2020 New Zealand Bear Hunt.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the hearts of New Zealand families have been captured by the phenomenon of the bear hunt. Through the simple act of putting a teddy bear in the window of their homes or other creative locations, New Zealanders have been able to participate in creating a magical experience for kids (and big kids) during a stressful time. 

Presented in a commemorative stamp sheet, six New Zealand households were selected to exemplify the creativity and care put into the bear hunt by and for Kiwis.

The New Zealand Bear Hunt 2020 mint stamp sheet features six stamps showing teddy bears put on display by Kiwis for their communities in April 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

1882 The Second Side-Faced Issue - Advert Stamps.

Advert Stamps.     

        In 1893 the New Zealand Government entered into a contract with Messrs. Truebridge, Miller & Reich, giving them the right to utilize the backs of postage stamps for advertising purposes.  All values in 1882 The Second Side-Faced Issue were made use of, from 1d to 1/- by the time they got to the third printing (setting) of these stamps. 

        The first stamps with advertisements were issued in February 1893.  This arrangement was terminated at the end of a twelve-month period, as some fear had been expressed by members of the public about the possible danger through licking these stamps.

    

1893 2d - 2nd Side-Face - Back & Front.
Sunlight Soap - "For Washing Dogs and Prize Poultry."
(Oh I love that one. Washing the chickens. LOL)

        On our page 1874 - 1882 The Side - Face Issues, we showed a few of these stamps but recently, as I was exploring our image collection, I discovered we have a lot more of them. I decided this would make an interesting thematic collection similar to Allan & Kims's 1900 Boer War Thematic Collection of postal cancels on a 1900 stamp.  

        We have now found over 60 stamps showing both their front and the advertising on their back, too many for one page so we have decided to limit ourselves to one example of each advert per value. To make this collection, the stamp must have good images of both sides. The perforations on each pair have been checked to confirm they are images of the same stamp.

2001 Hong Kong Stamp Exhibition

Building on the phenomenal success of the Hong Kong ‘97 International Stamp Exhibition, Hong Kong 2001 was held from 1-5 February 2001. 

2001 Hong Kong Exhibition Miniature Sheet.

2001 Queen Elizabeth II - Royal Visits,

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's many visits to New Zealand have seen her become closely involved with all aspects of New Zealand life over a reign of over 50 years.

Se-tenant Strip of one 40c, one 80c, one 90c, one $1.30, one $1.50 and one $2 stamp.

Five Decades of a Queen and Country

In 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was the first monarch to visit New Zealand and the first to adopt the title of Queen of New Zealand. Through five decades of significant social and political change, she has worked diligently to be involved in all aspects of New Zealand life, both official and informal.

100 Years of Moving the Mail

What better way to begin the first year of the 21st century than with a landmark stamp issued, celebrating the last 100 Years of Moving the Mail within New Zealand and overseas? 

Two five-stamp strips showing all the stamps from this issue.
This sheetlet of ten stamps presented ten different chapters of our postal history, ranging from the earliest modes of mail transportation to our most recent and fastest-growing form of communication, electronic mail.

The 100 Years of Moving the Mail issue commemorated New Zealand’s introduction of ‘Universal Penny Postage’ in 1901. The first 40c stamp on the sheetlet reproduced aspects of the original Penny Universal stamp, of which 2,000,000 were produced. The centre of the stamp featured the steamship, Sonoma, one of three vessels to carry mail during 1901 between Auckland and San Francisco.

Each stamp provided a unique look at the modes of transport which have shaped mail transportation in New Zealand over the last 100 years: horse-drawn coach, paddle steamer, Railway Travelling Post Office, early motor transport, airmail, bicycles, modern motor and modern air transport. Today New Zealand Post is writing the next chapter in postal history by creating a range of electronic postal products to link with its existing physical delivery capabilities.

