Stamp Order from New Zealand

On 30th December I got my stamp order from New Zealand.

One of the main reasons to order the stamps was the new set about the Year of the Tiger (issued 01-12-2021). I like the colours of these and it is nice to see that they used the same art style as last year.

Of course I also ordered the stamps about the 20th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring (issued 01-09-2021), the first installment in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have just seen that for this year a set is already announced for the 20th anniversary of the second movie, The Two Towers. Beside the mint souvenir sheets I also bought this set of maxicards.

Unlike most other postal administrations New Zealand Post used real stamps to send the envelope. Beside two definitives there is even a commemorative stamp about the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (issued 07-10-2020), which of course were not held until 2021. 

New Zealand: Tui with Bear Hunt Stamps

On Thursday I got three postcards: one from New Zealand and two from Germany.

The card from New Zealand shows a Tui. One of the first things that comes to my mind when I think about New Zealand are birds. The birds of New Zealand are often endemic and include such famous ones as the Kiwi, the Kea or the Kakapo. Already in the 1770s Captain James Cook noted that the bird song was deafening. The Tui is one of these endemic birds. It is a passerine and can be found on most islands of New Zealand. They have a complex variety of songs and calls and just like parrots they can also clearly imitate human speech.

And look at these cute stamps. In the last months so many countries issued stamps about Covid-19, but I think New Zealand has some of the best. Issued on 20th May in a sheet of six they show the Bear Hunt. The Bear Hunt was a phenomenon during the Covid-19 lockdown. In New Zealand and also in other countries families were entertained and delighted by teddy bears, which were put in windows or other creative locations to create a magical experience for kids during this stressful time. Shown on these two stamps are Theodore Bear and Frontliner Bear. Theodore Bear and his friend Rudolph, who is holding the latter in this picture, had daily adventures and the stories for them became so popular that they will now be published as a book. Frontliner Bear was chosen to represent and honour the hard working medical workers. The complete sheet includes stamps with a face value of $11.70, but it is sold for $14.70 and includes a donation to the New Zealand Red Cross.

Thank You very much Lara!

New Zealand: Maori Waka

On Thursday I got a postcard from New Zealand.

It shows a Maori waka or war canoe.

With a matching stamp:
Maui and the Fish (from set of six) (issued 06-06-2018)
Maori Language (two from set of five) (issued 06-09-2017)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Kiwi

On Wednesday I got three postcards: one from New Zealand, one from Taiwan and one from Germany.

The card from New Zealand shows a Kiwi. Kiwis are small flightless and nocturnal birds which are endemic to New Zealand. Due to its unique appearance it became famous around the World. It is also a national icon of New Zealand.

With great matching stamps:
Round Kiwi (two from set of five) (issued 04-07-2018)
Round Kiwi stamps are issued since 1988 and 2018 the eighth version of them was issued. This time all five species of Kiwi are featured on the stamps. These two stamps show the Brown Kiwi and the Great Spotted Kiwi. The other three species are the Little Spotted Kiwi, the Tokoeka and the Rowi.

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Wellington Blown Away Sign

Last Thursday I got a postcard from New Zealand.

It shows the Wellington Blown Away Sign. The Wellington Blown Away Sign was erected in 2012. Actually a Wellywood sign was planned, but due to local disapproval the current sign was created instead.

Stamps:
New Zealand Heritage - Ships (from set of six) (issued 07-03-1990)
Thinking Outside the Square (two from set of twelve) (issued 05-09-2018)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Cards for Kaikoura

Last Tuesday I got three postcards: one from New Zealand, one from the USA and one from Germany.

The card from New Zealand was printed to support Kaikoura. Kaikoura is a town on the South Island. It is an important destination of the sustainable tourism, but in late 2016 the town's infrastructure was heavily damaged by an earthquake. 

With matching stamps:
Reconnecting New Zealand (two from set of six) (issued 02-05-2018)
Marine Wildlife (from set of three) (issued 01-05-1996)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Nelson Provincial Museum

On Tuesday I got six postcards: two from New Zealand, one from Japan, my first card from the Cocos Keeling Islands, one from Canada and one from Australia.

One of the cards from New Zealand shows a picture of Miss Kingdon from the collection of the Nelson Provincial Museum. The Nelson Provincial Museum is a regional museum in the city of Nelson. It shows exhibits ranging from the geological origins of the Nelson and Tasman regions' to the stories of individuals and families.

With nice stamps:
125th anniversary of the Women's Suffrage in New Zealand (whole set) (issued 05-09-2018)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Flying Boat

On Tuesday I got six postcards: two from New Zealand, one from Japan, my first card from the Cocos Keeling Islands, one from Canada and one from Australia.

One of the cards from New Zealand shows an old flying boat.

Stamps:
World War I Centenary (three from set of ten) (issued 04-04-2018)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Lighthouses

Last Wednesday I got two postcards: one from New Zealand and one from France.

The card from New Zealand shows eight lighthouses. 

