2006 Scenic - Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is used throughout New Zealand. Hydro systems, New Zealand's largest renewable energy source, generate around 60 - 70 per cent of the country's electricity and is available on an ongoing basis. New Zealand's unique geographic characteristics allow a number of renewable energy sources to be utilised - including the five sources shown on these stamps, hydro, geothermal, wind, biogas and solar.

The ideal promoted by this stamp issue is to have New Zealand totally free from burning coal of gas to generate electricity for our energy needs. 

1995 Famous New Zealanders

For such a small nation, New Zealand has produced a surprising number of great achievers, famous in a wide spectrum of endeavours and deserving of their prominence and respect in the eyes of fellow New Zealanders and the rest of the world. 

The full set of six stamps.

Redeemable Tear-tabs for Collectable Souvenir Cards
These stamps were issued with small removable tabs next to each stamp. (See the set of stamps above.) Each tab measured 10mm x 30mm. These tabs were perforated like the stamps and carried the promotional message 'Stamp Month October 1995'. These tabs were for a special promotional offer - customers could collect 10 tear-tabs and send them in (affixed to an entry card) to receive a souvenir card in return.

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.

2007 Clever Kiwis

Kiwis have a remarkable history of turning great ideas into reality – creating ‘world first’ products and techniques that transform the lives of people and businesses around the world. From road surfaces to kitchen appliances, computer technology to bungy jumps, motorbikes to underwater aquariums, we’ve seen the challenges and come up with the solutions. It’s ‘Kiwi can do’ at its best – and it was celebrated in these five stamps - they featured five of New Zealand’s most successful inventions.

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 Te Reo Maori - Maori Language.

       Now, this issue went in a direction I did not expect. Recently I did a post on te reo Maori (Maori Language) 1995 Maori Language. In that post, we looked at six different ways te reo Maori was used, all of which were in more formal or traditional ways. Another post I did earlier this year was on the 2011 Kapa Haka issue. While this stamp issue featured Maori performing arts, te reo Maori is an important part of that. Both issues are well worth a look and along with all my other posts on Maori subjects can be found via our New Zealand Maori index.

       We live in a changing world, English, my mother tongue, is changing to be used in different ways with new words coming into general use all the time. In the same way, if te reo Maori is to remain relevant, it needs to change and evolve to deal with a modern and changing world. 

       Which brings us to this issue. 10 stamps showing te reo Maori being used in ways that would not have been imagined only a few years ago. In this issue, the examples have mainly come from computers and electronic communications. Notice how many of these new words are descriptive in nature. This is consistent with te reo Maori where many traditional words were descriptions of objects or ideas too. I've followed with the captions the NZ Post used as they explain each stamp better than I could but while doing this post I've come to view te reo Maori in a different and more positive way.

Antarctica Post - Page Two

        Antarctica Post has issued a new stamp each year since 2002. These stamps are designed and issued with the help of New Zealand Wine Post. Their stamps secure special delivery between the USA bases, South Pole Station or McMurdo Station to Antarctica Post Agency in Dunedin. Once the letter reaches New Zealand it is forwarded using other postal services.

         As well as providing a postal service they also have an eye for the collector market as well. They offer a service where for $10.00 they will provide a letter or postcard cancelled at the South Pole and sent to you via New Zealand. Examples of these can be seen on this page.

         There will be some small, poor quality stamps in this collection until we can find better replacements. We considered it was better to present a complete collection rather than go for a part collection of good quality stamps. Like we did with our NZ Wine Post collection, this post will be published partly finished with further work continuing after that. For updates see our 'What is New in this Blog.'

Our collection of Antarctica Post stamps has continued to grow until now the decision has been made to establish the second page.     

Go Back to Antarctica Post - Page One.  (Issues 2002 - 2009)

1977 Education

      
       Education in New Zealand at primary and secondary levels is compulsory for all children.  Education at pre-school and university and other tertiary levels are also provided.  It's a system taking children through from the youngest until they become young adults ready to begin careers in New Zealand society.

