8 Kaikōura Earthquake on 14 November 2016. Freight trains had returned to the railway just 10 months after tracks had been thrown into the sea. In all, 1,700 people worked more than 2 million hours to move mountains and reconnect the communities isolated by the quake.

2008 Underwater Reefs

The 2008 Scenic stamp issue featured New Zealand Coral Reefs photographed by Dr Kim Westerskov. Kim Westerskov is a photographer and writer who specialises in images of aquatic and seashore life. He has a PhD in Marine Sciences from Otago University, and has written and illustrated seventeen books about the seas, sea-life, and Antarctica.

This issue features four amazingly beautiful stamps with bright vivid colours. Not sure why I have missed them before considering I even have the set in my collection.

2009 Lighthouses

 
         In 2009, NZ Post commemorated the 150th anniversary of New Zealand’s first lighthouse (Pencarrow) with five distinctive stamps. Each stamp featured a technological ‘landmark’ of its own – lighthouse beams that actually glow in the dark! You can see the slightly unusual texture of the lighthouse beams in these stamp images.

          As true landmarks of New Zealand, lighthouses continue to have an important role for ships entering and leaving New Zealand’s waters, helping sailors to calculate their distances from land and travelling speeds, providing effective warnings of potential danger and signalling entrances to safe harbours. 

          Today, all lighthouses are automated – the last to be converted was The Brothers lighthouse in July 1990. And while few of those built of local hardwood have survived due to the harsh conditions on New Zealand’s coastlines, the lighthouses made of hardier materials such as stone or concrete, continue to perform, decade after decade.

2017 Definitives

Definitive Tour

Back to 2016 Scenic Definitives.                Forward to 2018 Scenic Definitives.

    While New Zealand Post has worked hard to keep postage rates as low as possible, an annual decline in mail volumes has resulted in a review of the costs of our products and services.

      From 1 July 2017 FastPost will increase from $1.80 to $2.30 for a medium letter, from $2.80 to $3.30 for large letters and from $3.80 to $4.30 for oversize letters. To meet these changes, New Zealand Post is issuing two new scenic definitive stamps for the $2.30 and $4.30 denominations. There is already an existing scenic definitive stamp for $3.30 which features the iconic Dunedin railway station.

      Our isolated, water-bound country boasts 14,000 kilometres of unmatchable coastline. From long sandy beaches to steep rocky inclines, New Zealand’s beaches come in all forms, and almost all of them are capable of producing a surfable swell. Following on the theme of the surf-break issue, these two definitive stamps also feature popular surfing locations.

2016 Scenic Definitives

Definitive Tour.

Back to 2014 Scenic Definitives.                Forward to 2017 Scenic Definitives.

       New Zealand is famous for its beautiful and diverse scenery. From the wildness of rugged coastline to snow-capped mountain peaks, there is always a view to be seen and enjoyed.  This is the second issue of the new format where the details and Maori design have been moved to the left-hand side. There are 8 stamps featuring 6 different scenes (2 stamps being issued in an adhesive format as well for stamp books.)
       The purpose of this issue is, of course, definitive stamps, on sale until further notice. These stamps are an addition to the existing Scenic Definitives range and are designed to accommodate the changes in postage rates from 1 July 2016.

              

40c - Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo
(gummed)
Built on the shores of Lake Tekapo in 1935, the Church of the Good Shepherd is an iconic New Zealand location. This interdenominational church is a popular tourist destination, with people travelling from all over New Zealand and abroad to see the stunning views from within the church and to get married against the idyllic backdrop.

1994 Scenic Stamps.

The 1994 Scenic Issue of four stamps features the four seasons with each stamp showing a different scene in a different season. In a country like New Zealand, surrounded by oceans, it is often hard to define exactly when one season changes into another. I've known beautiful sunny weather in June and July which is said to be winter then starting the fire on Christmas Day in the middle of summer.
This is an interesting theme combined with an unusual design format to create what I think is one of the better scenic stamp issues.

1987 - 1989 Scenic Stamps.

         In this post we have decided to combine three stamp issues on to one page. Although all three sets differ from each other in subject and appearance, they are all part of the Scenic Stamps Series. What I did find interesting is how all three issues have miniature sheets where the design of one stamp appears as part of a bigger illustrations.
        You can view all the stamps from this series in our collection Scenic Stamps Series - Part One.

