Explaining Currency: New Zealand's bank notes and coins

Twenty dollar noteFrontHer Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926-)This note features an official portrait of the Queen taken atGovernment House, Wellington, on 26 February 1986 byRonald Woolf. Her Majesty is wearing the Sovereign’s Badgeof the Order of New Zealand. The ribbon is based on a tanikopattern.Parliament Buildings, WellingtonThe $20 note shows two of the three buildings of the NewZealand Parliament, situated in Wellington. The olderbuilding, an imposing structure clad in Takaka marble, housesthe Legislative Chamber. The foundations for this buildingwere laid in 1912, but the First World War delayedconstruction and the building was not completed until 1922.The distinctive Beehive Executive Wing, designed by Sir BasilSpence, was begun in 1969 and completed in 1977.BackNew Zealand falcon or karearea (Falconovaseelandiae)Sometimes called the bush hawk, the New Zealand falcon isthe most fearless of all our nation’s birds. An adaptable hunterand a determined solitary predator, the falcon hunts smallbirds and animals and can attack at speeds of up to 200kph.The falcon is a high-country bird, seldom found north ofRotorua, that favours isolated bush-clad mountain valleys.Marlborough rock daisy (Pachystegia insignis)This is a small spreading shrub unique to Marlborough andNorth Canterbury. The plant is a distinctive feature of thedry inland valleys of Marlborough with its thick leathery leavesand large, spectacular flower heads. It grows in inaccessibleplaces such as cliff sides and the edges of steep scree slopes,and can flourish in areas from sea level to 1200 metres.Flowering red tussock (Chionchloa rubra)There are 13 species of tussock grass in New Zealand, andred tussock, which has a distinct red tinge to its leaves, isfound in both the North and South Islands. Tussock flowersintermittently, is primarily found in alpine areas, and can livefor up to 200 years.Mount Tapuaenuku, Inland KaikourasThe highest peak in the South Island’s Inland Kaikoura range,Mt Tapuaenuku is 2,885 metres high and dominates thesurrounding countryside. The view of the mountain on the$20 note is from the east side of the Inland Kaikouras, lookingup from the Awatere Valley floor.10 Explaining Currency: New Zealand’s bank notes and coins