Hello from New Zealand

Sugarpie · Post by **Sugarpie** » 10 Oct 2008, 06:44

Hi everybody - I hope I'm not going to offend anyone by registering from another country but I am a postie in New Zealand. I have been to England several times and I would love to work there as a postie one day. I've been a postie in NZ for about 8 years now and it's a great job. I'd be really interested to hear about the differences between the UK and NZ regarding the way the job works. Anyone who wants to chat about it are certainly welcome of course, again I hope it's OK to register from NZ, please be nice if you think I'm being cheeky

Anyway guys and girls I'd love to find out about the life of an English(or Scottish, or Irish, or Welsh) postie and I'd be more than happy to share the NZ experience as well. Cheers from NZ

Post by **baldrick** » 10 Oct 2008, 08:48

Hi and welcome Sugarpie

It would be great to hear how a postie's job in NZ compares with the UK.
Have a look round the threads and you'll get an idea of what things are like here,
and feel free to ask any questions.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 10 Oct 2008, 15:52

Welcome Sugarpie. No problems registering from a different country at all - in fact we have 2 French Posties and 1 Gibraltarian Postie on here as well so as they Fraternal greetings to all postal workers of whatever nationality, all are welcome.

Baldrick got it spot on so nothing else for me to add.

Welcome.

johnnyp · Post by **johnnyp** » 10 Oct 2008, 18:40

Welcome to RMC Sugarpie

Its great to have you on board mate

We have a vacancy at my office if you fancy it along with loads of others up and down the country

Enjoy the site.

paul_skinback · Post by **paul_skinback** » 10 Oct 2008, 19:25

Sugarpie wrote:Hi everybody - I hope I'm not going to offend anyone by registering from another country but I am a postie in New Zealand. I have been to England several times and I would love to work there as a postie one day. I've been a postie in NZ for about 8 years now and it's a great job. I'd be really interested to hear about the differences between the UK and NZ regarding the way the job works. Anyone who wants to chat about it are certainly welcome of course, again I hope it's OK to register from NZ, please be nice if you think I'm being cheeky

Anyway guys and girls I'd love to find out about the life of an English(or Scottish, or Irish, or Welsh) postie and I'd be more than happy to share the NZ experience as well. Cheers from NZ

Funny that cos i wish I was a postie in NZ cos this country has gone to the dogs, gone down the tubes, it is no more. it is a dead parrot!

Bleeding us dry they are. Lousy weather.

I bet you cycle along whistling or blowing a whistle and then chuck the post at the customer. I bet you pull faces back at the moari tribes having fun on your run? Here we have to fight off the guard dog to stick it in a hole in the door! Then, like an SAS sniper sneak off back up the drive avoiding the twitching curtains of the elderly waving you away off the grass as if you were a wasp!

Bring plenty of money with you cos you will pay fortunes for everything except the marverlous, the very only, CWU membership available in all good office's right now. Sale must end soon!

Come on, give em a big hand on their opening

PS Welcome

Post by **POSTMAN** » 10 Oct 2008, 20:47

Welcome sugarpie,can't believe i've just said that to a bloke!

I'll move this to blue shirts forum so the other herberts can say hello.

paul_skinback · Post by **paul_skinback** » 10 Oct 2008, 20:56

POSTMAN wrote:Welcome sugarpie,can't believe i've just said that to a bloke!
I'll move this to blue shirts forum so the other herberts can say hello.

Cooooo Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Stormproof · Post by **Stormproof** » 10 Oct 2008, 21:35

Hi Sugarpie

I'd be happy to swap duties with you

NWpostie · Post by **NWpostie** » 10 Oct 2008, 21:44

Hi Sugarpie, KIa Ora !

I was in NZ in April just gone, nice country, so relaxed, clean, laid back attitude, I did chat to a postwomen in Pahia near Waitangi, about the Job in NZ, I don't know if it applies to all PO staff, from what I can remember she said that the job is usually sub contracted, from New Zealand post, so you put a bid in or similar and get a contract to deliver mail, she gets a full uniform and use of an Official vehicle, is this a country thing ? is the city different ? I hope to go back to NZ again next year, been to Australia, its not as good as NZ, once you are out of the City especially the outback there is nothing but bush, Kangaroo roadkills everywhere, everything cost more due to freight charges, NZ seemed to have more History and is greener and slightly cheaper than the UK.

