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.

1996 Extinct New Zealand Native Birds

When New Zealand broke away from the great southern supercontinent Gondwanaland some 80 million years ago, birds were abundant. But snakes and land mammals, apart from bats, were absent. It was paradise for the original birds and others that flew or floated here later.

        The same qualities that have made many New Zealand birds distinct from others around the world have also helped to make them extinct. Flightlessness and bulk, along with tens of thousands of years living in a predator-free environment, left many bird species vulnerable when they began sharing the islands with humans and introduced predators.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

1991 Butterfly Definitives.

Definitives Tour.

Back to 1985 - 93 Native Bird Definitives.                              Forward to 1994 $20 Mt Cook Definitive.

         New Zealand is home to 23 species of butterflies. Butterflies belong to the insect order Lepidoptera, which is dominated by the butterfly's close relative - the moth. Butterflies resident in New Zealand display different shapes, colours and patterns and live in a wide range of environments, from forest floors and swamps, to domestic gardens and rocky alpine areas.

         During the early 1990s, a small definitive issue of five values was used with larger dollar value stamps. The butterfly definitive stamps were initially printed by Leigh-Mardon Pty Ltd. The House of Questa later reprinted the issue and these stamps may be distinguished by the differing perforations on the top and bottom edges of the stamps although the $1, $2 and $4 stamps also vary in size. The $4 and $5 stamps were not issued until January 1995.

        The House of Questa stamps were incorrectly listed as being Perf 13¾ x 14 in at least two other highly regarded catalogues when they are in fact 13¾ x 14¼. Volume X of the Postage Stamps of New Zealand (by the Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand) confirms that 13¾ x 14¼ is in fact correct.

1991 The Tuatara / World Wildlife Fund

        The Tuatara is the sole survivor from a lineage which stretches back before the dinosaur age. Scientists have been aware for over a century now that the Tuatara is no ordinary reptile. It is in fact, the last living representative of the reptilian order Sphenodontia. The Tuatara's ancestors are known to have been around over 225 million years ago - about the time the first dinosaurs trampled the earth. And today's Tuatara survives 65 million years after the last dinosaur disappeared.

        Naturalists have been beating a path to these shores since the late 1800s to collect Tuatara - sometimes hundreds at a time - for the world's museums. As a result, as early as 1885 a warrant was bestowed to provide all Tuatara with absolute protection. All Tuatara islands are now Wildlife Sanctuaries or Flora and Fauna Reserves so that permits are required in order to visit them. The factors which impact most heavily on the Tuatara's survival are the modification of their habitat, the numbers of co-existing petrels and shearwaters, and the island's population of rats.

        There is approximately 100,000 individual Tuatara alive today. Almost every one of them inhabits one of 30 small, cliff-ringed islands off the shores of New Zealand. Stephens Island in Cook Strait is home to at least 30,000 - almost one-third of the world's Tuatara population.

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.

2010 Ancient Reptiles of New Zealand

In 2010 New Zealand Post celebrated our incredible extinct natural heritage with an issue of five oversized stamps and five amazing coins. These species disappeared 65 million years ago, but with a little help from New Zealand Post, you can see what it might have been like to meet them face to face. A hundred million years ago, our land formed the eastern margin of the southern super-continent of Gondwanaland. Separated by ocean, ‘Zealandia’ had its own group of dinosaurs, pterosaurs (flying reptiles) and giant marine reptiles that thrived here for 20 million years.

2017 Native New Zealand Freshwater Fish.

          More than 40 different species of freshwater fish have been identified in New Zealand’s waterways. Around three-quarters of these secretive and largely nocturnal natives are already endangered, which is a troublingly high number compared to other countries. Some of the issues our freshwater fish face include barriers in migration, destruction of habitat and the introduction of predators such as trout.

          Many of New Zealand’s freshwater fish species have had to evolve unique attributes in order to live in our varied habitats. The lowland longjaw galaxias is so named for its distinctive upturned lower jaw, the redfin bully has taught itself to climb, the longfin eel can live for up to 100 years, the lamprey is commonly known as a “vampire parasite” and the torrentfish has a unique zebra-style camouflage.
          From deep ice-cold lakes to fast moving raging rapids, the vast range of species found in New Zealand’s waterways are celebrated with these beautifully illustrated stamps. The diversity of New Zealand’s aquatic life is clearly apparent when these stamps are viewed side by side.

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.

2016 New Zealand Native Glowworms

This visually striking stamp issue features four gummed stamps as well as a $2.00 self-adhesive stamp. The stamps have been printed using glow-in-the-dark ink to replicate the effect of glowworms in the wild - simply expose them to sunlight and then step into a dark space to see the stamps light up. It works well too, the stamps look great.

Chatham Islands

        This post was originally intended to show two stamp issues that were issued with subjects concerning the Chatham Islands and the Moriori. We have added extra stamps from other issues featuring these same subjects so now we changed this post to the status of a thematic collection.

         The first European to discover the islands in 1791 was Lieutenant William Broughton who named them after the ship in which he was sailing to Tahiti. On 29 November 1791 Lieutenant William Broughton's storm driven brig 'Chatham' anchored off a large, unchartered island some 870 kilometres east of New Zealand. The long isolation of the island inhabitants, the Moriori, was over.

         The Chatham Islands group, which consists of Chatham and Pitt Islands and some smaller islands, lies 422 miles south-east of Wellington. Chatham is the largest of the islands (about 222,500 acres) and its chief settlement is Waitangi. The smaller Pitt Island has an area of approximately 15,300 acres. Almost a quarter of the main island is covered by shallow lagoons, the largest of them called Te Whanga. The land carries predominantly fern and pasture with some karaka and nikau palms.

1970 Chatham Islands.

All though it was never mentioned by the Post Office, this issue marked 180years since the

islands were discovered by Lieutenant William Broughton in 1791.

           

          1c - Chatham Islands Lily.                               2c - Chatham Islands Mollymawk.