Tucked away in its own little corner of the Pacific, New Zealand is far away from the rest of the world, but the country has earned international respect for the quality and scope of its ski fields.
Issue information
Skiing has become a way of life to many New Zealanders and a well-loved holiday sport for countless others. The South Island landscape is dominated by the magnificent Southern Alps, a large backbone of high country ranges offering peaks of perpetual snow, while the North Island proudly displays its cluster of central mountains and individual peaks. High in these mountains and nestling in breathtaking, natural splendour, New Zealand's ski fields are very different from others around the world, most notably for the lack of trees. Vast expanses of snowy slopes mean enthusiastic skiers can ski a whole mountain without obstacle. They offer a wide range of slopes with varying degrees of difficulty and are popular with people of all ages and skiing abilities, from beginners to the more advanced.
The highly popular ski fields, featured on this stamp issue, attract ski enthusiasts from all over the world, and skiers from Northern Hemisphere countries use them as a training ground during their summer season. Ski fields are also a major tourist attraction for overseas visitors.
This Scenic stamps issue featured New Zealand ski fields which are of international standard and are among the finest in the world, Mt Hutt and Coronet Peak in the South Island and Turoa and Whakapapa in the North Island.
Product listing for 1984 Scenic - Skiing
Click on image to enlarge.
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
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Single Stamp |
Single 35c 'Mount Hutt' gummed stamp. The smooth slopes of the Mount Hutt basin are clearly visible from Methven, the nearby farming town that offers a variety of accommodation, restaurants and ski hire. The sun shines even when cloud cover blocks out the views below. But when the cloud lifts, you are treated to superb views out across the Canterbury Plains to the blue Pacific Ocean beyond. The length of its skiing season - in a good year - lasts from May to early December. For the experienced skier, helicopters raise straight from the car park and head for the more advanced, thrilling runs in the nearby mountains. |
$0.35 |
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Single Stamp |
Single 40c 'Coronet Peak' gummed stamp. Situated near the popular tourist resort of Queenstown in the south of the South Island it is too far from the sea to be affected by coastal weather conditions, snowfalls are light and regular with consistently good, light, powder snow. The ski field, about 16 kilometres from the town, is wide and open with its slopes offering a multitude of runs for every grade of skier. When the sun goes down, Queenstown offers restaurants, discos and cabarets to keep you occupied till bedtime. If you cannot get to the slopes there is a never-ending range of activities to keep you entertained such as jet boating, lake cruises, horse trekking, rafting, bungy jumping and scenic flights.
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$0.40 |
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Single Stamp |
Single 45c 'Turoa' gummed stamp. Lying on the south-western slopes of Mount Ruapehu in the centre of the North Island, Turoa is New Zealand's newest ski resort. Turoa is away from the direct sun, and the high quality, dry snow stays light and crisp from June to late November. Boasting the highest vertical rise in Australasia of 720 metres the 4 kilometre run offers some of New Zealand's most diverse skiing opportunities. While the more challenging runs are on the ski field boundaries, there is an added bonus of exhilarating runs down the Mangateitei Glacier. |
$0.45 |
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Single Stamp |
Single 70c 'Whakapapa' gummed stamp. Basking in direct sunlight on the northern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, Whakapapa is one of the oldest established ski fields in the country. This field offers an exciting and varied ski area with something for all grades of skiers and boasts an extensive range of lifts and other facilities, catering for a daily patronage of up to 8,500. The few hours it takes to climb to Mount Ruapehu's sulphuric crater lake are rewarded with views over some of New Zealand's most wonderful scenery. In clear weather Lake Taupo is visible to the north; the forested Kaimanawa Ranges lie east; and Mount Egmont rises majestically in the west. If the weather turns unpleasant there is whitewater rafting, trout fishing, deer hunting, golf, horse trekking, jet boating or relaxing in the hot pools at Tokaanu. |
$0.70 |
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First Day Cover | First day cover with stamps affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $1.98 |
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Presentation Pack | Presentation pack containing a selection of stamp products from the issue and further information on the theme of the stamps. | $2.80 |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | Stamps, 6 June 1984; Presentation pack, 20 June 1984 |
|---|---|
| Denominations: | 35c, 40c, 45c, 70c |
| Designer: | Don Little, Auckland |
| Printer and process: | Cambec Press Pty Ltd Melbourne, Australia by lithography |
| Stamp size and format: | 34mm x 30mm (horizontal) |
| Sheet size: | 100 stamps per sheet |
| Perforation gauge: | 13.6 x 13.3 |
| Paper type: | Unwatermarked |
| Period of sale: | These stamps remained on sale until 11 June 1985. |
