New Zealand

Moving on to the next card - one that was in my favourites for a long time, and dear Heather decided to surprise my mailbox with it!

it shows two people from the Tamaki Maori Village in Rotoroua, doing the hongi, which is a traditional Maori greeting, where people touch their noses briefly once or twice as a way of saying 'hello'
Isn't that just lovely?? And I thought only the Eskimos had this nose-thing (though for them it is an act of kissing....)

The two lovely stamps are from a set of 6 issued in 2013, under the name Matariki - Koru. At first the name means nothing to me, but it turns out that when the star cluster known as Matariki appears in the night sky it signals the Maori New Year and a time of new beginnings. The Matariki 2013 stamp issue celebrates the koru - a pattern symbolising new life and regeneration.

Matariki is a significant event for Māori, and is widely acknowledged to signal a change of seasons. In traditional Māori society, Matariki was believed to foretell whether the year ahead would be plentiful. It was also a time of festivity, when communities would come together to reflect on the past and look ahead to new beginnings. The message of new beginnings is represented in the koru pattern, which is derived from an unfurling silver fern frond. Each of the six self-adhesive stamps in this issue incorporates the koru pattern along with aspects of traditional Māori culture that have particular significance during the time of Matariki.

Thank you very very much Heather!

Auckland, New Zealand

a lovely map card that arrived last year as a surprise from dear Anita...

Seems that NZ has issued map cards like this not only for the entire country but also, for some of its areas as well...it is only ME that is completely lost about what I already have in my collection...

the back of the card says: The area of greater Auckland is home to 24% of NZ' population. As well as being a major commercial centre, Auckland has a pleasant climate, beautiful harbour and beaches, as well as many and varied recreational opportunities for both resident and visitor alike.

I know that NZ is a very cool country to visit...but boy is it far...one of the conveniences of living in Europe...where you can get to so many different countries...even by bus...even if it maybe takes 48 hours....but it is doable...back pains are inevitable, but I get them either way even when travelling by car/plane..

and a beautiful matching stamp showing the Auckland Harbour - supposed to be issued in 2013 for international postcards only...

thank you so much Anita for your lovely surprise! Im sure you have had a great trip!

Awatere Road/Rail Bridge, New Zealand

an extra cool official that arrived from New Zealand a few months ago..speaking of officials, I finally got back to them recently after a few months hiatus...im still slow at it (sending cards) but it is nice to be back...i somewhat really missed it!

NZ-100662

from the back of the card:

The approach to the township of Seddon is via this unusual double-decker bridge on which road traffic uses the lower deck and rail the upper. Built at the end of the last century, the bridge is of great historical interest. 

I just love it!!

and the stamps are just gorgeous too! took me a while to track them down though.  The one on the left was issued in 1994, representing Adventure Sports (jet boating in particular). The one on the right is from a set of two health stamps issued in 2002, celebrating health and vitality. It is a delicious one!

Māori Concert Group, New Zealand

A great official I received some months ago from New Zealand.

NZ-80754

the card shows the Māori Concert Group, New Zealand's award winning Māori cultural group at Te Puia. (thats a place in NZ in case it got you confused).

I read that there are a number of movies featuring the Māori culture...I don't know how relevant they are, but I think I'll make a few downloads here, so next time I post a Māori card, I can give you some insights or impressions from these movies...in case some of  you would be interested as well, here are the movies listed regarding the subject...maybe some will catch your attention and interest.

Utu, Ngati, Boy, Whale Rider, Once Were Warriors.

some overlapping cancellations here, over two nice stamps...the lighthouse, at the top, was issued in 2012, as a definitive in a set of 5 stamps, and it shows the Cape Reinga lighthouse, while the stamp below it is a definitive from 2007, from a set of 7 stamps and it shows us Lake Colerdige.

Castle Hill, New Zealand

one more card for today, coming from the far away New Zealand

the card shows the Castle Hill, which is a location and a high country station in New Zealand's South Island.
The hill was so named because of the imposing array of limestone boulders in the area reminiscent of an old, run-down stone castle and in 2002 it was named a "Spiritual Center of the Universe" by the Dalai Lama. Hmmm...
The back of the card says: "Looking across the plains of Castle Hill Station in the Canterbury high country. The hills and mountains rise steeply above the farmland. The outcrops of rock shapes are a famous feature of this area. So, many people stop here, for a quick photo or a walk in the hills. It is on the way between Christchurch and Arthur's Pass.

well, does look like an enchanting place!

