1997 Fly Fishing.

Brown Trout.

Once we took an overseas visitor trout fishing in a stream near Rotorua. We tried a couple of places and didn't have much luck. My friend decided to teach our visitor how to fly fish and was showing him how to caste and draw the fly back across the water's surface. His second cast he got one. Can you believe it? All the luck! Well, in the excitement, he slipped on some rocks and almost ended up in the water with the trout much to the amusement of us sitting watching. But eventually, the two of them managed to save our visitor, the rod and his trout. So that evening we had a large Brown Trout, wrapped in tin foil and cooked on the barbeque. Lovely!

1996 Race Horses.

$1.80 'Bonecrusher' (used).

The “Sport of Kings” is a well-recognised feature of New Zealand life. The big meetings attract huge crowds and generate much excitement with harness racing also making a big impact along with the more established gallops. The horse racing industry that employs tens of thousands of people and New Zealand-bred yearlings attract buyers from around the world and bring in millions of dollars in export earnings annually. Six of the country's more recent (1996) crowd-pleasers were featured in this special Racehorses stamp issue. 

1996 Atlanta Olympic Games

Five stamps and the miniature sheet.

1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

In July 1996, the Centennial Olympic games were held in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. Five sports in which New Zealand was represented were featured on the stamp issue. Each of the five stamps, designed by Stephen Fuller, has a border in the colour of one of the five rings which make up the universally known Olympic logo. Blue, black and red in the top row with yellow and green on the row below.
New Zealand was ranked 26th at these Games with 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze, making a total of 6 medals.
Our Olympic & Commonwealth Games Stamp Collection.

1999 Super Twelve Rugby

 1999 Rugby Super 12.

           Each season, five New Zealand teams – the Auckland Blues, the Hamilton Chiefs, the Wellington Hurricanes, the Canterbury Crusaders and the Otago Highlanders thrill huge live crowds and television audiences alike as they jostle for points and placings against each other and teams from Australia and South Africa in the world’s first totally professional, inter-provincial rugby championship.

          To mark the 1999 Super 12 Rugby season New Zealand issued this interesting set of postage stamps. The stamps were issued in five team stamp self-adhesive booklets each containing 10 stamps of two different designs and in a sheetlet of ten (gummed) stamps showing all ten designs from the booklets.

          Note that much of the text for this post was written in 2013 and added to our Rugby on New Zealand Stamps collection. Since then, more items have been found so we decided to give this issue its own page.

See our Rugby on New Zealand Stamps collection.

1995 Centenary Of Rugby League

          Rugby league had its beginnings in Huddersfield on 29 August 1895 when 22 rebellious Yorkshire and Lancashire rugby union clubs in England's industrial north held a meeting in Huddersfield and voted to quit the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) and form their own organisation (the Northern Union). Their dissatisfaction stemmed from the RFU's refusal to allow players to be compensated financially for taking time off work to play rugby. It was not long before a new brand of rugby developed. League was on its way. New rules emerged, speeding up the game and making it more open. Out went lineouts, play-the-ball restarts were introduced and, in 1906, teams were reduced from 15 to 13 players. League also became professional.
The 'All Golds'
          Rugby league in New Zealand grew out of the original rugby union All Blacks tour of Britain in 1905-6. Some of the touring New Zealanders watched the league, were impressed with the new game and became converts.
          One of these All Blacks, a fleet-footed winger named George Smith, returned home and quickly teamed up with keen young sportsman and budding entrepreneur Albert Baskerville, to form New Zealand's first rugby league side. Including many former All Blacks and dubbed the 'All Golds' because of its semi-professionalism, the team embarked on a tour of Britain in 1907-8 without having played a single game in New Zealand.
         The tour was a success. The All Golds won 19 of their 35 games including the test series against Great Britain which was won 2 - 1. On the way home the All Golds also captured two of three tests against Australia. On their return, the All Golds made up most of the two teams that squared off in what was the first league match ever held in this country. It took place in Wellington on 13 June 1908 before a crowd of around 7,000. The name All Golds has long been consigned to history but today's 'Kiwis' continue the tradition begun in the early 1900's.

