NZ-168480 Winter farming in the Canterbury Plains, South Island, New Zealand

This postcard showing a wintry scene came from Jannelee (14 July 2017). The postcard depicts sheep farming in the Canterbury Plains with Mount Hutt in the background.
The Canterbury Plains are centred to the south of the city of Christchurch located in the South Island of New Zealand.  Mount Hutt rises to the west of the Canterbury Plains.

NZ-166130 Waitomo Glow Worm Caves at Waitomo, New Zealand

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves attraction is a cave at Waitomo on the North Island of New Zealand. It is known for its population of Arachnocampa luminosa, a glowworm species found exclusively in New Zealand. This cave is part of the Waitomo Caves system that includes the Ruakuri Cave and the Aranui Cave.

This postcard came from Gordon (3 June 2017)

NZ-125299 'The Southerner' 1970-2002 a NZ long distance train service

‘The Southerner’ was a passenger express train in New Zealand's South Island between Christchurch and Invercargill via Dunedin along the Main South Line that ran from December 1970 to February 2002

The service ran at a loss and had been supported by government subsidies until these were abolished for all long-distance passenger trains in 1989. New Zealand Rail then changed the seating configuration by replacing the very generous seat pitch three abreast configuration with a more standard four abreast, with reduced (but still generous compared to bus) seat pitch. The full service buffet car was replaced with a buffet servery. Both measures reduced costs significantly, but the service was challenged by the increasing number of low-cost shuttle bus services, particularly between Christchurch and Dunedin, which were significantly cheaper than the train. Nonetheless, the Southerner still operated seven days a week, one service each way. 

It continued to face increased bus competition, and with increased car ownership and competition in the airline industry, the Southerner seemed unable to find a profitable niche. Public outcry failed to save the train, and the last services ran in February 2002. Invercargill lost its status as the southernmost passenger station in the world.

 

This postcard came from Lee (28 May 2015) Postcrossing.

NZ-108984 Sunrise on Aoraki / Mount Cook

Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Until 2014, its height was officially listed as 3,754 metres, but new measurements have given a revised height of 3,724 metres (12,218 ft). It lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island. Mount Cook is a popular tourist destination and it is also a favourite challenge for mountain climbers. Aoraki / Mount Cook consists of three summits lying slightly south and east of the main divide, the Low Peak, Middle Peak and High Peak, with the Tasman Glacier to the east and the Hooker Glacier to the west.

Aoraki / Mount Cook is in the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, in the Canterbury region, which was established in 1953 and along with Westland National Park, Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park forms one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The park contains more than 140 peaks standing over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) and 72 named glaciers, which cover 40 percent of the park's 700 square kilometres (170,000 acres).

The settlement of Mount Cook Village is a tourist centre and base camp for the mountain. It is 7 km from the end of the Tasman Glacier and 12 km south of Aoraki / Mount Cook's summit.

This postcard showing sunrise on the mountain was sent by Adrienne (8 August 2014) Postcrossing.