I wonder if this is how post offices save on their air-mail labels, by splitting them into two :D
As for the stamp, it is from a set of 5 Native Trees' stamps issued this year, with this one showing the Kowhai...which I have no idea what it is, so Ill have to look it up once I finish this last post :)

thanks for reading and see you soon :)

Lighthouses, New Zealand

As for my closure today, I picked some NZ lighthouses...beautiful as always!

the first one shows the Waipapa Point - the lighthouse is located at the southern end of the Catlins region and marks the scene of New Zealand's worst civilian shipwreck. On 29 April 1881, 131 people were drowned when the passenger steamer Tararua was wrecked on a reef off the point. Tararua was on one of its regular trips between Otago and Melbourne, via Bluff.

The first lit was in 1884 and the lighthouse was automated and demanned in 1974. It is 13 metres high.

the backside is rather gorgeous and happy with the stamps and the stickers. The two big colourful stamps are from a fantastic sheet  of 25 stamps issued in 2010, called Slice of heaven. The small stamps at the left side come from a set of 6 definitives issued in 2009, while the 10c one, at the bottom right is from a set of  7 definitives issued in 2007.

the second card here shows three different lighthouses so i wont go into details about each one, just name them....and if one day i receive a single view of any of these, id be happy to share their stories :)

From left to right you have: Cape Campbell, Akaroa Harbour and Taiaroa Head. Im pretty confused about the middle one, coz it looks the same as the Waipapa Point one, though the surroundings may be different, but still...I keep wondering if this might be the same lighthouse actually, and if there is some mistake in the explanations or these are indeed two different lighthouses and Akaroa Harbour has nothing to do with Waipapa.....

the cute stamp was issued this year in a set of 4 "year of the rabbit" stamps.

Have a fab week ahead everyone! :)

Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Next comes a fabulous card from New Zealand...showing the National park Tongariro....

I once wrote about it, so you can read some additional details about Tongariro here. The difference is that on this card the volcanoes are under snow which just makes the view extra beautiful...plus here you can see one more volcano, and that is Mt. Ruapehu, which is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world and the largest active volcano in New Zealand, with its highest elevation of 2,797 m.
The back of the card says: "This tranquil photo belies the fact that these volcanoes have been among the most active in the world in the 20th century".

btw, 'aoteaora' (the caption you can see on the card) is the most widely known and accepted Māori name for New Zealand

the stamp is from a set of 6 issued this year, under the subject of "kapa haka" which refers to the cultural dance of the Māori people.

Tāngata Whenua, New Zealand

My last card for today is this very cool and great card from New Zealand.

The term "Tāngata Whenua" translates to "People of the land" and is used to describe the Māori inhabitants that settled in New Zealand many centuries ago, but generally reckoned to be 1200-1300 AD.
Tāngata means 'people' and Whenua means 'land'.

The notion of tāngata whenua is sometimes contrasted with that of tāngata tiriti - literally, "the people of the Treaty". Tāngata tiriti refers to non-indigenous New Zealanders, who are in the country by virtue of the Treaty of Waitangi

and three nice stamps....the first one is from an issue of 7 scenic definitives issued in 2007 and this one shows Central Otago. The middle stamp is a Christmas one from a set of 7, issued in 2010, while the third stamp comes from a FANTASTIC sheet called A Slice of Heaven, of a total of 25 stamps, representing tourism in NZ. If you are interested, you can see the whole sheet here.

Thanks for following and for still dropping by...hope you have a nice sunny Sunday...at least here we have some sun.. 

New Zealand

An absolutely FANTASTIC card Annie sent me for the NZ Travelling RR!

This card shows the Tranz Scenic, Alpine Railway in New Zealand...this 'alpine' word makes some confusions for me, since it only associates me to Europe, but yes, this is NZ we are talking about.
This is what the back of the card says:

Trains run daily across the Canterbury plains, over Arthurs Pass, then via the Otira Gorge and Lake Brunner to Greymouth on the West Coast. The magnificent scenery and steep alpine passes are often covered during the winter in sparkling snow.

here is a video which believe it or not, has an accompanying song called Tranz-Alpine Express too :p



such a lovely train and such lovely scenery...ahhhhhhhhhh

and a number of great stamps too!! the two on the left were both issued in 2007 as a part of 7 scenic definitives...the top one shows Rangitoto Island, while the one below it, shows Central Otago. As for the stamps on the right, both come from 2009, where the bottom one is again a scenic definitive, coming from a set of 7, showing Tolaga Bay...while the stamp above it, comes from a set of 24 stamps (issued as a mini-sheet) presenting a Tiki tour of New Zealand....this one is called Mud Pools Rotoura...I had once posted a postcard presenting Rotoura, and if you want, you can see it here. 

Cape Reinga, New Zealand

I dont have many NZ cards...esp. not officials, but this is one of them, and I was really happy that it came from a dear lady, Adrienne...

