Many people around the country, including professional botanists and members of botanical societies, may be able to assist with identification.
Providing fresh samples will help accurate identification, but may not always be possible. Ensure that you have the appropriate permission before collecting specimens.
Alternatively, photographs that show significant plant features can be used. A desktop scanner is a useful way to make an image of the specimen if you don’t have a good camera and these can be emailed to the expert. It can be hard to know which important features of a plant you need to observe and photograph (it is different for different groups), so don’t be discouraged if you inadvertantly miss out a significant feature the first time. Using field guides and keys will help you learn these important diagnostic features, but typically details like flowers are important as this can help you determine which family your specimen belongs to.
We at the Network recommend people join iNaturalistNZ which is an online community of people interested in species observations. There are many experts on this website who can help you identify your specimen if you submit a good photograph.