New Zealand Post will be using four postmarks throughout the show – one
for each day.
The designs relate to the show theme “maritime heritage and water” – significant to New Zealand and its way of life.
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First day 19 March 2020 Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city with an urban population of over 1,600,000. It is a diverse, multicultural and cosmopolitan city and home to the largest Polynesian population in the world. The central urban area occupies a narrow isthmus between Manukau Harbour, Tasman Sea and Waitemata Harbour, Pacific Ocean. Auckland is one of the few cities in the world to have a harbour on two separate major bodies of water. The isthmus was first settled around 1350. Today, Auckland’s central business district is New Zealand’s leading economic hub. |
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| Second Day 20 March 2020 The Hauraki Gulf has many islands easily accessible from Auckland City. For those without boats, there are plenty of ferry services. One of the most popular of the Gulf’s island is Waiheke. This was a place where Aucklanders built holiday homes or visited during holidays and weekends to take advantage of the beaches and remove themselves for a short time from the bustle of Auckland. The postmark features a well-known ferry – the Baroona – that served Waiheke and other islands of the Gulf for many years. |
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Third Day 21 March 2020 Auckland is known as the “City of Sails” as it is claimed there are more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world. A 2012 survey estimated 25% of households owned a boat. An annual regatta, possibly the largest in the world, celebrated 180 years on 27 January 2020 Auckland’s Anniversary Day. Held on Waitemata Harbour there are races for conventional yachts as well as for waka (Maori canoes), tugboats and dragon boats. |
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| Fourth Day 22 March 2020 The postmark on the last day of the exhibition shows a sailing ship with Rangitoto Island (a dormant volcano) in the background. The design depicts Cook’s Endeavour and is intended to depict voyages of discovery to New Zealand leading to European settlement. The sea played a significant role in how New Zealand developed and this maritime heritage is integral in what it is today. |
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