2020 WWII 75 Years

Page not Complete - Here is another of those NZ Post issues that takes the form of a miniature sheet. This leads to very poor image quality so this post will not be completed until better images are available.

Six of the fifteen stamps with a flight of  Supermarine Spitfires.

2002 - Architectural Heritage.

Buildings belong "partly to those who built them, and partly to all generations who follow," essayist and early preservationist John Ruskin wrote in the 19th Century. New Zealanders today are recognising the heritage value of our important buildings.

2002 Architectural Heritage - Se-tenant block Block Six Stamps.

Although relatively young as a nation New Zealand has many fine buildings worth preserving and admiring. In consultation with the New Zealand Institute of Architects, NZ Post selected six fine examples covering a range of styles and periods. All six stamps featured together in a se-tenant block on the Architectural Heritage first day cover.

This issue celebrated six significant New Zealand buildings. Not all of them are old: the Sky Tower was completed in 1997. But one way or another, all the buildings featured have had an enduring impact in their communities and contributed to the growing recognition of our valuable architectural heritage.

New Zealand Wine Post 2020 - 2029

Stamps and many of the items found on these pages can be purchased from:-

New Zealand Wine Post. (Stampmetro) 

         This is the fourth part of our New Zealand Wine Post collection, taking us through the fourth 10 years. This collection is incomplete and needs a lot more work in some areas but we've decided to open it for viewing as we continue adding new items and completing further sections.

         The Wine Post, also known as New Zealand Wine Post, is a privately owned postal service in New Zealand. It is operated by Weston Winery New Zealand, which is the World's Most Southern Winery and acts as its only post office. The Wine Post began issuing its own postage in 1990. It is one of the many independent posts of New Zealand which has a deregulated postal environment. The Wine Post stamps are for their domestic and international postage for their own winery.

                 Collection Overview.

                Page One - New Zealand Wine Post   1990 - 1999.

            Page Two - New Zealand Wine Post   2000 - 2009.

            Page Three - New Zealand Wine Post   2010 - 2019.

            Page Four - New Zealand Wine Post   2020 - 2029.

            Special Page - New Zealand Wine Post - Official Stamps.

                  Special Page - New Zealand Wine Post - Wine Labels.

Game Bird Habitat Page Four - 2020 - 2029.

         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.

         This page will cover the stamps and all collector items for the year 1994 through 1999. In many cases, items may be missing but will be added when we find them. Consider this to be an on-going project that will be added to and improved as time goes on.

Game Bird Habitat Page Three - 2010 - 2019.

         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.

         This page will cover the stamps and all collector items for the year 2010 through 2019. In many cases, items may be missing but will be added when we find them. Consider this to be an on-going project that will be added to and improved as time goes on.

Game Bird Habitat Page Two - 2000 - 2009

         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.

         This page will cover the stamps and all collector items for the year 2000 through 2009. In many cases, items may be missing but will be added when we find them. Consider this to be an on-going project that will be added to and improved as time goes on.

Game Bird Habitat Page One - 1994 - 1999.

         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.

         This page will cover the stamps and all collector items for the year 1994 through 1999. In many cases, items may be missing but will be added when we find them. Consider this to be an on-going project that will be added to and improved as time goes on.

NZ2020 International Stamp Exhibition Part Two.

Held under the patronage of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately, the NZ2020 International Stamp Exhibition was supposed to have been held from 19-22 March 2020 at the Ellerslie Event Centre, Auckland.
NZ2020 was to have been the first international exhibition held in New Zealand since the successful NZ 1990 World Stamp Exhibition. It would have been a fantastic weekend of philatelic displays, access to unique collectables and the opportunity to meet collectors and philatelic distributors from all around the world. But it wasn't to be.

Update - Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) the New Zealand Government was forced to place restrictions on travel to New Zealand which on 14 March led to The Organising Committee downgrading this exhibition from an International Exhibition to a National Exhibition. 
The exhibition had to close early at 1:00 pm on Saturday 21 March. 