NZ-37889

And she has taken care to absolutely fulfill my wishlist, since this card contains both a map and a lighthouse!
In order not to repeat myself a lot, you can read about Cape Reinga more at this post here.
And I love the Signs on this one...these always make me wonder which road should I take....and I always realize, as long as I can take one and get the chance to travel, I really should take it...I love being on the move all the time, going here and there and seeing anything this world can offer me.

the stamp is from a set of 5 issued in 2010, representing the Expo Shanghai.

GTKY Christmas Cards

Hello Hello Hello! For the first time this year :)
Hope you have had a nice New Year's eve and that this year had a great start....mine was nice, just that it seems that i cant get enough sleep in general :)
Do you people make New Year Resolutions? I try not to, but ive made some this year, and i hope ill have the strength to stick up to them...and if you made resolutions as well, im wishing you all the necessary strength in the world so you keep up with them...*fingers crossed* :)

Well, enough chit-chat, lets show some stuff here...as its most convenient, i think, this is the time to show Christmas related stuff, no? So thats why todays posts will be all Christmas related

The first one is dedicated to the Christmas cards received through the GTKY thread....we arranged there with the ladies a nice Christmas Flamingo :) We were supposed to send each other Christmas cards, but with some rules applied...the cards HAD to be handmade and they had to have a quote/poem inside...so even though im totally anti-artistic, i decided to join, coz i knew if i didnt i would regret it...and im more than pleased to have done so....maybe my art skills suck, but what mattered eventually is the friendship...as we say, the cards were made with love, friendship, glue and paper :) So its the thought that counts....and here is what my thoughtful friends sent to me (im still waiting for the last one to arrive, and once it does, ill edit the post and post it here...)
No comments this time....i think the cards feel too personal and comments may just ruin the moment this time...so just feel the thoughtfulness and the friendship that comes along with them :)

The cards are posted in order they had been received...

from Marta in Portugal

from Essi in Finland

from Katy in Estonia

from Sally in New Zealand

from Valerie in France

from Charlotte in UK

from Carol in USA

from Ula in Poland

from Relie in Singapore
these are actually two Christmas cards, so i posted both of them

from Wendy in Jamaica

Enormous thanks my friends! Its been a pleasure to take part in this and share the Christmas spirit with you :)

*Hugs to you all*

Christmas Stamps

And here is an extra post for all you who love and collect stamps... i know that many of you who drop by here are into stamps, so here is a small treat for you...my Christmas gift to you ;)

just enjoy it...i dont think any comment is necessary coz the stamps themselves are pretty self-explanatory....if there is a stamp which is not Christmas related it means that it couldnt have been left out, in order to scan the Christmas ones.....any additional Christmas stamps received upon Christmas cards will be added here....too bad Macedonia didnt issue some nice ones this year...there was one, but it was intended for mail inside the country, and either way, as usual, the post offices didnt really offer them...otherwise, i would have put one on the mail i had sent...

 

Hope you like them :) 

Regular postings will be back from tomorrow on so stay tuned :)

Rotorua, New Zealand

Such a great and cool and unusual card!

"This is a volcanic country and bubbling pools of mud are a feature around Rotorua, the area with the most geothermal activity"

If i had this in front of me, i think i can spend an entire day by making all kind of different shapes and figures in it...with just one small stick...by moving it across the mud in whatever direction you want, you can come up with an endless number of interesting patterns...or burst the bubbles created :)
This just invokes the creativity from within me.....I really could spend hours and hours and hours getting "artistic"...well, i actually suck at art, but in here, you just need to be creative and express that without having the actual 'drawing/painting' capabilities...coz i dont...frankly, on several occasions at school, my dad did my drawings for the art-class, just so that i get some decent grade...coz if it was left up to me, i would have probably failed :)
Its considered as cheating, no? :)

Ok...see you soon...hopefully tomorrow!

Picton Harbour, New Zealand

Here is my last card for today....


What a serene atmosphere.....ideal to just relax and let your mind get carried away....

I wonder how many postcards exist which say New Zealand Wide....it would be nice to have them all as one collection...

Picton Harbour: The main South Island terminal for vehicular ferries from the North ISland, Picton is located well up the Marlborough Sounds (wasnt Marlborough some brand of cigarettes?)

btw, for some reason, I kept typing "Piction" instead of "Picton".....dont know why....

Doubtful Sound, New Zealand

How beautiful and tranquil.........btw, 'tranquil' is one of my favourite words in English...sometimes i think i overuse it...

One funny thing....just last night i dreamt i had received a bunch of postcards and among them was a postcard from someone in either Australia or New Zealand, dont recall that part correctly...BUT, the postcard actually showed MY own town and it was a card from the early 80's or so....can you imagine my reaction? An oudated card from your hometown, postmarked from a totally different continent....
Well so far, not a single postcard in the mailbox....which somewhat lowers the chances of the dream coming true :P


Here is whats said about Doubtful Sound....