1987 National Parks.
         The 1987 Scenic Issue commemorated the centennial of the National Parks movement in New Zealand. In 1887, Te Heuheu Tukino IV, paramount chief of the Ngati Tuwharetoa with the consent of many other chiefs, gifted to the people of New Zealand the tribally-owned land within a radius of one mile of the three volcanic peaks of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu.  The land was given on the understanding that it would be kept sacred under the protection of Queen Victoria and on the condition that it would be preserved as a national park.  Originally 2630 hectares in area, today the park has grown to almost 80,000 hectares. 
        Tongariro National Park remained the only national park until the turn of the century when the Egmont National Park was established in October 1900.
        This issue shows four of our more famous National Parks. Two of these were also featured in our post 2015 - UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

          

70c - Urewera National Park.

80c - Mount Cook National Park.

1985 - 1986 Scenic Stamps.

1985 Scenic Stamps - Bridges.

See the full collection Scenic Stamps Series - Part One.
The landscape of New Zealand means there are many rivers and other obstacles that needed to be crossed by both roads and railways. The 1985 Scenic Issue shows just four of these many hundreds of bridges. What can be seen in these four stamps are examples of technology and variety of designs found in New Zealand's bridges.  

   

35c - Shotover bridge.                         40c - Alexandra Bridge. 

1983 - 1984 Scenic Stamps.

 This is the next post of our scenic New Zealand series. This time we view the issues of 1983 and 1984. The 1984 issue marks a bit of a change for this series, in fact I almost didn't include it in our scenic stamps collection. Where all the issues up until here has shown actual views of New Zealand this issue moved to drawings of scenic areas. I'm not sure how well this fits but since most catalogues seem to place the 1984 in the scenic series we've chosen to do the same.

1983 Scenic Stamps - Beautiful New Zealand.

See the full collection Scenic Stamps Series - Part One.

      

35c - Mt Egmont / Taranaki.                                     40c - Cooks Bay.

1979 - 1980 Scenic Stamps.

1979 Scenic Stamps - Small Harbours.

 See the full collection Scenic Stamps Series - Part One.

                      

15c - Whangaroa Harbour, Northland.                   20c - Bon Accord Harbour, Kawau Island.

1976 - 1977 Scenic Stamps

1976 - Scenic Stamps - Waterfalls.
See the full collection Scenic Stamps Series - Part One. 

          Four of New Zealand's most beautiful waterfalls are featured in this series of stamps. As depicted on the stamps, each is different in character, sinuous delicate tiers of Purakaunui in the far South Island, contrast with Marakopa in the North Island - a crashing curtain of water.

                   

               10c - Purakaunui Falls.                             14c - Marakopa (Marokopa) Waterfall.

2015 - UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

         New Zealand is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand, Tongariro National Park, and the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands. Tongariro National Park is located in the central North Island, Te Wahipounamu is located in the south-west of the South Island and the Sub-Antarctic Islands are found south of the South Island.

         This special stamp issue showcases these scenic locations in all their glory. Six colourful stamps, two of each area combine to make this one of the better stamp issues New Zealand has released.

         I have chosen to use extra large images to display the full beauty of these stamps then lower down smaller images accompany more detailed captions on the views shown. I know our blog owner Allan, is against using such large images but I feel they are needed here.

1974 - 1975 Scenic Stamps

1974 - Scenic Stamps - Offshore Islands.

See the full collection - Scenic Stamps Series - Part One. 

Following on with the scenic theme of this series, in 1974 four offshore islands were featured. Once again I good variety were selected from the larger Great Barrier Island and Stewart Island to the active volcano White Island. The final stamp was the tiny Brothers Islands from Cook Strait.  

Notes on this page were based on notes from the NZ Post Web Site.

                  

2012 Scenic Definitives.

Definitive Tour.

Back to 2009/2010 Scenic Definitives.                                       Forward to 2014 Scenic Definitives.

        Since the 2014 Scenic Definitive Issue has already been covered in this blog, this post will be the last in our Scenic Definitive Series until a new issue appears. We are planning to link them or list them n some way so readers can navigate through them.

        In 2012 three new denominations were added to the current Scenic Definitive Series to cover upcoming changes in postal rates. This stunning new stamp issue showcased three of New Zealand’s most picturesque locations – Cape Reinga, Stewart Island and Lake Matheson.

  

  Also included in this issue were two of the gummed stamps appearing in an adhesive format as well. Earlier in February, another adhesive, $2.40 Lake Rotorua had already been issued, making the six stamps shown here.

2009 - 2010 Scenic Definitives.

Definitive Tour.

   Back to 2007 Scenic Definitives.                                           Forward to 2012 Scenic Definitives.  

   

   New Zealand Post continued with its Scenic Definitive Series with two issues in 2009 & 2010. Again the scenes were spread widely across New Zealand. While I like these stamps and have enjoyed featuring them in this series of posts I can't help wondering if this definitive series doesn't get mixed up with issues from the longer running scenic series that appears each year.