NZ2020 International Stamp Exhibition Part One.

             

Held under the patronage of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately, the NZ2020 International Stamp Exhibition was to have taken place from 19-22 March 2020 at the Ellerslie Event Centre, Auckland.

NZ2020 was to have been the first international exhibition held in New Zealand since the successful NZ 1990 World Stamp Exhibition. It would have been a fantastic weekend of philatelic displays, access to unique collectables and the opportunity to meet collectors and philatelic distributors from all around the world. But it wasn't to be.

Update - Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) the New Zealand Government was forced to place restrictions on travel to New Zealand which on 14 March led to The Organising Committee downgrading this exhibition from an International Exhibition to a National Exhibition. 
The exhibition had to close early at 1:00pm Saturday 21 March.

This page will focus on the series of personalised stamps to promote the exhibition.

Index Twelve - 2020 - 2024.

Stamps Issued 2020 - 2024

Dark Blue: - Links to Posts.

Back to Stamps Issued 2015 - 2019.

2019 Te Araroa Trail

The Te Araroa Trail, New Zealand’s long walking trail, is a 3,000-kilometre tramping route running from Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island. Popular with visitors to Aotearoa, walking the length of New Zealand is a burgeoning rite of passage for Kiwis.

Te Araroa Trail Miniature Sheet.

Te Araroa’s founders wanted to open up the great variety of landscapes and stunning scenery to those who are prepared to walk the track. It is suggested to explore it all, taking one section at a time over a period of five or six months. This stamp issue celebrates this amazing trail with six stamps highlighting the diversity of New Zealand’s landscape.

Royal Visit 2019

On 17 November 2019, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne of New Zealand, began a six-day tour of Aotearoa with his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. This trip will be Camilla’s third and Charles’ tenth. 

Charles and Camilla.

2019 Rock Legends

The Rock Legends stamp sheet delivers a tongue-in-cheek take on some of New Zealand’s quirkier rock formations, taking us on a tectonic tour of New Zealand’s head-shaped geological wonders. 

         

The miniature sheet below says - "Have we got rocks in our head? No, but we've definitely got heads in our rocks."

2019 Christmas Issue.

The New Zealand 2019 Christmas Stamps featured native New Zealand flora and fauna alongside the traditional Nativity story. The stamps included illustrations of fern fronds and koru, pōhutukawa, harakeke, tī kouka and karaka. A beautiful kereru, or New Zealand wood pigeon, makes an appearance on the miniature sheet and first-day cover.

2020 Kakariki - New Zealand Parakeets.

In te reo Māori, the indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand, kākāriki is the term used to describe the small parakeets found on the mainland and surrounding islands. All species and subspecies of New Zealand parakeet share the characteristic of green plumage, and kākāriki also serves as the word for this colour.

Kākāriki are small moss green-coloured parrots with a few blue flight feathers and long tails. Each species is diagnostically different, often with bright red or yellow feathering on the forehead and crown, near the eye and on the side of the rump. Like many of New Zealand’s native birds, they are threatened by introduced mammalian predators.

2020 Native Daphne Moths

This is an unusual stamp issue in that the stamp only contains half of each moth. Sure, we can be certain that the other missing half would identical as that is how things work with moths and butterflies. But I don't think I have ever seen half a moth or butterfly on a stamp before.

2008/2020 The Year of the Rat.

The Year of the Rat.

2020 completes two circles of the Chinese calendar, a total of 24 issues in all.

In 2020, Chinese New Year was celebrated on 25 January, bringing in the Year of the Rat. The Chinese zodiac is a repeating cycle of 12 years, with each year being represented by an animal sign. The rat ranks first in the animal signs of the Chinese zodiac, preceding the cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

 

People born in the Year of the Rat are clever and adapt quickly to new environments. They prefer to live quiet and peaceful lives.

