New Zealand - Kakapo

Sirocco is a rare kakapo parrot. His cheeky antics have made him world famous, but he channels his celebrity for good - as ambassador for his species and New Zealand's Spokebird for Conservation.

Sent by Aunty Seahorse from Paraparaumu, New Zealand.

The Kakapo (Māori: kākāpō, night parrot), Strigops habroptilus (Gray, 1845), also called owl parrot, is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot of the super-family Strigopoidea endemic to New Zealand.  It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc of sensory, vibrissa-like feathers, a large grey beak, short legs, large feet, and wings and a tail of relatively short length. A certain combination of traits makes it unique among its kind; it is the world's only flightless parrot, the heaviest parrot, nocturnal, herbivorous, visibly sexually dimorphic in body size, has a low basal metabolic rate, no male parental care, and is the only parrot to have a polygynous lek breeding system. It is also possibly one of the world's longest-living birds.  Its anatomy typifies the tendency of bird evolution on oceanic islands, with few predators and abundant food: a generally robust physique, with accretion of thermodynamic efficiency at the expense of flight abilities, reduced wing muscles, and a diminished keel on the sternum.  Like many other New Zealand bird species, the Kakapo was historically important to the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, appearing in many of their traditional legends and folklore. It was hunted and used as a resource by Māori, both for its meat as a food source and for its feathers, which were used to make highly valued pieces of clothing. It was also sometimes kept as a pet. (read further)

Antarctica/Australia/New Zealand - Macquarie Island

Say Ah? King penguin squawks at an elephant seal, Macquarie Island.

Sent by Vivienne from Christchurch, New Zealand.

Macquarie Island is an oceanic island in the Southern Ocean, lying 1,500 km south-east of Tasmania and approximately halfway between Australia and the Antarctic continent. The island is the exposed crest of the undersea Macquarie Ridge, raised to its present position where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate meets the Pacific plate. It is a site of major geo-conservation significance, being the only place where rocks from the Earth's mantle (6 km below the ocean floor) are being actively exposed above sea level.

It is the only island in the world composed entirely of oceanic crust and rocks from the Earth's mantle deep below the surface.

Macquarie Island probably began as a spreading ridge under the sea with the formation of new oceanic crust somewhere between 11 million and 30 million years ago.

At some stage the spreading halted and the crust began to compress, squeezing rocks upward from deep within the mantle. As the ridge grew it eventually became exposed above the ocean surface about 600,000 years ago. Thus, rocks normally only occurring deep within the Earth's mantle have become exposed on the surface.

Since Macquarie Island emerged, it has mainly been carved by marine processes such as wave action, unlike other subantarctic islands, which have been shaped by glaciers.

These unique exposures include excellent examples of pillow basalts and other extrusive rocks.

The main landscape feature is a central rolling plateau 250-300 m above sea level, bounded on all sides by steep cliffs, from the foot of which extends a coastal platform up to 800 m wide. Glacial drift up to 20 m thick covers much of the plateau and there are several lakes.

Among the most aesthetically appealing sights of the island are the vast congregations of wildlife, particularly penguins, on suitable parts of the coastal terrace, especially during breeding seasons.

During the breeding season on suitable beaches elephant seals also form impressive colonies. Four species of albatross nest on steep and rugged cliffs, both on the main island and on nearby Bishop and Clerk Islands.

The terrestrial area of Macquarie Island is a State Reserve with protection extending to low water mark. The marine values are protected by the Macquarie Island Marine Park declared by the Commonwealth on 28 October 1999. The primary purpose of the marine park is to protect the conservation values of the region from human disturbance. The marine park contains the world's largest marine highly protected zone, covering more than 16 million hectares.

Sealers discovered the island in 1810 and inhabited it periodically throughout the 19th century, exterminating the fur seals and greatly reducing the elephant seal population. In 1870, gangs came to exploit the king and royal penguin populations for oil, eliminating the former. The original elephant seal population of about 100,000 animals was reduced by 70% as a result of these operations. The visitors also brought exotic mammals and caused the extermination of two endemic subspecies of land birds.

There are no permanent human inhabitants on Macquarie Island although the Australian Antarctic Division station is occupied all year round. The only access to the island is by sea and there are no harbors or landing facilities, so ship-traffic in the area is minimal. (Source)

Note :-

Mail from the Ross Dependency is processed by the “Ross Dependency Agency”, located at a post office in Christchurch. Members of the public (mostly philatelists and stamp dealers) are able to post items bearing Ross Dependency stamps at this office.

Mail is canceled with the inscription “Ross Dependency Agency, Christchurch.

