Bob Marriott
And his wife hitch a ride with Gordon the postie on a rural delivery run from Featherston to Cape Palliser.
It was a damp, drizzly morning in Featherston when I rang Gordon. We had spent the night there to avoid an early start from home.
‘‘Pick you up from the motel at 8.30? No problem,’’ he said, and the red van arrived as expected.
Gordon is a big bloke, looks as if he would have been a useful addition to the front row of the scrum not too many years ago. He introduced himself with a good, firm handshake, before my wife Linda and I settled comfortably on the back seat. He takes a maximum of three passengers each week day. The front passenger area was filled by piles of newspapers, and various mail packages, and behind us were an array of larger parcels and boxes.
The drizzle had ceased, the sun peeping through cloud, with the Rimutakas a magnificent background when we set off through the flat green countryside, cutting down the eastern side of Lake Wairarapa. Keeping up a running commentary as we headed south, Gordon said he had been doing the run for 11 years. His experience showed as he steered to each side of the road, turning into farm track or country lane as the mail was dropped off or picked up, with slick precision.
The small sheds at the farm gates, originally built for milk churns, are now used solely for mail, and at one isolated homestead a bird had made its nest in the mail shed. At another farm, we fed deer, and further down the road emus are in residence but would not come to the fence for our offerings. We saw parts of the Wairarapa that were well off the beaten track even for this rural region. Passing a stand of native bush, Gordon remarked how daunting it must have been for the early settlers with most of the countryside looking like that when they first arrived.
It was back on to the main highway to deliver to the store at the tiny settlement of Pirinoa, which turned out to be a veritable Aladdin’s cave. I was surprised at the comprehensive stock for such a small place. It seems to be open all hours, and must be a godsend to the local community. This was the largest delivery and took about 15 minutes before we were on our way again heading for Lake Ferry.
This tiny coastal settlement stands alongside Lake Onoke and is the southernmost place in the North Island.
It’s turning out to be a magnificent day as we drive into this beautiful spot noted for great surf and lake fishing, with expansive views of the Seaward Kaikouras in the South Island.
Gordon says that the place is mainly holiday homes, only occupied for part of the year, and there are very few mail deliveries.