Optimism and energy are key traits for those born in the Year of the Rat. They tend to be sensitive to others’ emotions and comments but are known to be stubborn with their own opinions. While the Rat personality is kind, their words may seem impolite or rude due to a lack of communication skills.

Rats are great at seizing opportunities that present themselves but can sometimes lack courage. They love to be organised and place great value on family. They like saving money and can be known to be a bit ungenerous. Their love of hoarding will sometimes cause them to waste money on unnecessary things.

The most outstanding characteristics of people born in the Year of the Rat are alertness, resourcefulness and intelligence. Owing to their positive contributions and strong flexibility at work, Rats are popular with their leaders. They are vigilant, well organised and full of ideas.

2019 Tuia 250: Michel Tuffery's Artistic Journey of Discovery

To mark 250 since Captain Cook discovered New Zealand, Tuia 250 is a commemorative programme of experiences for encouraging honest conversations about the past, the present and how we navigate our shared future together. There are many events, over 50 projects enriching communities and an education programme happening nationwide right now.

The central event is the Tuia 250 Voyage. A flotilla made up of two waka hourua from Aotearoa, three tall ships including the Endeavour replica from Australia, and a va’a tipaerua from Tahiti, sails the coast to engage with communities, iwi and hapū for three months from October to December.

Three of these vessels will use the non-instrument navigation methods Pacific voyagers have used for generations, guided by signs in the environment such as the position of the stars, moon and sun as well as the wind, swells and bird patterns. The opening events for the Tuia 250 Voyage are in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa (Gisborne) from 5–8 October.
(https://mch.govt.nz/tuia250/about-tuia-250)

Tupaia (also known as Tupaea or Tupia) (c. 1725 – December 26 1770) was a Tahitian Polynesian navigator and arioi (a kind of priest), originally from the island of Ra'iatea in the Pacific Islands group known to Europeans as the Society Islands. His remarkable navigational skills and Pacific geographical knowledge were to be utilised by Lt. James Cook, R.N. when he took him aboard HMS Endeavour as a guide on its voyage of exploration to Terra Australis Incognita. Tupaia travelled with Cook to New Zealand, acting as the expedition's interpreter to the Polynesian Māori, and Australia. He died on 26th December 1770 from a shipborne illness contracted when Endeavour was docked in Batavia for repairs ahead of its return journey to England. 

Sir Edmund Hillary - A Thematic Collect.

The recent issue celebrating the life of Sir Edmund Hillary got us thinking about this man and his achievements. Allan & Mary knew of some other stamps issued featuring this famous New Zealander and so we decided there might be a possible thematic collection. With their advice, I did some digging. The page below is what I found.
Note - All stamps are New Zealand unless stated otherwise.

1954 Health Issue.
Health stamps were issued with two values, the primary one for postage and a secondary value for funds to support children's Health Camps.
Health Stamps - Part Two.

                                

1954 Tramper - 1½d + ½d.                                      1954  Tramper - 2d + 1d.

 A young tramper, with a map in hand, is depicted gazing across Lake Wanaka with a snow-clad Mount Aspiring rising in the distant background. Since Edmond Hillary had just climbed Mt Everest, a view of this mountain was included in the upper left-hand corner.

Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander, Sir Edmund Hillary reached the summit of the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest on 29 May 1953. It would be over 12 months before this feat was recognised on a New Zealand stamp. Even then it appears to be an afterthought with the view of Mount Everest being printed using lithograph printing on each recess-printed stamp. Edmund Hillary is not mentioned on the stamps. 

2019 Scenic Definitives

Definitive Tour

Back to 2018 Scenic Definitives.                Forward to.......

          

Adhesive Stamps.                                          Gummed Stamps.

The 2019 Scenic Definitives were issued to accommodate this year’s postal rate increase and are available in a range of gummed and self-adhesive options. They also include a re-issue of the 2016 Scenic Definitives Dunedin Railway Station stamp.