Republic of Palau

 Back in the news recently is the island nation of Palau thanks to Australia reactivating direct flights to the capital Koror (ROR) from Brisbane (BNE).

DPK North Korea

 

This is one very special card received from my dear globetrotting pal, Kris, in 2012. While I travelled to North Korea myself in 2003, I wasn't able to send a postcard.

Tanzania and Zanzibar

Not only did I manage to send some pretty cool postcards from Zanzibar, I also got an overdue lesson in geography.

Ethiopia: Addis Ababa and UNESCO sites

Just back from a recent trip to the Indian Ocean and Africa. Picked up some new countries.

New UNESCO World Heritage Sites for 2024

Every year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adds new sites to their growing list of culturally significant historic buildings and archeological areas to natural and cultural wonders. The list now includes 1223 properties, spanning nearly 170 nations.

Some great new opportunities for collectors of World Heritage postcards. Here's the list of new sites.

Australia Post Maxicards

The continuing rise in the cost of postage, the attractive design elements and the unique stamp and postmark make Australia Post's maxicards a great idea for spoiling our international pals.

I confess I'm a bit sporadic with these philatelic issues, but I'm always interested to see what our often-criticised postal service has on offer.  With the price of international postage included and a real stamp and pictorial postmark, these cards make a lot of sense.

With every new stamp issue, you will often find a companion set of maxicards with a fancy 'First Day of Issue' postmark. Check out the latest here: https://auspost.com.au/shop/collectables/stamp-issues/latest-stamp-issues

Here are some of my favourite sets:

New Zealand

You have to be impressed with New Zealand / Aotearoa. Not only are they one of the most fabulous countries to visit, they do ripper postcards too.