Stand tall, New Zealand.
Stand tall, New Zealand. Fly the achiever's flag -The Black & Silver. Vote it to No.1 here: http://flagpost.nz/flags/15513/.
The silver fern is New Zealand's guiding light, once laid on the floor of the forest by Maori to point the way home for travellers in the moonlight. It represents the spirit of discovery and excellence that has enabled New Zealanders to lead the world down into the smallest thing (the atom), out into the biggest thing (space), and up to the summit of the highest peak (Everest). The two white ‘pales’ signify the snow-coated alps of the South Island and the four great mountains of the North. They also refer to the Long White Cloud that marked journey's end for the first Maori waka, and the billowing white sails of the ships of the first Europeans.
The Black & Silver has evolved from a Maori symbol to one which now extends far beyond its Native rugby team origins to represent all New Zealanders in all fields, from military (our soldiers wore 30,000 silver ferns to Gallipoli, and many are buried under one) to governmental (the silver fern on black is now the official emblem of most departments of state).
It will be a natural and sensible evolution to coordinate our national livery with a world class flag in the national colours that have distinguished us so well for 127 years, and which “scream New Zealand” like no others. To those who ignore our evidence to the contrary and continue to see The Black & Silver as “just a rugby flag”, this perception will evaporate the minute it becomes the official national flag.