KEY POINTS:
The silver fern is making its way to one of the most official mediums of all - the New Zealand passport.
The Government yesterday unveiled a new look for the passport, its first redesign in 16 years. Gone is the dark blue reminiscent of so many other countries' identity documents.
The new colour is black, with a silver fern climbing up the front and back covers.
It will be used on all new passports from the middle of next year and contain up-to-date security features, Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker said.
"Our current passport is fairly indistinguishable from many others around the world, but the new design has a very distinct Kiwi character, black with an embossed silver fern on the front and rear cover," Mr Barker said.
He said the new passport met stringent international requirements for travel documents and would still contain a microchip.
The passports, which will include English and Maori language throughout, will have new artwork on the visa pages with a theme of navigation and travel.
More details of the artwork will be announced closer to the date the new passports will be introduced. And travellers won't be paying more for it.
"There are no plans to increase the passport fees ... and people can continue to use their existing passports until they expire," Mr Barker said.
The new design has given a boost to those who believe the silver fern should be on the flag. The NZFlag.com trust trustee Paul Ridley-Smith said the new design sounded "very appropriate".
The trust is campaigning to change the New Zealand flag, which it argues doesn't resonate with Kiwis and is too easily confused with Australia's.
