1997 Creepy Crawlies

New Zealand is home to a wide range of creatures that creep, crawl, slither and fly. In this issue, New Zealand Post issued 10 self-adhesive stamps in a booklet format, featuring ten of these Creepy Crawlies.

The species depicted in the Creepy Crawlies stamp issue may not be the most obviously endearing of New Zealand's many and varied forms of wildlife. Your instinct, should you come across one of them in your home or garden, maybe to crush them underfoot. Stop yourself! Each and every one of these species plays a vital role in the ecosystem it lives in, each is a part of New Zealand's extraordinarily rich biological diversity. Many of them, including the giant wētā, are threatened by introduced predators. This stamp issue was one way to acknowledge the importance of these species. It reminded us that Creepy Crawlies are part of our unique web of life here in New Zealand and that they deserve to be celebrated in the same way that the Hector's dolphin and the tuatara are in our own small, but special, corner of the world.

2018 - Macao 2018 Exhibition.

This was the header photo for this issue on the NZ Post website.

It shows both miniature sheets and the cute little kiwi too.

The Macao stamp exhibition is the first great international philatelic event in Asia organised by the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. It took place at The Venetian Macao - Conference & Exhibition Centre from 21 to 24 September 2018.

From 1977 to 2017, a total of 34 exhibitions have been held in different parts of Asia - Macao 2018 is the 35th Asian International Stamp Exhibition.

New Zealand Post has created unique 2018 Round Kiwi and Predator Free 2050 miniature sheets and miniature sheet first day covers for this event.

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.

2005 World Wildlife Fund - The Kakapo

       The kakapo (kākāpō) is critically endangered; as of April 2018, the total known adult population was 149 living individuals, as reported by the Kakapo Recovery programme, most of which have been given names. Because of Polynesian and European colonisation and the introduction of predators such as cats, rats, ferrets, and stoats, the kakapo was almost wiped out. 
       Conservation efforts began in the 1890s, but they were not very successful until the implementation of the Kakapo Recovery plan in the 1980s. As of April 2012, surviving Kakapo are kept on three predator-free islands, Codfish (Whenua Hou), Anchor, and Little Barrier islands, where they are closely monitored. Two large Fiordland islands, Resolution and Secretary, have been the subject of large-scale ecological restoration activities to create self-sustaining ecosystems with suitable habitats for the kakapo.

In 2005, NZ Post honoured the work and dedication of the WWF by featuring the kakapo on this four stamp issue. The first-day cover included all four stamps from this inspiring issue along with a special commemorative datestamp which featured the World Wildlife Fund for Nature logo.

2018 - Predator Free 2050.

     Predator Free 2050 is the ambitious goal to remove key mammalian predators from the New Zealand landscape by the year 2050. This effort involves central and local government, iwi, conservation trusts and philanthropists. Predator Free New Zealand Trust (PFNZ) is one of those organisations, working with community groups, schools, marae, neighbourhoods and businesses to ensure our precious native species can flourish for generations to come.

       New Zealand is an isolated island nation where many amazing animal species have evolved in the absence of mammalian predators. However, the introduction of species like rats, stoats and possums has resulted in the endangerment and extinction of many native birds, lizards and insects.

       Despite its reputation as an environmental paradise, New Zealand has the highest percentage of threatened animal species in the world. Over 80% of our native birds are at risk. Alongside large-scale eradication projects led by local and central government, PFNZ is supporting local communities, iwi, farmers and businesses to help in the effort to rid New Zealand of key mammalian predators by 2050, so backyards everywhere will be teeming with native wildlife for generations to come.

       This is a great goal to strive for and if we all get involved it could be achievable. So the question we should be asking is not "Can this ambitious scheme be achieved?" but rather "What can I do to help achieve it?"

       As the manager of a nest of farms, I have control over a large area of farmland, pine forest and native bush. Besides our role of fencing off and planting along waterways, for some years now we have been involved in an eradication program to remove unwanted pests and plant groups of native trees in areas not suitable for grazing. This is already showing signs of increased native bird life in many areas. Our goal - more environmentally friendly farming.

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 Round Kiwis.

        June 2018. I will remember it for the birth of my third child. I'm in the birthing home for a few more days and can't get around much yet. Allan was here and heard me complaining about being bored. "Write up the latest stamp issue," he told me "That will keep you quiet for a while." So I  went and checked it out.
         Oh wow! The round kiwis are back. One of the first larger pages I did for this blog was the story of the Round Kiwis. They became one of my favourite stamp designs. I have all of them in my stamp collection. Now there are another five to collect.

  

                          

1988 Round Kiwi.                                                           2018 Round Kiwi. 

         New Zealand Post's popular Round Kiwi stamp has been refreshed for the eighth time, It has been 30 years since it was first launched in 1988 and so to celebrate, a new set was released. The issue features all five species of kiwi in their habitat - the brown kiwi, great spotted kiwi, little spotted kiwi, tokoeka and rowi – and in a range of vibrant colours. See our Round Kiwi Collection.

        These stamps are considered to be definitives so at present there is no date set for them being withdrawn. I am sure they will be more popular with collectors rather than used as general definitive stamps. I also would expect some of the earlier issues might increase in value as new collectors go back to add them to their Round Kiwi Collection.

