Old NAC Airline Route Map of New Zealand, 1960: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Rotorua

2026-05-02T00:12:15+01:00

Preis: 0.00 - 1875.00 (39 variants)

The NAC Route Map, issued in 1960 by the New Zealand National Airways Corporation, greets the eye with a burst of color and a spirit of invitation. Across the paired silhouettes of North and South Islands, crisp white lines arc between destinations, sketching a web of flights that stitches the country together. A vibrant compass rose bearing the NAC emblem orients the traveler while playfully asserting the airline’s brand at the heart of the nation’s skyways. Around the routes, lively vignettes of mountains, forests, and glittering coasts, together with jaunty scenes of sailing and fishing, create a cheerful panorama that beckons would-be passengers to turn itinerary into adventure.

Published by NAC, the state carrier for domestic travel from 1947 until its 1978 merger with Air New Zealand, the map doubles as a manifesto for modern mobility. Based in Wellington, the airline spent the post-war decades binding distant regions into a coherent, dependable network, bringing provincial towns within easy reach of the capitals and one another. Corporate cartography like this blurred the line between route diagram and travel poster: it simplified pathways, emphasized possibilities, and suggested that comfort, speed, and spectacle were available to every New Zealander. The result is a charming yet purposeful image, fusing operational clarity with the buoyant optimism of jet-age tourism.

New Zealand’s distinctive geography is rendered in affectionate shorthand. The North Island unfolds as a tapestry of fertile lowlands and rugged highlands, its scalloped harbors and headlands dotted with boats; the South Island rises more dramatically, an alpine backbone giving way to wide plains and deeply indented shores. Mountain ranges are indicated with jaunty peaks; dark greens suggest native forests; sinuous rivers and broad bays hint at the country’s watery embrace. Between the islands the airline’s routes stride confidently, visually mastering the strait that once defined separation. The seas teem with illustrated ships and coastal craft, underscoring how air and water together shape movement in this maritime nation.

At the network’s nodes, familiar place-names anchor the fantasy to a practical itinerary. Auckland crowns the north as the principal gateway; Wellington stands central, the political capital and aerial hinge between islands. Christchurch serves the Canterbury plains and southern routes, while Dunedin projects the network’s reach toward the subantarctic latitudes. Hamilton, Rotorua, and Napier draw lines inland, toward pasturelands, lakes, and thermal districts, their icons hinting at leisure as much as logistics. Nelson faces the sunlit top of the South Island, and Invercargill steadies the far south. Together these cities form a constellation that promises businesslike efficiency and holiday freedom in equal measure.

As an artifact of mid-twentieth-century promotion, the NAC Route Map distills a transformative moment in New Zealand life. Air travel was becoming routine yet still glamorous, shortening journeys that had once demanded ferries, mountain passes, and long coastal steamers. The bright palette and whimsical figures project a friendly confidence, while the disciplined geometry of white flight-paths assures reliability. At center, the NAC compass rose works as both ornament and pledge: the corporation as steady guide through a land of variety and surprise. To trace these lines is to glimpse an era when aviation reimagined distance, and a young nation found coherence in the skies.

Cities and towns on this map

Auckland

Wellington

Christchurch

Dunedin

Hamilton

Rotorua

Napier

Invercargill

Nelson

Notable Features & Landmarks

Illustrated depictions of key landmarks, such as mountains, forests, and coastal areas.

Pictorial representations of various activities (e.g., sailing, fishing).

Airplane routes shown with white lines connecting key destinations.

A vibrant compass rose featuring the NAC logo.

Illustrations of ships and other transport methods by water.

Historical and design context

Created in 1960 by the New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC).

NAC was the national domestic airline of New Zealand from 1947 until 1978, based in Wellington; it merged with Air New Zealand and played a significant role in connecting domestic air travel across the country.

The map is thematic and pictorial, with colorful illustrations and whimsical depictions of people, landscapes, and transportation; bright, playful design conveys a sense of adventure and tourism as an airline promotional map.

Reflects the mid-20th-century approach to promoting air travel and tourism in New Zealand, showcasing the growth of domestic aviation in the post-war era.

Specifically covers New Zealand, highlighting both the North Island and South Island.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this map.