Another year of stamps is done and dusted and it’s time to roll out the 2024 New Zealand stamps.  NZ Post has already tossed us a fun one – Making a Game, a series that explores video games developed by New Zealanders. I mention this because one of the games is weirdly fun and captivating Mini Metro.

It’s an addictive game, not because of fancy graphics and fast paced story lines. Mini Metro is a puzzle, a sim that challenges your ability to build a sustainable public transit. Its so absorbing, you won’t even realise how much time passes while playing.  And it’s won a whack of awards:

• “PAX Australia Indie Showcase” PAX Australia, 2016
• “Excellence in Audio” Independent Games Festival, 2016
• “Finalist for Seumas McNally Grand Prize”, Independent Games Festival, 2016
• “Finalist for Excellence in Design”, Independent Games Festival, 2016
• “Finalist for Excellence in Visual Art”, Independent Games Festival, 2016
• “Finalist for Best Debut” Game Developers Choice Awards, 2016
• “Finalist for Best Debut” BAFTA Games Awards, 2016
• “Finalist” IndieCade, 2014

Despite coming out about a decade ago, it has staying power and is still popular. NZ Post also issued some great pins to accompany these stamps and I want the MM one. 

Yup, I have pin envy. 

So, on to the rest of the year. And I’ll let you know if I get around to ordering the pin… or pins. 

February

2024 Marine Reserves

4 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 4 sheets of 20, also available barcode a and b blocks
offset

• $2.00 Clown nudibranch, Taputeranga Marine Reserve Taputeranga Marine Reserve: Places to go in Wellington and Kapiti (doc.govt.nz)
• $3.30 Red coral, Te Awaatu Channel (The Gut) Marine Reserve Te Awaatu Channel (The Gut): Fiordland marine reserves (doc.govt.nz)
• $4.00 Sea sponge, Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Ulva Island-Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve: Stewart Island/Rakiura places to visit (doc.govt.nz)
• $4.60 Biscuit star, Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve Ulva Island / Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve | Stewart Island – Rakiura, New Zealand (newzealand.com)

Designer/illustrator: Hannah Fortune

Release date: February 7, 2024

March

Making a Game

5 stamps, 2 FDCs, cancel, souvenir sheet, presentation pack, 5 maxi cards, 5 sheets of 20, also available barcode a and b blocks and 5 pinbacks
offset with metallic silver on miniature sheet

• $2.00 Bloons TD 6
• $2.00 Depth
• $3.30 Dredge
• $4.60 Mini Metro
• $5.30 Into the Dead 2

 5 games developed in New Zealand. 

Designer: Chris Jones, Graphetti

Release date: March 6, 2024

April

Veterans Day

6 stamps, 2 FDCs, cancel, souvenir sheet, 6 sheets of 20
From NZ Post website:

• $2.00 Rebecca Brierton – Rebecca joined the Royal New Zealand Navy as a midshipman, supply officer in 1994 and was deployed to East Timor, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Afghanistan. She served until 2015 and is currently studying law. 
• $2.00 Ben Peckham – Ben served in the New Zealand Territorials before transferring to the Regular Force of the New Zealand Army in 1992. In September 1994 he was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the United Nations Protection Force. Ben has completed a graduate diploma in psychosocial studies and is currently studying international humanitarian law. He is a prominent supporter of the veteran community. 
• $3.30 Kelley Waite – Kelley joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 2000 as a telecommunications operator and technician. In 2010 she was reassigned to become a helicopter crewman. Kelley is now working with Philips Search and Rescue Trust as a helicopter crewman and emergency medical technician. 
• $3.30 Vance Leach – Vance joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1999 as an ordinary electronics technician. At the completion of his training, he was posted to HMNZS CANTERBURY and then deployed to East Timor. Vance left the Navy in 2009 as a petty officer weapons technician to pursue a law degree at the University of Auckland and now works in employment relations. 
• $4.00 Ange Coyle – Ange joined the New Zealand Army in 2006 as a signaller and left in 2014. Ange leads a project at the Department of Corrections that aims to support both staff and prisoners who have served. Having had first-hand experiences of some of the difficulties that some face when transitioning out of service, Ange is passionate about supporting the wellbeing of veteran staff at Corrections and across the public sector, and those entering the criminal justice system. 
• $4.60 David Bennett – David joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in January 2001 as an avionics technician. He served in No.40 Squadron as an aircraft maintainer before training to join the flight engineer trade in 2007 as a C-130 Hercules flight engineer. He took part in operations in East Timor, Solomon Islands and Afghanistan. David left the Air Force in July 2012 and is currently a project manager, inspecting and maintaining oil and gas pipelines. 