Doubtful Sound located in a World Heritage Area, is an overwhelming place. You can feel the power of nature here - the remoteness, the wildness and the peace.Known for its wilderness and wildlife, Doubtful Sound is the second largest of the 14 fiords in Fiordland National Park and it is three times longer and 10 times larger than Milford Sound. In Maori legend, the godly figure Tu Te Raki Whanoa created this incredibly beautiful fiord with the assistance of four young sea gods who carved out its sheltered arms. Today Doubtful Sound remains an unspoilt wilderness of many moods; one minute clear blue and sun-drenched, the next mysterious and mist-cloaked.

I guess thats why its called 'doubtful'...

New Zealand

Hehehehee....a ma-ma-ma-map card...a lovely colourful picturesque map card!



I love the drawings and there is one which especially made me laugh...its at the bottom of the card where you can see a fisherman who has caught a mermaid in his net....its the facial expression on both of them which makes me laugh...He is stunned, i just dont know if its coz of the fact he caught a mermaid or coz she is naked from the waist up. Id go for the latter :)

As the card itself says: A beautiful land of contrast, from snow clad mountains, fertile plains, magnificent fjords, perfect beaches, lush forest and active volcanoes, New Zealand is paradise for the visitor to her shores.

Tongariro, New Zealand

The last UNESCO for today comes from New Zealand and shows another volcano.

Tongariro National Park, in the Central North Island, encompasses some of the most active volcanoes in New Zealand. It is as well, New Zealand's oldest national park.

Pictured here are Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngarahoe.

The volcanic massif, often simply referred to as Tongariro, has a height of 1,978 metres. It first erupted about 260,000 years ago. The volcano consists of at least 12 cones. Ngarahoe while often regarded as a separate mountain, is geologically a vent of Tongariro. It is also the most active, having erupted more than 70 times since 1839, although the last eruption took place in 1974-1975.

I find volcanoes amazing as well as frightening...their eruptions can be destructive with great consequences....its scary of how the volcanoes lava can simply wipe off everything it comes across....ive never seen a volcano live...but id love to...an active one....feels exciting!

Christchurch, New Zealand

Being not so far away from Bali, New Zealand is the next stop....

I cant say more except that i absolutely love the view on this card....is just....lovely!

Located on the east coast of the South Island, Christchurch - just like the rest of New Zealand - is a city of contrasts.

It is a place where its residents continue to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle amidst a natural environment world-renowned for its beauty. A growing cosmopolitan ambience also adds a touch of excitement without overt flashiness.

Everywhere there is an understated elegance that speaks of times gone by and promises a future where anything is possible.

The river which flows through the centre of the city (its banks now largely forming an urban park) was named Avon (on the card) at the request of the pioneering Deans brothers to commemorate the Scottish Avon, which rises in the Ayrshire hills near what was their grandfathers' farm and flows into the Clyde.

Cape Reinga, New Zealand

oh, god....a lighthouse...a beautiful beautiful card with a lighthouse...


This one here is called Cape Reinga and is shown at dusk (on cards, i sometimes have trouble distinguishing dusk and dawn....on this one, its written on the back of the card :P)

One of the many lighthouses found around the coasts of New Zealand, Cape Reinga is at the northern tip of the North Island.
It is believed that Cape Reinga is the place from which the Maori spirits of the dead, depart on their journey to the next world.

The northern most lighthouse in New Zealand was originally built on Motuopao Island off Cape Maria van Diemen in 1879.
However, access to the island was difficult and at times treacherous. Although a flying fox was constructed to take supplies to the keeper and his family, and also to make access easier, it was decided to build a new lighthouse on the mainland.
By May 1941 the new concrete lighthouse, complete with some of the fittings from the old Motuopao Island lighthouse, was operational. This was to be the last manned lighthouse to be constructed in New Zealand. However, due to war restrictions, use of the lighthouse was seldom until 1945.
Cape Reinga Lighthouse has become a popular tourist attraction and is a well known New Zealand landmark.

Auckland, New Zeland

From Charity and her trip to NZ...

Believe it or not, the first time I uploaded this card I had labeled it as, Auckland - Australia!
I don't know if anybody had noticed, but i know that when *I* did, i drowned in embarrassment!
I don't know how I had managed to do that, and what was I thinking, but whatever it is, it aint an excuse....I have a few other similar gems like this....I just don't know if its coz of being hurried at a time, being totally distracted or something else.....either way, I don't like it....and I'm NOT proud!
Just so you know....