       A unique feature of New Zealand's education system is the Correspondence School which provides tuition by correspondence for children living in remote areas and for those otherwise unable to attend normal classes.

       New Zealand Post Office issued five stamps to recognise education in New Zealand and commemorate the centenary of the Education Act of 1877, which established the Department of Education. These stamps were issued in a strip of five se-tenant stamps.

1984 Antarctic Research

In the last 100 years, 'Terra Australis Incognita', the 'Hidden Southern Land', has been slowly unveiling its secrets after spending a lifetime in forbidding silence. It's 14 million square kilometres of ice and snow is described as being the driest, coldest and windiest place in the world. Yet, undeniably, this cruel continent commands an air of awesome significance and supreme beauty.

On the southern most tip of Ross Island, located on the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf on the Antarctic continent, is Scott Base, established in 1957 to support New Zealand's participation in the International Geophysical Year scientific research programme.  Since then it has been continuously occupied by scientists and support staff.  Other bases have been established including Vanda Station on the shores of Lake Vanda in the Dry Valley region of Victoria Land on the Antarctic continent proper, and at Cape Bird on the northern tip of Ross Island, 100 kilometres from Scott Base.  The seasons govern the population and the work carried out but always the base is manned.

1982 Ross Dependency 25th Anniversary of Scott Base

        By 1982 it was time to replace the 1972 Definitive Issue with a newer issue with more modern designs. A six value set was decided upon featuring views from around the Ross Dependency. What I like about this issue is that, while still being drawn illustrations, they show views of penguins, buildings and actually people doing research. This makes for a much more interesting issue.   
       This Definitive Ross Dependency stamp issue commemorated the 25th anniversary of the opening of Scott Base, near Cape Armitage on Ross Island. By 1982 the base was well established as the centre of New Zealand's scientific research programme on the frozen continent.

1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Five.

 Definitive Tour.

Back to 1967 - 1968 Pictorial Definitives.                                Forward to 1975 Decimal Pictorials.

Other Items of Interest.

This page is intended as somewhere we can keep other items concerning the 1970 Pictorial/Definitives. It is incomplete at the moment because as items come to hand they will be added here.

          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part One.
                    Overview of the 7 issues of this series of stamps.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Two.
                    Looking at the designs and subjects of these stamps.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Three.
                    A collection of flaws & errors from the low values.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Four.
                    A collection of flaws & errors from the large values.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Five.
                    Some other items of interest including a collection of courier tags.

1970 Pictorial registered Mail Tags, smaller Mail Tags used for inter Bank parcels, sent from The National Bank of NZ in Jean Batten Place.

Reg. No 254 - Sent from Jean Batten Place. 3 Stamps valued at 69c. 

1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Four.

 Definitive Tour.

Back to 1967 - 1968 Pictorial Definitives.                                Forward to 1975 Decimal Pictorials.

Flaws & Errors - Larger Values.

This page is going to be a lot smaller than the previous page due to the fact there are less larger value stamps and we found a lot less errors on these stamps as well. This could partly be due to the fact that smaller quantities of many of these values were produced.

          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part One.
                    Overview of the 7 issues of this series of stamps.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Two.
                    Looking at the designs and subjects of these stamps.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Three.
                    A collection of flaws & errors from the low values.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Four.
                    A collection of flaws & errors from the large values.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Five.
                    Some other items of interest including a collection of courier tags.

10c Queen Elizabeth II & Coat of Arms - Normal Example.
A small collection of flaws found on the 10c value.
(Some of these images have come out dull due to the photographic process used, its not the stamps.)

           

1970 10c QEII Flaw on Queen's head.                                               1970 10c QEII Light blue ribbon colour shift.

1970 Pictorial / Definitives - Part Three.

 Definitive Tour.

Back to 1967 - 1968 Pictorial Definitives.                                Forward to 1975 Decimal Pictorials.

Lower Value Flaws.