Designers: Helen Perkins and John Ward, NZ Post

Release date: April 3, 2024

May

Split Enz – True Colours

4 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, presentation pack, souvenir pack, 4 maxi cards, 4 sheets of 20, 4 pins (one of each colour available)
offset with an over gloss finish 

Split Enz music covered a wide number of genres, starting with progressive rock, straight through to new wave and pop rock. Formed in1972, they were the first NZ band to gain international attention.

Designer: Nick Jarvie

Release date: May 1, 2024

June

Paris 2024 Olympics

4 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 4 sheets of 20, 1 pin 
offset with an over gloss finish 

• For the Fern
• For the Team
• For the Fans
• For the Gold

Designer: Nick Jarvie

Release date: June 5, 2024 

Scenic New Zealand – definitives

5 stamps, 5 sheets of 20
offset

• Whanganui Journey
• Paparoa Track
• Heaphy Track
• Rakiura Track
• Kepler Track

Designer: Keryn Dillon

Release date: June 5, 2024 

July

Mānawatia a Matariki – Māori New Year

4 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 4 postcards, 4 sheets of 20
offset

Matariki became a national holiday in 2022. 

Embracing the Resurgence of Matariki as a Cultural Celebration in Aotearoa

In the starry expanse of the southern hemisphere, a cluster of stars known as Matariki emerges, marking the beginning of the Māori New Year. For centuries, this celestial event has held great significance for the indigenous Māori people of Aotearoa (New Zealand), symbolizing renewal, reflection, and community. In recent years, a cultural renaissance has sparked a renewed interest in Manawatia a Matariki, reviving ancient traditions and bringing communities together to honor this celestial phenomenon. 
Manawatia a matariki : Celebrating the Māori New Year

• Ngā wā onāianei (present) – “Share time and space, make memories with loved ones. This is a chance to connect and reconnect as we gather for kai and kōrero, planting seeds of unity and acceptance.”
  
• Ngā wā o mua (past) – “t is time to remember passed loved ones. Acknowledge recent passings and reminisce about those who left us long ago. They are part of us, we are part of them.”
• Ngā wā ā mua (future) – “Make positive plans and set goals to embrace. Reach for the stars, gather the light to nourish and sustain oneself for the coming year. “
• Hauora (wellbeing) – “This is the time to focus on one’s overall wellbeing – the body, mind and soul. Eat well, exercise regularly, keep warm and secure, ki waho, ki roto (breathe in, breathe out), reflect and refocus.”
  details from NZ post

Central to the art is Te Tūī Kaitiaki. Shane explains: “I am drawn to him. As I age, my affection and connection grow. His wairua, brightness and vibrancy for life remind me of what it means to be alive. Live true, live full, live real! Wear your feathers with pride, be bold, be brave, believe. E tōku Tūī Kaitiaki.”  
Artist Shane Hansen on his connection to the Māori new year

Artist: Shane Hansen
Designer: Nick Jarvie

Release date: July 3, 2024 

Goldie – NZ Team Mascot

6 stamps on souvenir sheet
offset

Designer/illustrator: Wayne Rattray & Nick Jarvie

Release date: July 7, 2024

August

The Invincibles 100 Years – All Blacks of 1924

4 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, limited edition folder, presentation pack, 4 sheets of 20
offset

• Cliff Porter
• Gus Hart
• George Nēpia
• Maurice Brownlie

The history of the All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup » allblacks.com

Designer: Hannah Fortune

Release date: August 7, 2024 

Postcrossings

1 stamp, maxi card (pre-stamped), sheets of 20
offset

Designer: Sumin Ha

Release date: August 7, 2024

September

Mental Health Awareness Week

5 stamps, 5 sheets of 20
offset

Designer: Helen Perkins

Release date: September 4, 2024   

 Bird of the Year, 2024

1 stamp on souvenir sheets
offset

Hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin

An annual competition is held in New Zealand for Bird of the Year. The yellow-eyed penguin won top spot with 6,328 votes. 

The yellow-eyed penguin appeared on a 2007 New Zealand stamp, designer Peter Faulkner

Artist: Melissa Boardman

 … it’s fair to say I have a healthy obsession with birds, in particular our native birds. My life revolves around them: I hang out with them, volunteer with them, photograph them, illustrate them and create thoughtful products that showcase how awesome they are. Oh and I talk about them, a lot.
My happy place is in amongst nature. I love walking through native forest, absorbing the sights and sounds of the natural world. I find so much inspiration in nature and feel completely at home with the birds.
NZ bird artist / illustrator Melissa Boardman — Melissa Boardman

Release date: September 16, 2024

October

Christmas 2024

5 stamps, 2 souvenir sheets, 4 FDCs, cancel, 2 Foiled Coloured Miniature Sheet in Perspex Stands, 5 sheets of 20
offset

Designer: Sumin Ha

Release date: October 2, 2024