New Zealand’s long walking trail, Te Araroa, is a 3,000-kilometre tramping route running from Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island. Popular with visitors to Aotearoa, walking the length of New Zealand is a burgeoning rite of passage for Kiwis.
Issue information
Te Araroa - The Long Pathway - connects Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island to Stirling Point, Bluff at the bottom of the South Island. It traverses coastal, forest, river, volcanic flank, mountain and high-country tracks, and crosses five cities, including New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland, and its capital city, Wellington.
Te Araroa’s founders believed New Zealand’s great variety of landscapes and the open-hearted character of its people would be an invitation to the world and to Kiwis themselves – to explore it all, over five or six months, at walking pace along a single, narrow route. This set of stamps highlighted the diversity of New Zealand’s landscapes, and the stunning scenery to be discovered on New Zealand’s trail.
Presentation Pack
Journalist, playwright and author Geoff Chapple is the former Chief Executive and founder of Te Araroa. In 2012 Geoff was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to tramping, tourism and literature, and Geoff told the story of the trail in this issue’s presentation pack.
Miniature Sheet and First Day Covers
The first day cover featured a striking image from a misty day on the Richmond Ranges. The orange track marks from the NZ topographic map key incorporate a bridge and a ford marker. The miniature sheet featured an image from Stag Saddle, Lake Tekapo. On the miniature sheet first day cover was an image of Stag Saddle at a different time of day, and the symbols for a bridge, cattle stop and gate. Gate and poled route markers appeared on the envelope.
Product Listing for Te Araroa Trail
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $1.30 'Ninety Mile Beach, Northland' gummed stamp. The first day’s tramp from Te Araroa’s northern start point at Cape Reinga takes a through tramper to Scotts Point, overlooking the long expanse of Ninety Mile Beach. |
$1.30 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $1.30 'Karamu Walkway, Waikato' gummed stamp. West of Hamilton, Te Araroa climbs gradually away from the Waipa River banks. At 200 metres’ elevation, the tramper’s reward is airy views across the Waikato Plains. |
$1.30 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $1.30 'Tongariro Alpine Crossing' gummed stamp. As winter through-trampers require specialist alpine skills, Te Araroa trampers usually traverse the popular Tongariro Alpine Crossing in summer. |
$1.30 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $2.40 'Nelson Lakes, Tasman' gummed stamp. Some through trampers walk Te Araroa from south to north, and this one has crossed Waiau Pass (1,870m) on the distant Franklin Ridge, and pushes on through snowgrass above Lake Constance towards Blue Lake Hut. |
$2.40 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $3.30 'Stag Saddle, Canterbury' gummed stamp. For safety in marginal weather, Te Araroa’s route is poled along Camp Stream Valley to Stag Saddle (1,925m), the trail’s highest point. The recognised alternative in good weather, though, is the ridgeline west of the valley. |
$3.30 |
 |
Single Stamp |
Single $4.00 'Lake Hawea, Otago' gummed stamp. The Otago trail heads over Breast Hill (1,578 metres) before dropping down 300 metres over the next two kilometres to Pakituhi Hut. Most Te Araroa trampers stop overnight here, awakening to explore rocky outcrops near the hut. |
$4.00 |
 |
Miniature Sheet | Mint, used or cancelled gummed miniature sheet. | $13.80 |
 |
First Day Cover | First day cover with set of six gummed stamps affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $14.30 |
 |
Miniature Sheet First Day Cover | First day cover with gummed miniature sheet affixed. Cancelled on the first day of issue. | $14.30 |
 |
Presentation Pack |
Journalist, playwright and author Geoff Chapple is the former Chief Executive and founder of Te Araroa. In 2012 Geoff was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to tramping, tourism and literature, and Geoff tells the story of the trail in this issue’s presentation pack. |
$29.90 |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 4 September 2019 |
|---|---|
| Number of stamps: | Six gummed stamps |
| Denominations: | $1.30 x 3, $2.60, $3.30, $4.00 |
| Stamps, miniature sheet and first day covers designed by: | Hannah Fortune, New Zealand Post, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Printer and process: | Southern Colour Print, Dunedin, New Zealand by offset lithography |
| Number of colours: | Four process colours plus overgloss |
| Stamp size and format: | 50mm x 30mm (horizontal) |
| Miniature sheet size and format: | 160mm x 90mm (horizontal) |
| First day cover size and format: | 205mm x 120mm (horizontal) |
| Paper type: | Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper |
| Number of stamps per sheet: | 25 |
| Perforation gauge: | 14.4 x 14 |
| Special blocks: | Plate/imprint blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least six stamps from a sheet. Barcode blocks were available in A and B formats. |
| Period of sale: | These stamps remained on sale until 2 September 2020. First day covers remained on sale until 30 October 2019. |
