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.

1984 - 1986 Vintage Transport.

          During the 1980s NZ Post released three stamp issues with vintage transport themes. We have decided to combine these on a single page for ease of viewing and comparing the three sets. The first, featuring passenger ferries, was issued in 1984; the second, featuring trams, was issued in 1985; the third, came in 1986, featuring motorcycles. 

 

Ferries.                                                    Trams.                                                Motorcycles.

You may wish to view the earlier 1970s Vintage Transport Issues.

Dunedin Railway Station.

A collection of stamps featuring this iconic building.

         After parliament buildings and the beehive, Dunedin Railway Station must be one of the buildings most featured on stamps. This beautiful building with its attractive light and dark stonework looks nothing like a station from one side and was once one of the busiest stations from the other. It was built at a time when Dunedin was booming with wealth from gold rushes of inland Otago. Now it is quieter, the station only seeing a few tourist trains each day and the building turned to other uses. But it is still the iconic building, the tourist attraction it always was. And it still makes a great subject for a stamp too.

For stamps on other railway subjects see Trains of New Zealand.

1982 Architecture - 30c Dunedin Railway Station.

30c - Dunedin Railway Station.

1982 Architecture.

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.

1996 - 1997 Scenic Stamps

         Gardens and Trains are the feature of this post. The next two issues of our series on the scenic stamp issues of New Zealand.

 

        There are some amazing gardens in parks throughout the country. Every town and city seems to have them. Some are large parks covering many hectares while others are tiny gardens tucked away in some unused corner. All have their own beauty and individual identity, being enjoyed by many visitors each year. The 1996 Scenic Issue features five of these more well-known parks.

         There is something about travelling by train. Its different to flying, more in contact with the surrounding scenery. New Zealand has some great trains, an attraction to both overseas visitors and locals a like. I've only travelled on two of these, the trans-alpine between Christchurch & Greymouth and the North Island Main-trunk between Auckland & Wellington. This issue features six of them, some still running today and some discontinued. What I like about these stamps is that they don't just show trains, but rather trains in scenery of New Zealand.        

1988 - Centenary of Electricity

         New Zealand's beginning as a nation was marked by the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. A little more than 25 years later, the first hydro-electric power was being generated by crude installations in the goldfields of the South Island.
         In 1888, one of these gold mining centres, now the town of Reefton, became the first community in the Southern Hemisphere to switch on to municipal hydro-electric power.  This was only six years behind similar developments in the United States of America.
        After Reefton, other pockets of private and commercial electricity generation were established throughout the country.  In 1904, a detailed survey of New Zealand's power potential described the country as "the powerhouse of the Orient".

1963 - 1973 Railway Locomotives.

         For other stamps with a train theme see our collection Trains of New Zealand.
                    1963 Railway Century.

A two value issue to mark 100 years of railways in New Zealand. The first railway line in New Zealand ran from Christchurch to Ferrymead and was completed in 1863, the centenary of the event was commemorated by an issue of these two stamps.

The 10 Class DF (2-Co+Co-2) introduced in 1954 were New Zealand's first main-line diesel-electric locomotive. Built by English Electric of Great Britain the DFs and their half size sisters the DGs were soon superseded by the more robust USA build DA Class. Although depicted here hauling a Main Trunk express under the watchful Mount Ruapehu in the background, they spent most of their working life on less important routes such as the Bay of Plenty line. 

Trains of New Zealand.

      

   Another of my interests besides Stamps is Trains. I like any trains anywhere but since this blog is about New Zealand stamps I suppose, I should display New Zealand trains.

Over the years New Zealand has issued four sets of train stamps plus quite a few others depicting trains or train related subjects. Let's have a look at them.

Railway Charge Stamps.

          Although not technically revenue stamps, the Railways Charges stamps were introduced in 1890 to facilitate prepaying of charges for the carrying of newspapers, parcels and freight by train. The stamps were issued as proof payment had been made.

          I first included these on my Trains of New Zealand page and at that time I thought I had found the entire sets but recently, I discovered there were actually a lot more. This separate post was created to tell the story behind these issues and display them to their best advantage. I have left some charge stamps on my trains page as examples but they are not full sets.

         Railway Charge Stamps can be classified into two time periods. From 1890 - 1921 then from until they were discontinued. After 1925 the second series was usually overprinted with the station name in an attempt to prevent forgery. A third series was designed in 1904 but never issued.

         The 1890 stamps were issued for three separate purposes although they were commonly interchanged as required. The later 1921 series was a general "all purpose" series used for smaller railways charges.

1970s Vintage Transport Series.

       During the mid 1970s New Zealand issued a yearly set of stamp featuring vintage transport. I think it might be better if we view these sets in one group rather than individual issues.  I have combined these issues to make and interesting series of 30 stamps depicting the development of early transport in New Zealand. Maybe one day I might return to view each issue in greater detail.

   

See the 1984 - 1986 Vintage Transport Issues.

1940 Centennial Pictorials

         As 1940 approached, New Zealand Government Officials were considering ways in which The Dominion could celebrate its first centenary. A great exhibition was planned in Wellington.

         I remember my father telling us that as a boy most of his small country school travelled by train from their little community in Northland, all the way to Wellington. They slept in the classrooms of a local school while visiting the Great Centennial Exhibition and taking in the sights of the capital before returning to Northland on another special train.  
         Word spread ahead that this special train was passing through the various town and cities on route and my mother told us that as a young girl she stood at the trackside in Avondale, Auckland, watching it go by. Little did she know that one day she would marry one of those 'country kids' hanging out the windows waving madly.
         I remember their surprise that day as they realised that they could have looked at each other, all those years before they would eventually meet and get married when my father moved to Auckland.