We found a large number of flaws in this issue, particularly through the lower values. This page displays many of them but in the end it came down to the question of just how many examples do we really want to crowd onto one page.

          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part One.
                    Overview of the 7 issues of this series of stamps.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Two.
                    Looking at the designs and subjects of these stamps.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Three.
                    A collection of flaws & errors from the low values.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Four.
                    A collection of flaws & errors from the large values.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Five.
                    Some other items of interest including a collection of courier tags.

                      

Below, on this page, are flaws and errors found in the lower values while Part Four has a collection of similar flaws found in the higher values.

1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Two

Definitive Tour.
Back to 1967 - 1968 Pictorial Definitives.                           Forward to 1975 Decimal Pictorials.  

The Designs.

Unlike Page One, this page is laid out by value rather than issue date. Our purpose here is to look at the design and subject of each stamp.

          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part One.
                    Overview of the 7 issues of this series of stamps.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Two.
                    Looking at the designs and subjects of these stamps.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Three.
                    A collection of flaws & errors from the low values.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Four.
                    A collection of flaws & errors from the large values.
          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Five.
                    Some other items of interest including a collection of courier tags.

Butterflies and Moths.

The first group of six stamps showing three native butterflies and three native moths. They are all the same small vertical format, in each case showing a topside, opened wing view. The designs use a strong background colour to achieve what is actually quite a striking appearance.

                             

½c - Glade Copper Butterfly.                        1c - Red Admiral Butterfly.

1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part One.

 Definitive Tour.

Back to 1967 - 1968 Pictorial Definitives.                                Forward to 1975 Decimal Pictorials.

Overview of this Definitive Issue. 

          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part One.

                    Overview of the 7 issues of this series of stamps.

          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Two.

                    Looking at the designs and subjects of these stamps.

          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Three.

                    A collection of flaws & errors from the low values.

          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Four.

                    A collection of flaws & errors from the large values.

          1970 Definitive / Pictorials - Part Five.

                    Some other items of interest including a collection of courier tags.

Brief History.        

         Planning for the 1970 Definitives began in 1968 with a two stage competition to select a group of designers who were then commissioned to complete full designs for the issue, with the final stamps being picked from that selection.

         The half, one and two cent abstract moths were designed by Miss Enid Hunter. The rest of the moths and the fish stamps up to the seven cent stamp by Miss Eileen Mayo. D.B. Stevenson designed the 7½ and 8 cent stamps.

                                   

1971 Special Events.

        The commemorative issues of 1971 were divided into a list of smaller issued that appeared over the whole year. I've tried to tidy them up by issuing them in three posts. The first is on the Anniversaries & Centennaries of 1971. The second is on Special Events of 1971. The third is on Three City Centennaries. 
         This is the 1971 Special Events post featuring three stamps issues, 1971 One Ton Cup in New Zealand; 1971 First Satellite Station in New Zealand; 1971  First World Rose Convention in New Zealand. Three interesting issues commemorating important events in the development of our country.

  

1971 Anniversaries & Centennaries

        The commemorative issues of 1971 were divided into a list of smaller issues that appeared over the whole year. I've tried to tidy them up by arranging them into three posts. The first is on the Anniversaries & Centennaries of 1971. The second is on Special Events of 1971. The third is on Three City Centennaries of 1971. 

1971 - CWI/Rotary.

        The first two commemorative stamps were issued in February 1971, one for Rotary and the other for the Country Women's Institutes.

50th Anniversary Country Women's Institute

4c - 50th Anniversary of the New Zealand Country Women's Institutes.

The Country Women's Institutes have as their prime objective "assisting women to take an effective part in rural life and development".  The organisation actively fosters culture, friendship and handcrafts.  The Dominion Federation of New Zealand Country Women's Institutes is affiliated to the Association of Country Women of the World.

I am a member of our local group. It is a great organisation that does some good work in the community. When the house burnt down up the valley from us. The ladies did a great job helping that young couple get established again. I've also made some very good friends with ladies I have met at the meetings.

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.  

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.