        Kiwi are flightless, nocturnal birds endemic to Aotearoa. They emerge from their burrows after dark to forage noisily along the forest floor and sniff out worms and insects. Their nostrils are at the base of their bill and give the kiwi a superior sense of smell that makes up for its poor eyesight. Kiwi have been described as ‘honorary mammals’ because of their hair-like feathers, long tactile whiskers at the base of their bill, and their marrow-filled bones. Kiwi are also sometimes called ‘te manu huna a Tāne’ - the hidden bird of Tāne, the god of the forest. See our post on the Maori Legend - How the Kiwi Lost His Wings.

2007 New Zealand Native Wildlife

Self Adhesive Se-tenant Strip of Five Stamps.

         For a small country, New Zealand has a diverse array of plants and animals that can not be found anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately though, many of our animals struggle to survive due to introduced predators, environmental changes and the modernisation practices of man – as a result their numbers have dwindled to such an extent that they are officially classified as ‘endangered’.

        Luckily, New Zealand is a nation of wildlife champions. We recognise and appreciate that these unique – and iconic – animals are as much a part of our nation and nationhood as we are. In this issue we celebrated their individuality, and their abundant charms with a unique artistic range of five vibrant stamps. What makes these stamps stand out as different is the fact they are round rather than the usual rectangle. 

2009 Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers

International Polar Year 2007 - 2009.

2017 Recovering Native Birds.

         New Zealand’s native birds have a unique history in terms of how and why they adapted into the mostly flightless species we are so well acquainted with today. A predominant lack of mammalian predators in the early days of their evolution meant that many species began to grow larger and lost the ability to fly. With the main predator being other birds, many native species also evolved without the instinct to run from trouble.

         This posed a huge problem when the arrival of humans brought with it the arrival of mammalian predators such as rats, cats and stoats, all of which still pose a threat to our native species today.

         This stamp issue focuses on five native bird species that have been brought back from the brink of extinction thanks to the hard work of agencies such as the Wildlife Service and the Department of Conservation. Their great work has seen them go on to become world leaders in bird conservation. 

2006 Ross Dependency 50th Anniversary Antarctic Programme

        For the few inhabitants of a wedge-shaped piece of land at the very bottom of the world, 2007 marked a very significant milestone. The land is the Ross Dependency, the people are the teams at New Zealand's Scott Base and USAs McMurdo Sound Base, and the milestone is the 50th anniversary of the New Zealand Antarctic Programme, which continues to maintain a unique focus on scientific research in the area.

1984 Endangered Wildlife

          From the days when New Zealand was first settled, it has lost proportionately more living species than any other nation in the world.  Our pioneers had no idea of the damage they were causing as they cleared the land - today however there are no excuses.
          Much of New Zealand's unique beautiful wildlife has gone.  Numbers decrease as hunting, disease and habitat destruction continue.  Legislation for the protection of New Zealand fauna is good by world standards, although it does not extend to a threatened species' habitat.
         Several of New Zealand's fascinating reptiles and a rare amphibian are featured on this special stamp issue.  The five stamps depict the rare Hamilton's Frog; Great Barrier Skink; Harlequin Gecko; Otago Skink; and the Gold-striped Gecko.

24c - Hamilton's Frog.

Hamilton's Frog - one of three species of native New Zealand frogs and regarded as being among the rarest amphibians in the world.  It is considered an unusual frog because it lives under stones and well away from standing water, depending on high humidity for its entire life cycle.

2001 Penguins

         On the same day that the Ross Dependency issued a six value set on the Penguins of Antarctica, New Zealand issued a six value set on the penguins of New Zealand. While these sets were issued by different postal administrations they must be considered as related. They were issued on the same day, had the same designer and the same printer. Ross Dependency Postal Services are actually run by the “Ross Dependency Agency”, located at a post office in Christchurch as a agency of the New Zealand Postal Service (NZ Post).

2001 Ross Dependency - Penguins. 

Up to 80 per cent of a penguins life is spent in the ocean where their stiff, paddle-like flippers, torpedo-shaped bodies and heavy bones are ideally adapted for speed and deep diving. While other birds take to the skies, these fly through the water, cleverly camouflaged from beneath and above with their white bellies and dark backs.

1988 Whales

Since 1978 whales have had total protection under New Zealand law but whaling once flourished on our coasts. The coastal waters and oceans surrounding New Zealand were rich in whale life and attracted hunters from the Northern Hemisphere as early as the late 1700s. Shore whaling stations were first established in New Zealand in Cook Strait and Fiordland areas in the 1800s, with the hunters preying on migrating right whales and humpbacks. The whalers were some of New Zealand's earliest settlers and their exploits make a graphic chapter in the nation's history. The last New Zealand whaling operation ended in 1964.

1993 World Wildlife Fund Conservation

For a small country, New Zealand is well endowed with fascinating wildlife. Yet a disproportionately high number of our native species are at risk of disappearing; some are rare, others endangered or vulnerable and many are regionally threatened. For many, time is running out. Reassuringly, though, a global awareness has helped turn the tide for some species.

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.

                    

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.