by all means come over to the UK and have a look around, don't stick with London, even tho there is a large antipodean/kiwi population there, once you are out in the povnices you will find a lot more interesting, be warned the UK is very expensive compared to NZ, there are trade offs what you gain in the UK and lose are different in NZ, I liked NZ and did think about emigrating,
PROs: greener sceneries, low cost of living, nicer laid back lifestyle
CONs:but wages are lower, there is a low population density, very little public transport outside of the city, I personally found the distance a killer as friends and famlies are long way away, I have been to Asia and don't particularly want to go there for a holiday.

with regards to the UK
PROs: Good wages, plenty of opportunities, good transport links even in the countryside, this is due to a high population density, good air links as Europe is only 2 -4 hour flights away for a varied culture and holiday, USA and Canada is cheap enough to get to, loads of History, beautiful countryside, the Queen

the British sense of humour and best of all the British Pub (nowhere like it)

CONs very varied weather, high tax and cost of living (depending what jobs you get), Gordon Brown (until 2010), Chav culture, traffic problems.

I have travelled round the world and have found all things considered the UK is a great country to be in in spite of its problems what country doesn't ? come over for a holiday if you can do if you stay more than 2 weeks you can see a lot more and have a look around, if you like it, go down to the nearest immgration office and apply to be British

Darren Bent · Post by **Darren Bent** » 10 Oct 2008, 23:24

I would say "Stay in New Zealand" but I don't know what it is like in New Zealand :)

Can you tell us about New Zealand Postal service as all of us are interested to know what it is like Down Under.

Sugarpie · Post by **Sugarpie** » 11 Oct 2008, 03:14

Hi guys and girls, thanks for the replies, nice to be made so welcome. Well I don't know where to start to describe life as a postie in NZ, I'll try the basics. Well we sort mail then deliver it!!! Haha yeah ok that's just my crap sense of humour

Well it's different depending on the branch etc. as you know so I'll just describe my specific job. I have an employment contract with NZ Post, and I'm rostered for just over 37 hours per week which sounds good but of course I have to work 6 days a week!! Still that's the price for getting the afternoon free I guess. Well that depends on which run I do - at my branch there are about 16 runs I think and I know nearly all of them so I get to move around which I enjoy. Some of the runs are miles from the branch so of course that takes more time. Some areas get more mail obviously so those runs can be pretty tiring, especially around the end of the month(Sky mags). Oh man there is so much I'd like to know about the actual specifics of the UK postie job!! I'll post some more info later, don't want to intrude too much. It's lovely to meet some of you, love to share some stories too and love to hear yours as well. Thanks again UK Posties, lovely to meet you

Sugarpie · Post by **Sugarpie** » 11 Oct 2008, 06:18

We have sorting cases, not sure how they compare to the UK, maybe someone has a picture they could send me? I start at 7.30 am, although some of the runs are considered "part time" i.e. shorter, so if I'm on them I start at 7.00 am and that involves unloading the mail cages with the support staff. Phew!! Sounds pretty intense. So anyway we have trolleys with the trays of mail. The mail is roughly divided thus; we have letters obviously, then there are A5 size letters, then we call the larger A4 letters "large flats" for some reason, and then there are the parcels. Normally I will sort all my large flats onto the case, then put any flat parcels up with them. Then I will pull out all of that mail according to the mail bags I'm going to use, flagging any parcels by reversing the nearest large flat. Man this sounds really weird when I read it but I hope you will know what I'm talking about!!

After that has been done it's time to sort the letters. We have 2 types, machine sorted (called OCR for optical character recognition) and people sorted (or PPS). After that it's the diversion tray i.e. redirections, holds, etc. Then I pull out the letters for the bags and have my break then deliver!! Easy peasey.

Hope you get the picture and hopefully someone over in the UK can fill me in on your procedures. Typically a run will take 2 1/2 to 3 hours, longer with Sky mags or mailouts. We all use bikes, pretty good they are now too, with 5 speed gears, stand, nice bright new panniers, disc brakes. The old bikes were rubbish, only one direct chain drive, crappy leather bags, I hated those. Cheers

paul_skinback · Post by **paul_skinback** » 11 Oct 2008, 10:55

NWpostie wrote:Hi Sugarpie, KIa Ora !