1995 Golf Courses

        The game of golf followed the Scots to New Zealand. It all began in Dunedin when a young whisky distiller named Charles Howden called a meeting to form a golf club in 1871. The game grew slowly when a surge in its popularity in Great Britain was mirrored in the colonies.
        In 1899 a national golfing body was formed in New Zealand. And over the decades the game has boomed, growing from strength to strength. In 1995 when these stamps were issued, nearly 113,000 registered golfers enjoyed the sport, year round. Just as New Zealand is well known worldwide for its beauty, so too are its golf courses. This special issue of golf stamps depicted four of the country’s most attractive golfing venues. Each of these courses provide a showcase for the natural splendour of their region.

The four stamps of the 1995 Gulf Courses issue.

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 Beach Cricket Booklet

Beach Cricket Booklet.

One of the most popular summer pastimes in New Zealand is to go down to the beach - swim, sunbathe, picnic and have a game of beach cricket. It only needs a softball and a piece of wood for a bat, a few sticks for the wickets and the fun begins. This game bears little resemblance to the cricket of the stadium or even the village green - there are few rules, no age limits and as many people as care to can play at once.

NZ Post issued this booklet as part of marking this important milestone in the history of cricket in New Zealand. 

1994 Centenary of the New Zealand Cricket Council.

1994 Centenary of the New Zealand Cricket Council

        This most English of games was introduced to this country by missionaries - an early report mentions a game having been played at the Waimate North mission station in the Bay of Islands in 1835. British immigrants also brought the game with them as they settled in their new country. 
  
      By the 1860's and 1870's inter-provincial competitions were being contested, English and Australian tours were taking place and the popularity of the sport continued to increase. It became clear that its administration needed to be formalised on a national basis and therefore, on 27 December 1894, the New Zealand Cricket Council was introduced. 

       One hundred years later the game is still as healthy and strong as ever and is one of the most popular sports in New Zealand. Women's cricket emerged in the 1920's and a national Women's Cricket Council was established in 1934. In 1992 the Women's Cricket Council was merged with the board of New Zealand Cricket giving men's and women's cricket a single administration in this country.

       NZ Post marked this event with this issue of four stamps and a ten-stamp booklet. This post is about the main issue while the booklet can be found via the link below. This post of four stamps also included a First Day Cover and a limited edition First Day Cover.

1994 Beach Cricket Booklet.

2007 Centenaries

          Ours is a unique country that’s recognised around the world for its caring nature, love of sport and innovative spirit. In 2007, four significant organisations that have helped shape our culture of today celebrated their centenary.

Se-tenant Block of four 50 cent, one $1, one $1.50 and two $2 stamps.

          NZ Post marked these events by this issue of eight stamps with each organisation being represented by two stamp showing scenes from 1907 and 2007. The stamps have been designed with the older scenes being in one colour reflecting the photography of that time and the new scenes being shown in the full colour of modern photography.

2018 New Zealand Cycle Trails

         The global financial crisis in 2008 hit New Zealand hard, so much so that the government held an emergency jobs summit. Politicians and businesspeople were pulled together to come up with plans and schemes that would create jobs and boost the economy. One of the more successful ventures was a strategy to build cycle trails all around New Zealand. Not only would this produce jobs for then and in the future, it would also give Kiwis a great way to see all that New Zealand had to offer.

         The New Zealand Cycle Trail incorporates 22 great rides through some of New Zealand’s most breathtaking landscapes. From restored heritage trails, epic swing bridges and curious wildlife to luxury accommodation and good food, the cycle trail offers something for everyone. Many of the trails can be broken up and done across multiple days, or even just tackled a section at a time if you’re after a day trip. The difficulty of each trail varies with the location and terrain; some roll with the landscape while others follow pre-forged paths that were once railway lines or horse tracks. Regardless of the style of trail, difficulty level or length of the journey, you’ll experience New Zealand’s landscape in a unique way.

