Post boxes are white, black and red and found everywhere, usually with some indication of when and how often their contents are collected. Most New Zealand towns used to boast rather grand Victorian or Edwardian post offices in or near their centres but these days the majority have been sold off and postal services are now operated from much less picturesque, multi-purpose post shops (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, plus Sat 9am-12.30pm in large towns and cities).

The extremely efficient mail service operates two forms of domestic delivery: Standard (40¢, or 80¢ for larger envelopes), delivered to any destination within 2-3 days; and FastPost (80¢, or $1.20 for larger envelopes), delivered in 1 day from cities and 2 from rural areas. International air mail takes 3-6 days to reach Australia ($1.10), and 6-12 days to Europe ($1.80), Asia and the United States ($1.50), depending on where it's posted; prices are higher for larger envelopes. Aerogrammes cost $1.10 to anywhere in the world, as do air-mail postcards . Make sure you send your missives by air mail, or the recipients could be in for a long wait. Stamps are sold at some newsagents, garages and general stores, as well as at post offices and post shops. For further information, phone the NZ Post information line (tel 0800/501 501), call into any post shop, or consult their Web site at www.nzpost.co.nz . There is also the competing National Post service (blue boxes) which is marginally cheaper but operates only within New Zealand and is best ignored.

One post office in each major town operates a Poste Restante service, where you can receive mail; we've listed the major ones in our town accounts, and you can get hold of a list of their addresses from the New Zealand Embassy or Tourism Board in your home country or any Central Post Office in New Zealand. You need a passport or other ID to collect mail, which is returned to the sender after three months - though if you change your plans you can get it redirected (at a charge of $7 within New Zealand, $10-20 internationally) by filling in a form at any post office. Most hostels and hotels will also keep mail for you, preferably marked with your expected date of arrival. Holders of an American Express card or travellers' cheques can have letters (not packages) sent to American Express offices, which will hold it for thirty days; you can pick up a booklet of all their locations from any American Express office.