New Zealand - Mapcard (4)

NEW ZEALAND 
Made up of three islands, New Zealand is a country of contrast. With a sub-tropical climate in the north, and snow clad mountains in the south, New Zealand is unique in its beauty and a paradise to visit.

Sent by Lois, a postcrosser from Tauranga, New Zealand.

New Zealand - Animal and Bird Life

 

New Zealand's Animal and Bird Life
New Zealand has many interesting and rare natural and introduced inhabitants, including the Tuatara, with links to the era of dinosaurs, the Kea, the world's only alpine parrot, the Kiwi, a rare and flightless bird and one of our national icons, the Possum, a marsupial introduced from Australia and now proliferating in its new home, and the sub-Antartic fur seal and yellow eyed penguin.

Sent by Glynnis, a postcrosser from New Zealand.

New Zealand - Mapcard (3)

NEW ZEALAND consists of three main islands in the South Pacific Ocean, the North, SOuth and Stewart Islands, covering an area of approximately 268,000 square kilometres and having a population of over 4 million people of mainly European, Maori and Polynesian blood. For all its small size however, New Zealand is a land full of contrasting scenic beauty which makes it unique in the world. High mountains, low plains, fiords, forests, glaciers and roaring rivers abound, most within a short distance of the town and cities. It is a sportsman's paradise in which any outdoor sport can be accomodated. As New Zealander's say it "God's Own Country".

Sent by Györgyi, a postcrosser from New Zealand.

New Zealand - Maori War Canoe

MAORI WAR CANOE
During the 20th Century, Maori culture has undergone a revival. Today, Maori spirit is expressed through extended families, communal organisations, ritual and protocol, and their artistic values through carving, song and weaving.

Sent by Lauretta, a postcrosser from Dunedin in New Zealand.

This is from Wikipedia : Waka (English pronunciation: /ˈwɒkə/, Maori [ˈwɒka]) are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes (waka tīwai) used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes (waka taua) up to 40 metres (130 ft) long. In recent years, large double-hulled canoes of considerable size have been constructed for oceanic voyaging to other parts of the Pacific Ocean.

Waka taua (war canoes) are large canoes manned by up to 80 paddlers and are up to 40 metres (130 ft) in length. Large waka, such as Nga Toki Matawhaorua which are usually elaborately carved and decorated, consist of a main hull formed from a single hollowed-out log, along with a carved upright head and tailboard. The gunwale is raised in some by a continuous plank which gives increased freeboard and prevents distortion of the main hull components when used in a rough seas. Sometimes the hull is further strengthened, as in the case of Te Winika, a 200-year-old design, by a batten or stringer running lengthwise both inside and outside the hull just above the loaded waterline. The resurgence of Māori culture has seen an increase in the numbers of waka taua built, generally on behalf of a tribal group, for use on ceremonial occasions.

New Zealand - Tongariro National Park (2)

Mount Ruapehu 2797m: Mount Ruapehu erupting in September 1995 just at sunset, viewed from the National Park township.

Sent by Stephanie, a postcrosser from Auckland, New Zealand.

New Zealand - New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands

Antipodes Islands (New Zealand)
UNESCO World Heritage
Inscribed in 1998

Sent by Bryant, a WiP partner from Canada.

The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands consist of five island groups located in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean off the south-eastern coast of New Zealand. Along with the Macquarie Island World Heritage site in Australia, the five islands form the only subantarctic island group in the region. The islands lie between latitudes of 47º and 52º south and include the Snares, Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Islands. Total land area is 76,458 ha. The site includes a marine component extending 12 km from each island group.

The islands lie on the shallow continental shelf and three of the groups are eroded remnants of Pliocene volcanoes. Rivers are short with precipitous streams. The lakes are few and generally shallow and small. Quaternary glaciers have left shallow cirques, moraines and fjords on some islands. Cool equable temperatures, strong westerly winds, a few hours of sunshine and high humidity prevail.

With the exception of the Bounty Islands which have no higher plants, the remaining islands together with neighbouring Macquarie Island, constitute a Centre of Plant Diversity and have the richest flora of all the subantarctic islands. The Snares and two of the Auckland Islands are especially important in that their vegetation has not been modified by human or alien species. The terrestrial flora of the islands comprises 233 vascular plants of which 196 are New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands (New Zealand) indigenous, six endemic, and 30 are rare. Auckland Islands have the southernmost forests in the region, dominated by a species of myrtle. A particular floral feature of the islands is the 'megaherbs' that contribute to rich and colourful flower gardens.