         In early 2018 NZ Post issued this set of six stamps featuring six of the best of these cycle trails. The portrait format they chose is ideal for displaying some of the beautiful scenery found on these trials. Of course, there was also the usual First Day Covers and Miniature Sheet. There was also a presentation Pack including all three of the collector items above plus lots more information regarding each track. 

2009 New Zealand Champions of World Motorsport

  '

       Kiwis are known for their adventurousness, so it’s no surprise that we’ve produced some of the world’s fastest racing car drivers and motorcyclists. Motorsport has been part of our lifeblood since cars first arrived on our shores, with fans turning out in their thousands to watch – spellbound by the vehicles, the speed and the battle for glory.
        New Zealand Post produced this issue of five gummed stamps and two adhesives. Also included in the issue were a miniature sheet, miniature sheet first day cover, and for the first time since 2005, a series of five postage-included souvenir cards (maximum cards). The maximum cards featured the champion's portrait, their stamps and an action shot. 

1994 Adventure Tourism

        The magnificent New Zealand scenery is a major drawcard for tourists from every corner of the world, quickly and comfortably accessible and completely unspoiled. But that is not all. Excitement, thrills and fun are also provided to go with our stunning scenery. Be it a hike through our abundant bush, a hair-raising ride through treacherous whitewater aboard a raft, fishing our lakes and rivers for trout or plunging headlong into gullies attached to a bungy rope - there is an outdoor adventure for all tastes and ages. In this Tourism issue, the uniqueness of a holiday in New Zealand was captured. The fresh, clean design of the stamps reflect the land with its abundance of crystal clear lakes and streams, magnificent mountains and dramatic landforms.

What better way to start this post than an excellent used example of the 45c White Water Rafting - from the Booklet. 

2017 America's Cup

        In our house, we have a lot of passion about sport, particularly when New Zealand is competing overseas. We love to see New Zealand winning, jumping out of our seats and cheering as they do. As can be expected, we quickly caught 'Americas Cup Fever' and were closely following each race. I just loved those boats, (or were they low flying aircraft), the way the foiled across the water. Would love to ride in one. Would be an amazing experience.
        Now before the owner of this blog gets on my case I better mention something about stamps. Yes, Allan, I did notice the six stamps on this miniature sheet. There is not much more we can say about the stamps other than that they show the Team NZ boat in action. The main photo in the centre shows the presentation for the cup to our team.

The America's Cup sheet, with six $2.70 stamps, was issued on the 3rd of July 2017. No first-day covers were produced.

1991 New Zealand Football Association Soccer Centenary

From the early days of settlement, New Zealanders have got together to play organised sport for enjoyment and the thrill of competition. One popular game to take root here was Association Football or soccer as it is better known here - brought by British settlers.

The New Zealand Football Association began to administer the game on a national basis in 1891. However, soccer has only started to blossom in New Zealand since the 1970s. The game has made strides under the influence of a sponsored national league that began in 1970, weekly television exposure of the best English league games and, most importantly, New Zealand's (The All Whites) participation in the 1982 World Cup finals.

To celebrate the Association's centenary New Zealand Post issued two 80c se tenant stamps, depicting an international game between The All Whites and Brazil.

80c - Goal / All Whites and Brazil.

80c - Tackle / All Whites and Brazil.

2017 New Zealand Surf Breaks

        New Zealand sits right in the cross hairs of the Roaring Forties, leaving it exposed to the rolling swell that boils up from turbulent Antarctic storms. New Zealand’s tiny land mass with vast stretches of epic coastline has made it somewhat of a surfer’s paradise - minus the constant warm weather and coconut trees! The New Zealand Surf Breaks stamp issue takes a look at some of New Zealand’s most popular surf breaks - from the long peeling waves at Piha to the frigid waters along the Dunedin coast.

        Each of the five stamps in this issue features one of New Zealand’s prime surfing spots, with dramatic images captured by some of New Zealand’s top surf photographers. The North Island is represented by two of New Zealand’s most well-known surf spots, Piha Bar in Piha and Manu Bay in Raglan, as well as the Waiwhakaiho River mouth in Taranaki along Surf Highway 45. The South Island is represented by Mangamaunu in Kaikoura and Aramoana Spit in Dunedin, both producing world-class breaks in the cooler southern waters.