With a nice stamp:
New Zealand in Space (from set of six) (issued 25-01-2018)
50th anniversary of the Sinking of the Wahine (from set of six) (issued 07-03-2018)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Dog

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from New Zealand and one from Germany.

The card from New Zealand shows an illustration of a dog.

With matching stamps:
Dogs (from set of three) (issued 04-08-1982)
Year of the Dog (from set of four) (issued 10-01-2018)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Abel Tasman National Park

On Thursday I got a postcard from New Zealand.

It shows the coastline in the Abel Tasman National Park on the South Island. The Abel Tasman National Park is the smallest national park in New Zealand and was established in 1942, 300 years after Abel Tasman, the first European on New Zealand, anchored nearby in Golden Bay. It is known for its bays with clear water and granite cliffs and as habitat of waterfowl.

Stamps:
Surf Breaks (from set of five) (issued 07-06-2017)
Yachting (from set of four) (issued 02-02-1987)
Marine Environment (from set of three) (issued 25-07-1979)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: National Aquarium of New Zealand

On Friday I got a postcard from New Zealand.

It shows a Seahorse at the National Aquarium of New Zealand. The National Aquarium of New Zealand is a public aquarium in Napier. It was opened in 1976.

With related stamps:
Christmas (from set of five) (issued 01-11-2017)
Seashore (four from set of ten) (issued 21-02-1996)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Strawberry Plant

On Friday I got a postcard from New Zealand.

It shows a strawberry plant. 

With related stamps:
Anniversaries (from set of six) (issued 07-02-1980)
Roses (from set of four) (issued 1979)
Grow Your Own (two from set of six) (issued 04-10-2017)
Two versions of these stamps were issued. One for domestic collectors with real seeds and this one for foreign collectors without seeds.

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Sheep

Last Tuesday I got a postcard from New Zealand.

It shows a sheep on a tractor. In New Zealand there are seven sheep for every person and they are an important part of the country's economy.

With many nice stamps:
Café Culture (from set of five) (issued 04-05-2005)
Christmas (from set of three) (issued 01-10-1980)
Music in New Zealand (from set of four) (issued 05-11-1986)
Sea Resources (from set of five) (issued 07-06-1978)
Health (from set of two) (issued 02-08-1978)
Architecture (from set of four) (issued 07-04-1982)
Sheels (from set of six) (issued 29-11-1978)
Anniversaries (from set of six) (issued 07-02-1980)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Brees' Pictorial Illustrations of New Zealand

Last Friday I got a postcard from New Zealand.

It shows the title page of Brees' Pictorial Illustrations of New Zealand. 

With related stamps:
Maori Language (three from set of eight) (issued 06-09-2017)
Maori Personalities (two from set of five) (issued 26-11-1980)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Wildlife Warning Signs

On Friday I got two postcards: one from New Zealand and one from Sweden.

The card from New Zealand shows various Wildlife Warning Signs.

Stamps:
ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 (from set of fourteen) (issued 04-02-2015)
The Great Kiwi Road Trip (two from set of fourteen) (issued 12-07-2017)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: World War I poster

Today I got a postcard from New Zealand.

It shows the World War I poster "Boys! Come along You're Wanted" from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. The poster was created in 1915 by an unknown artist.

With related stamps:
1917 The Darkest Hour (three from set of ten) (issued 05-04-2017)
By 1917 soldiers and the home front had begun to lose faith in the ongoing war. During the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917 New Zealand experienced the deadliest day in its military history.

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Tuatara

On Thursday I got two postcards: one from New Zealand and one from Germany.

The card from New Zealand shows a Tuatara. The Tuatara are the last genus of the order of the Rhychocephalia having lived in abundance some 200million years ago. They grow extremely slowly to approximately 60cm in length and mature sexually at about 20 years. They can become 100 years old.

With a matching stamp:
Native Wildlife (from set of five) (issued 07-03-2007)
Surf Breaks (from set of five) (issued 07-06-2017)
He Tohu (from set of three) (issued 17-05-2017)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Lion King

On Saturday I got three postcards: one from New Zealand, one from Vietnam and one from Estonia.

The card from New Zealand shows an illustration of the Lion King. The Lion King is an animated Disney musical movie. It was released in 1994 and is a part of the Disney Renaissance. The movie was the highest-grossing release of 1994 and got two Academy Awards. The songs in the movie were written by Elton John and Tim Rice.

Stamp:
The British & Irish Lions Tour to New Zealand (from set of seven) (issued 03-05-2017)

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: Card for Kaikoura

On Wednesday I got three postcards: one from New Zealand and two from Germany.

The card from New Zealand was printed to support Kaikoura. Kaikoura is a town on the South Island. It is an important destination of the sustainable tourism, but in late 2016 the town's infrastructure was heavily damaged by an earthquake. 

Stamp:
Native Freshwater Fish (from set of five) (issued 01-03-2017)

Thank You very much Sharon!