New Zealand

Happy new year 2014! I'm really hoping this year will be better than the last one, it feels like I pretty much wasted 2013... I did just write to someone on the Postcrossing forum that I'm going to have to cut back on the number of postcards I send this year, again, as stamps are so expensive (and I'm dreading the annual price increase sometime during the spring, I hope the Royal Mail won't copy countries like Australia, Canada or Finland...) but I'm still going to be sending postcards, even if I'll have to be more careful. This year hasn't started off too badly actually, I've already received some great cards (and one from a new country as well, I'm hoping to post about that one at some point).

Anyway. I was going to make a longer post and already picked the cards I wanted to post about, but it's getting late so I'll just do a couple now and maybe (MAYBE) finish at some point this weekend. This first card is yet another swap with Aaron from New Zealand, I really like his postcards!

I've said before that I'm not generally too fond of multiviews but the ones I've received from New Zealand always seem to be really nice. ...is it because I just find the country so fascinating?? :P There isn't much information about the places on this card, at the back it only says that the flowers are the native pohutukawa or New Zealand christmas tree.

To be honest, the main reason for my picking this particular card was the stamp Aaron chose - I'm pretty obsessed with 'The Hobbit' at the moment. *blushes* This stamp is from a set of six stamps issued last year, I actually ordered the first day cover (and the maxi cards... *cough cough*) from the New Zealand Post website. Here it is:

I'm a little disappointed that it arrived in a separate envelope and they didn't print my name and address on it (the way the Royal Mail do their first day covers) but other than that I just love it!