2010 100 Years of Surf Life Saving

Summer 2010/11 marked a century-long legacy of heroic service on New Zealand beaches, and New Zealand Post celebrated with the 100 Years of Surf Life Saving stamp issue. This interesting stamp issue depicted surf lifeguards in action - patrolling beaches and rescuing swimmers in heavy surf on beaches up and down the country. 

Each stamp depicted an aspect of Surf Life Saving, and all five stamps were captured together on the first day cover. I like the way each design through this whole issue had a common theme of the lifeguard on the left, always alert, always watching what is going on. Also available was a special presentation pack, in which Bob Harvey, President of Surf Life Saving New Zealand, tells the story of the Surf Life Saving movement in New Zealand.

2017 The British & Irish Lions Tour

See our collection - Rugby on New Zealand Stamps.

          Every four years The British & Irish Lions tour the Southern Hemisphere, and in 2017 it’s New Zealand’s turn to host and compete in a series that captivates a nation. The series will begin in Whangarei on 3 June, and over the course of six weeks, ten matches will be played in seven different cities against eight different New Zealand teams.

          The British & Irish Lions rugby Tour was first dreamt up by a couple of English cricketers by the names of Alfred Shaw and Arthur Shrewsbury. The first Tour had the team playing 19 games of Aussie rules football, but the concept soon developed and the first officially sanctioned Tour to the Southern Hemisphere was organised in 1891. It wasn’t until 1899 that a Lions team was made up of players representing the four home nations of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland - a tradition that continues today.

The British & Irish Lions - First Day Cover.

Olympic & Commonwealth Games.

        This post is a collection of stamps, issued by New Zealand, to celebrate Olympic and Commonwealth Games in which men and women from New Zealand have competed in. The stamps don't just celebrate the games, but also tell of many of the success stories New Zealand has had. Note that not every games that New Zealand competed in are represented here because New Zealand Post didn't always issue stamps. 
        I enjoyed this post because I came across many stamps I had never seen before and it also opened my eyes to just how successful New Zealand has been at these games. Amazing for such a small country. I've heard New Zealand-born friends proudly boast what a great little country this is. Now I've discovered another way in which this is true.
       New Zealanders competed in the Olympic Games for the first time in London in 1908 as part of the Australasian team, and New Zealand participated for the first time as a separate nation at the Antwerp Games in 1920. It was there that rower Darcy Hadfield won this country's first medal - a bronze in the single sculls. New Zealand's first gold was for boxing at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.

                Total Olympic medals:- Gold - 46; Silver - 28; Bronze - 44; Total - 118. 
       Total Commonwealth Medals:- Gold - 144; Silver - 203; Bronze - 262; Total - 609.

2016 Road to Rio

          Athletes from around the world united (on 5-21 August) at the 28th Summer Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They competed in 42 different sports, contested at 32 competition venues, spread across four regions of Rio. Since the inception of the first Olympic Games in 1896, our Kiwi athletes have inspired generations, winning a total of 103 medals - 43 gold, 19 silver and 41 bronze.

          ‘Be the Inspiration’ is the theme of New Zealand’s 2016 Olympic Games campaign. It tells the story of how we as a nation support and inspire our athletes as they prepare to pull on the iconic black singlet - which has been worn with pride by generations before them - and in so doing, inspire us.

         The Rio Olympic stamp issue consists of ten $1 stamps - representing the ten events that New Zealand has previously won gold medals in athletics, boxing, canoeing, swimming, equestrian, field hockey, triathlon, rowing, cycling and sailing. Featuring elements of the New Zealand Olympic Committee’s (NZOC's) ‘Be the Inspiration’ campaign, the photographs on the stamps reflect the New Zealand landscape as the athletes' training ground for future success.

See our collection Olympic & Commonwealth Games Stamps.