2018 Round Kiwi Celebrating 30 years of Round Kiwi stamps
New Zealand Post's popular Round Kiwi stamp was refreshed for the eighth time in July 2018, celebrating 30 years since its first issue. It features all five species of kiwi in their habitat – the brown kiwi, great spotted kiwi, little spotted kiwi, tokoeka and rowi – and in a range of vibrant colours. Kiwi are flightless, nocturnal birds endemic to Aotearoa. They emerge from their burrows after dark to forage noisily along the forest floor and sniff out worms and insects. Their nostrils are at the base of their bill and give the kiwi a superior sense of smell that makes up for its poor eyesight. Kiwi have been described as ‘honorary mammals’ because of their hair-like feathers, their long tactile whiskers at the base of their bill, and their marrow-filled bones. Kiwi are also sometimes called ‘te manu huna a Tāne’ - the hidden bird of Tāne, the god of the forest.
In 2011 the Round Kiwi stamp returned in three denominations that reflected New Zealand’s postage rates. The $1.20 stamp was printed in black – widely regarded as New Zealand’s national colour and worn by several of our sports teams. The $1.90 stamp was printed in silver – reflecting New Zealand’s iconic silver fern (Cyathea dealbata), and the $2.40 stamp was printed in classic blue – synonymous with the vast amount of water surrounding our small island nation. As well as other subtle design changes, the 2011 Round Kiwi stamps featured the New Zealand Post identifier – the fern.
Issued in 1988, the original Round Kiwi was New Zealand’s first ever round postage stamp. The Māori motif around the border represents the kōwhai tree flower – symbolising the continuous cycle of life.
This stamp was initially produced in a green colour, in booklets of six stamps. Later printings in sheet format included the red kiwi issued 17 April 1991, the blue kiwi issued 9 June 1993, the purple kiwi issued 18 June 1997, and a purple overprinted selvedge issued 31 December 1999. In the year 2000 the stamp was re-issued in gold to celebrate the start of the new millennium. This issue’s change in denomination from $1.00 to $1.10 reflected the new international postage rate for sending postcards or aerogrammes from New Zealand to anywhere in the world, or medium-sized letters via International Air to Australia and the South Pacific.
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