As the islands lie between the Antarctic and Subtropical Convergences, the seas have a high level of productivity.

The Islands are particularly notable for the huge abundance and diversity of pelagic seabirds and penguins that nest there. There are 120 bird species in total, including 40 seabirds of which five breed nowhere else. The islands support major populations of 10 of the world's 24 species of albatross. Almost 6 million sooty shearwaters nest on Snares Island alone. There are also a large number of threatened endemic land birds including one of the world's rarest ducks. 95% of the world's population of New Zealand sea lion (formerly known as Hooker's sea lion) breed here and there is a critical breeding site for the southern right whale. A number of endemic invertebrates also occur. (Source)

New Zealand - Tongariro National Park (1)

MT NGAURUHOE
TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK
Mt. Ngauruhoe is the youngest volcano in Tongariro National Park. At 2290m, it has produced some spectacular eruptions.

Sent by Naiche, a Singaporean postcrosser from Auckland, New Zealand.

Tongariro lies at the south-western terminus of a Pacific chain of volcanoes aligned along a major tectonic plate boundary. The park's volcanoes, which are outstanding scenic features of the island, contain a complete range of volcanic features. The related ecological succession of plant communities is of special scientific interest. The site is directly associated with the living traditions, beliefs and artistic works of the Maori people, whcih are of outstanding universal significance.

Tongariro National Park is situated on the central North Island volcanic plateau. The boundary encircles the Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro mountain massif at an altitude of 500-1,550 m. An outlier, 3 km north of the main park area and separated from it by Lake Rotoaira, includes Lake Rotopounamu, Mount Pihanga and Mount Kakaramea. The park lies at the southern end of a discontinuous 2,500 km chain of volcanoes that extends north-east into the Pacific. The volcanoes in the park, which are predominantly andesitic in composition, fall into two groups on the basis of location, activity and size. Kakaramea, Tihia and Pihanga volcanoes and their associated vents, domes, cones and craters form the northern group. These lie on a 10 km north-west to south-east axis and have not been active for some 20,000-230,000 years. The active group extends for some 20 km along a south-west to north-east axis, with a width of some 10 km, and comprises Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu volcanoes. The Tongariro complex consists of recent cones, craters, explosion pits, lava flows and lakes superimposed on older volcanic features. In addition to these major features, the park contains other extinct volcanoes, lava and glacial deposits and a variety of springs. Extensive glaciation up to 14,700 years ago eroded both Tongariro and Ruapehu and glacial valleys with terminal and lateral moraine formations are present. Glaciers are currently restricted to Mount Ruapehu, although all are less than 1 km in length after several decades of retreat. Habitats are diverse, ranging from remnants of rainforest to practically barren ice fields. From the lowest altitudes to 1,000 m in the west and north, about 3,000 ha of once widespread mixed podocarp-broadleaf rainforest is present. At higher altitudes beech forest occurs.

Scrublands cover some 9,500 ha. Tussock shrubland and tussockland cover extensive areas in the north-west and around the mount Ruapehu massif at about 1,200-1,500 m. The highest altitudes in the park are dominated by gravelfields and stonefields. The vertebrate fauna is restricted mainly to birds although native mammals are represented by short-tailed and long-tailed bats. More than 56 bird species have been recorded in the park, including brown kiwi and North Island fern bird.

The area has been occupied by Maoris since they first arrived from Polynesia and ethnic mythology identifies the mountains in the park with tupuna (god-like ancestors). Until the land was given to the nation in 1887, it was occupied by the Tu Wharetoa tribe. (Source)

New Zealand - The Homer Tunnel

Tunnel entrance; Cleddau Valley from Tunnel; Portal.
The Homer Tunnel was started in 1935 under a public Works scheme employing five men using shovels and wheelbarrows. This number of men was later increased and mechanisation was fully introduced in 1946. The drive was holed through in 1940 and work was completed in 1953. It was carried out at an elevation of 3000ft in an area that averages 2540 inches of rainfall per year. The tunnel drops 400ft in three quarters of a mile and the road from the tunnel to Milford Sound descends 2300ft in 12 miles.

Sent by Betty, a postcrosser from Australia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Homer Tunnel is a road tunnel in the Fiordland region of the South Island of New Zealand, opened in 1954. New Zealand State Highway 94 passes through the tunnel, linking Milford Sound to Te Anau and Queenstown, by piercing the Main Divide at the Homer Saddle. It connects between the valley of the Eglinton and Hollyford Rivers to the east and that of the Cleddau to the west.

