2015 - UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

         New Zealand is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand, Tongariro National Park, and the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands. Tongariro National Park is located in the central North Island, Te Wahipounamu is located in the south-west of the South Island and the Sub-Antarctic Islands are found south of the South Island.

         This special stamp issue showcases these scenic locations in all their glory. Six colourful stamps, two of each area combine to make this one of the better stamp issues New Zealand has released.

         I have chosen to use extra large images to display the full beauty of these stamps then lower down smaller images accompany more detailed captions on the views shown. I know our blog owner Allan, is against using such large images but I feel they are needed here.



Tongariro National Park.

             

$2.20 - Mount Ngauruhoe.                                                                         80c - Emerald Lakes.

Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand.

             

 $2.50 - Lake MacKenzie.                                                                  $1.40 - Franz Josef Glacier.

New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands.

            

$3.00 - Campbell Island.                                                                      $2.00 - Enderby Island.

Miniature Sheet & First Day Covers. 

Miniature Sheet.

The native bird shown is the Kea, large species of parrot of the superfamily Strigopoidea
found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand.  



Miniature Sheet First Day Cover.

Stamps First Day Cover.

The Stamps

80c - Emerald Lakes, Tongariro National Park.

Located in Tongariro National Park near the summit of Mount Tongariro, these distinctive lakes are named for their unusual colour. The Emerald Lakes can be seen along the Tongariro Crossing, a popular alpine track that crosses spectacular volcanic terrain, attracting thousands of visitors every year. Their vibrant colouring comes from dissolved minerals washed down from the thermal area known as the Red Crater.
Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the 29 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites. Tongariro National Park was the fourth national park established in the world. The active volcanic mountains Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro are located in the centre of the park. There are a number of Māori religious sites within the park and the summits of Tongariro, including Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu, are tapu (sacred).

$1.40 - Franz Josef Glacier, Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand.

Franz Josef Glacier (Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere in Māori) is one of the main attractions of the West Coast of New Zealand, drawing in up to 250,000 visitors per year. Although the glacier has retreated considerably, it still sits at around 12 kilometres long and less than 300 metres above sea level.
Guided and unguided walks up to and onto the glacier are possible. However, since April 2012 all glacier walks require a helicopter flight past the unstable terminal face. Glacier walks also require some specialised equipment, namely ice axes and crampons that latch onto a sturdy boot. These are usually provided by tour companies.

$2.00 - Enderby Island, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands.

Enderby Island is part of the Auckland Islands archipelago in New Zealand. It is situated just off the northern tip of Auckland Island, the largest island in the archipelago.
Enderby Island’s climate has simultaneously made it inhospitable for humans and a great place for unique species of flora and fauna to thrive. The area has been marked as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for its endemic seabirds, including the Auckland shag, Auckland teal, Auckland rail and Auckland snipe.
On 20 March 1887, the Derry Castle, an iron barque, ran aground off Enderby Island. The ship was manned by a crew of twenty-three and it carried one passenger and a cargo of wheat. The surviving members of the Derry Castle crew found a castaway depot at Sandy Bay on Enderby Island. They proceeded to construct some further crude shelters around this depot. On a cliff overlooking the water, they buried the bodies of their fellow crew members that had washed ashore. They were found in September 1887 by a 45-ton steamer, the Awarua.

$2.20 - Mount Ngauruhoe, Tongariro National Park 

Technically a second cone (or ‘parasitic cone’) of Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe is New Zealand’s youngest and most active volcano, having first erupted around 2,500 years ago. The mountain is a popular climbing destination, with most people travelling up the western side on a track that takes approximately two and a half hours. Mount Ngauruhoe was one of two mountains used in The Lord of the Rings motion picture trilogy as a stand-in for Mount Doom.
The mountain summits are of great significance to the local Māori. In 1886, in order to prevent the selling of the mountains to European settlers, the local Ngati Tuwharetoa iwi had the mountains surveyed in the Native Land Court and then set aside (whakatapua) as a reserve in the names of certain chiefs one of whom was Te Heuheu Tukino IV (Horonuku), the most significant chief of the Māori Ngati Tuwharetoa iwi. Later the peaks of Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe, and parts of Mount Ruapehu, were conveyed to The Crown on 23 September 1887, on condition that a protected area was established around them. Further areas around the mountains were acquired and added to make a much larger park. When the Parliament of New Zealand passed the Tongariro National Park Act in October 1894, the park covered an area of about 252.13 sq km.

$2.50 - Lake MacKenzie, Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand.

Lake MacKenzie sits in Te Wahipounamu, which was named a World Heritage Site in 1990 for its undisturbed flora, fauna and landscape. It’s considered an intact representation of what plants and animals would have existed on Gondwana. The collision between the IndoAustralian and Pacific continental tectonic plates created the striking mountain ranges, which lead to bodies of water like Lake MacKenzie being common in the picturesque area of Te Wahipounamu.
Near this lake is the Routeburn Hut, an overnight stopping place on the famous Routeburn Track. A variety of New Zealand native birds to be seen in the area around this lake. Parrots like the kaka and kea can often be seen and heard and are quite large in comparison to the yellow-crowned parakeet. Often seen are the more common and friendly South Island robin and fantail.


$3.00 - Campbell Island, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands.

Campbell Island was discovered in 1810 by Captain Frederick Hasselborough of the sealing brig Perseverance, which was owned by shipowner Robert Campbell's Sydney-based company Campbell & Co. (whence the island's name). Captain Hasselborough was drowned on 4 November 1810 in Perseverance Harbour (also called South Harbour).
Campbell Island is the southernmost island of the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands, sitting 700 kilometres south of New Zealand. Campbell Island is known for its ‘megaherbs’ - wildflowers characterised by their large size and colour, that have adapted to the harsh conditions of the Sub-Antarctic Islands. Winds can reach up to 96 kilometres per hour 100 days each year, with 325 days of rain per year and a daily temperature varying between 6°C and 12°C. 

Plate Blocks (Collectors Items).

I like Plate Blocks and so I've decided to include the set of these in this post. 

Technical information:

Date of issue:	5 August 2015
Number of stamps:	6 gummed stamps
Stamps designed by:	Stamps and Collectables, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand
Denominations:	80c, $1.40, $2.00, $2.20, $2.50, $3.00
Printer and process:	Southern Colour Print Ltd by offset lithography
Number of colours:	Four process colours
Stamp size and format:	36.95mm x 37.5mm (vertical)
Paper type:	Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper
Number of stamps per sheet:	25
Perforation gauge:	14.4 x 14.62
Period of sale:	Unless stocks are exhausted earlier, these stamps will remain on sale until 4 August 2016.  First day covers will remain on sale until 5 October 2015.