The tunnel is straight and was originally single-lane and gravel-surfaced. The tunnel walls remain unlined granite. The east portal end is at 945 m elevation; the tunnel runs 1270 m at approximately a 1:10 gradient down to the western portal. Until it was sealed and enlarged it was the longest gravel-surfaced tunnel in the world.

William H. Homer and George Barber discovered the Homer Saddle on January 27, 1889. Homer suggested that a tunnel through the saddle would provide access to the Milford area.

Government workers began the tunnel in 1935 after lobbying by J. Cockburn of the Southland Progress League. The tunnel and the associated Milford Road were built by relief workers during the Depression, initially just starting with five men using picks and wheelbarrows. The men had to live in tents in a mountainous area where there might be no direct sunlight for half of the year. At least three were killed by avalanches over the coming decades.

Progress was slow, with difficult conditions including fractures in the rock bringing snow flows into the tunnel. Compressors and a powerhouse in the nearby river were eventually built to pump out 40,000 litres of water per hour. Work was also interrupted by World War II (though the actual piercing of the mountain had successfully been achieved in 1940), and an avalanche in 1945 which destroyed the eastern tunnel portal. These problems delayed the tunnel's completion and opening until 1954.

New Zealand - Huntly

Huntly main street with its beautiful garden and rest areas.

Sent by Russell, a postcrosser from Auckland, New Zealand. This postcard was sent on 26th February 2011, the day Christchurch was hit by an earthquake.

This is from Wikipedia : Huntly (population 7,067) is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is on State Highway 1, 93 kilometres south of Auckland and 35 kilometres north of Hamilton. It is situated on the North Island Main Trunk Railway and straddles the Waikato River.

Huntly was called Rahui Pokeka when migrants settled the town some time in the 1850s. The Huntly name was adopted in the 1870s when the postmaster named it after Huntly, Aberdeenshire in Scotland. He used an old 'Huntley Lodge' stamp to stamp mail from the early European settlement. The 'Lodge' was later dropped and the spelling changed to also drop the additional 'e'.

The town is very well known for its large coal-fired power station, situated on the western bank of the Waikato River. Huntly power station is New Zealand's largest thermal power station, situated in the area which also is New Zealand's largest producer of coal, producing over 10,000 tonnes a day. The area has a very long history of coal mining, with both open pit and classical mines operating or having operated here. The major New Zealand clients for the mined coal are the power station and the New Zealand Steel mill at Glenbrook. Huntly is also surrounded by rich farmland and beautiful lakes (many of them former open-pit mines) which are used for coarse fishing, yachting and waterskiing.[citation needed]

Huntly falls within the Waikato District Council and Environment Waikato local government boundaries.

New Zealand - Map Card (2)

New Zealand
A beautiful land of contrast, from snow clad mountains, fertile plains, magnificent fiords, perfect beaches, lush forest and active volcanoes, New Zealand is paradise for the visitor to its shores.

Sent by Lois, a postcrosser from Tauranga in New Zealand.

New Zealand - Lake Wakatipu

LAKE WAKATIPU, QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND
An autumn dawn casts first light over the Wakatipu basin, seen here from Frankton Arm.

Sent by Karen, a WiP partner from New Zealand.

This is from Wikipedia : Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland.

With a length of 80 kilometres (50 mi), it is New Zealand's longest lake, and, at 291 km2 (112 sq mi), its third largest. It is at an altitude of 310 metres (1,020 ft), towards the southern end of the Southern Alps. The general topography is a reversed "N" shape. The Dart River flows into the northern end, the lake then runs south for 30 kilometres before turning abruptly to the east. Twenty kilometres (12.4 mi) further along, it turns sharply to the south, reaching its southern end 30 kilometres (19 mi) further south, near Kingston.

The lake is drained by the Kawarau River, which flows out from the lake's Frankton Arm, 8 km (5.0 mi) east of Queenstown. Queenstown is on the northern shore of the lake close to eastern end of its middle section. The lake is very deep, its floor being as low as 100 metres (330 ft) below sea level. It has a seiche of period 26.7 minutes which, in Queenstown Bay, causes the water level to rise and fall some 200 millimetres (7.9 in).

Lake Wakatipu is renowned for its scenic beauty, being surrounded by mountains. The Remarkables mountain range lies along its southeastern edge. It is a popular venue for adventure tourism, with skifields, paragliding, bungy jumping and tramping tracks within easy reach. A vintage steamboat, the TSS Earnslaw regularly plies its waters. Several vineyards are nearby.

There is an old Māori legend that the lake has a taniwha sleeping in it and when the taniwha breathes in the water level drops and when the taniwha breathes out the water level rises. In actuality the lake's seiche referred to above is the reason.

New Zealand - Waiheke Island

Waiheke Island, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand
Eighteen kilometres across the water from Auckland city is the best-known of the gulf's islands. 25km long and 20km across at its widest, fast sea transport has made Waiheke Island a virtual dormitory suburb of Auckland.

Sent by Phebe from Auckland in New Zealand.

This is from Wikipedia : Waiheke Island (pronounced [ˈwaiheke] in Māori b="_new"ut often /waɪˈhekiː/ in English) is an island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, located about 17.7 km (about 35 minutes by ferry) from Auckland.

The island is the second-largest, after Great Barrier Island, of all the gulf islands. It is also the most populated with just under 8,000 permanent residents plus another estimated 3,400 who have second or holiday homes on the island. This makes it New Zealand's most densely populated island, with 83.58 people/km², and the third most populated after the North and South Island. It is also the most accessible offshore island in the Gulf, due to regular passenger and car ferry services and some air links.

The island is 19.3 km long from west to east and varies in width from 0.64 km to 9.65 km, and has a surface area of 92 km². The coastline is 133.5 km, including 40 km of beaches. The port of Matiatia at the western end of the island is 17.7 km from Auckland and the eastern end is 21.4 km from Coromandel. The much smaller Tarahiki Island lies 3 km to the east. It is very hilly with few flat areas, the highest point being Maunganui at 231 metres. The climate is slightly warmer than Auckland with less humidity and rain and more sunshine hours.

New Zealand - Church Of The Good Shepherd At Lake Tekapo

CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Lake Tekapo, Canterbury, New Zealand

Sent by Karen, a WiP partner from New Zealand.

This is from Wikipedia : Situated on the shores of Lake Tekapo is the Church of the Good Shepherd, which, in 1935, was the first church built in the Mackenzie Basin. The church at Burkes Pass, St Patrick's built in 1872 was the first church built by pioneers as a joint community effort, by Anglicans Presbyterian and Catholic settlers. Also a joint venture between Presbyterians and Anglicans, St Columba in Fairlie was built in 1879. The church at Lake Tekapo was designed by Christchurch architect R.S.D. Harman, based on sketches by a local artist, Esther Hope. The church is arguably one of the most photographed in New Zealand, and features an altar window that frames stunning views of the lake and mountains.

New Zealand - Lambs and Daffodils

Lambs and Daffodils, New Zealand. With climate that makes it ideal for sheep production, there are more than 50 million sheep spread over more than 25,000 farms, with approximately 25 million lambs a year for the world market.

Sent by Karen, a WiP partner from New Zealand.

New Zealand - Map Card (1)

NEW ZEALAND consists of three main islands in the South Pacific Ocean, the North, South and Stewart Islands, covering an area of approximately 268,000 km square and having a population of over 4 million people of mainly Maori, European and Polynesian blood.

For all its small size however, New Zealand is a land full of scenic beauty which makes it unique in the world. High mountains, low plains, fiords, forests, glaciers and roaring rivers abound, most within a short distance of the towns and cities. It is a sportsmen favorite in which any outdoor sport can be accomodated. All New Zealanders' say it is God's Own Country.

Sent by Karen, a WiP partner from New Zealand.

New Zealand - West Auckland

Nature's beauty on Auckland's west coast - from left to right : Magnificent waterfall at Karekare, Lion Rock at Piha Beach and native bush at the Waitakere ranges.

Sent by adriennegarry from New Zealand.

New Zealand - Brown Kiwi

Kiwi (or Brown Kiwi), New Zealand
This unique, flightless bird is so readily identified with New Zealand that it has superseded the fern leaf as the country's emblem. However, being strictly nocturnal, it is seldom seen in the flesh except in park and zoos. The Kiwi uses its long powerful beak to forage for its diet of grubs and insects.

Sent by Lee, a postcrosser from Tauranga in New Zealand.

New Zealand - Kiwi

KIWI
A native bird of New Zealand. Kiwis are nocturnal and are a protected species.

Sent by Michelle, a postcrosser from Christchurch in New Zealand.

This is from Wikipedia : Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.

At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world. There are five recognised species, all of which are endangered; all species have been adversely affected by historic deforestation but currently large areas of their forest habitat are well protected in reserves and national parks. At present, the greatest threat to their survival is predation by invasive mammalian predators.

The kiwi is a national symbol of New Zealand – indeed, the association is so strong that the term Kiwi is used, all over the world, as the colloquial demonym for New Zealanders.