I was in NZ in April just gone, nice country, so relaxed, clean, laid back attitude, I did chat to a postwomen in Pahia near Waitangi, about the Job in NZ, I don't know if it applies to all PO staff, from what I can remember she said that the job is usually sub contracted, from New Zealand post, so you put a bid in or similar and get a contract to deliver mail, she gets a full uniform and use of an Official vehicle, is this a country thing ? is the city different ? I hope to go back to NZ again next year, been to Australia, its not as good as NZ, once you are out of the City especially the outback there is nothing but bush, Kangaroo roadkills everywhere, everything cost more due to freight charges, NZ seemed to have more History and is greener and slightly cheaper than the UK.

by all means come over to the UK and have a look around, don't stick with London, even tho there is a large antipodean/kiwi population there, once you are out in the povnices you will find a lot more interesting, be warned the UK is very expensive compared to NZ, there are trade offs what you gain in the UK and lose are different in NZ, I liked NZ and did think about emigrating,
PROs: greener sceneries, low cost of living, nicer laid back lifestyle
CONs:but wages are lower, there is a low population density, very little public transport outside of the city, I personally found the distance a killer as friends and famlies are long way away, I have been to Asia and don't particularly want to go there for a holiday.

with regards to the UK
PROs: Good wages, plenty of opportunities, good transport links even in the countryside, this is due to a high population density, good air links as Europe is only 2 -4 hour flights away for a varied culture and holiday, USA and Canada is cheap enough to get to, loads of History, beautiful countryside, the Queen the British sense of humour and best of all the British Pub (nowhere like it)

CONs very varied weather, high tax and cost of living (depending what jobs you get), Gordon Brown (until 2010), Chav culture, traffic problems.

I have travelled round the world and have found all things considered the UK is a great country to be in in spite of its problems what country doesn't ? come over for a holiday if you can do if you stay more than 2 weeks you can see a lot more and have a look around, if you like it, go down to the nearest immgration office and apply to be British

Are you on my planet?

Good transport in the countryside? One bus an hour is good?
Good wages? Yes if you are lucky but it’s all going in reverse
Plenty of opportunities? We are in a recession and people are getting evicted because they are losing their jobs.
The countryside is green what is left of it. Stanstead airport expansion should remove a bit more of that and the garden of England (Kent) is now the Patio of England with all that Chunnel concrete slapped on it!
Please come over for two weeks. That will soon kill your enthusiasm if it doesn’t yes apply to be British and get free car, free house, Bring your entire family, free money

Come on down if the price is right!

As for the Queen she has none of these problems and she can sit in comfort whatching her sons play jolly boy soilders whilst the real men and women soilders give their lives for this counrty and are lucky to have a holiday let alone the right gear to fight with!

andy2007 · Post by **andy2007** » 11 Oct 2008, 11:30

paul_skinback wrote:
NWpostie wrote:Hi Sugarpie, KIa Ora !

I was in NZ in April just gone, nice country, so relaxed, clean, laid back attitude, I did chat to a postwomen in Pahia near Waitangi, about the Job in NZ, I don't know if it applies to all PO staff, from what I can remember she said that the job is usually sub contracted, from New Zealand post, so you put a bid in or similar and get a contract to deliver mail, she gets a full uniform and use of an Official vehicle, is this a country thing ? is the city different ? I hope to go back to NZ again next year, been to Australia, its not as good as NZ, once you are out of the City especially the outback there is nothing but bush, Kangaroo roadkills everywhere, everything cost more due to freight charges, NZ seemed to have more History and is greener and slightly cheaper than the UK.

by all means come over to the UK and have a look around, don't stick with London, even tho there is a large antipodean/kiwi population there, once you are out in the povnices you will find a lot more interesting, be warned the UK is very expensive compared to NZ, there are trade offs what you gain in the UK and lose are different in NZ, I liked NZ and did think about emigrating,
PROs: greener sceneries, low cost of living, nicer laid back lifestyle
CONs:but wages are lower, there is a low population density, very little public transport outside of the city, I personally found the distance a killer as friends and famlies are long way away, I have been to Asia and don't particularly want to go there for a holiday.

with regards to the UK
PROs: Good wages, plenty of opportunities, good transport links even in the countryside, this is due to a high population density, good air links as Europe is only 2 -4 hour flights away for a varied culture and holiday, USA and Canada is cheap enough to get to, loads of History, beautiful countryside, the Queen the British sense of humour and best of all the British Pub (nowhere like it)

CONs very varied weather, high tax and cost of living (depending what jobs you get), Gordon Brown (until 2010), Chav culture, traffic problems.

I have travelled round the world and have found all things considered the UK is a great country to be in in spite of its problems what country doesn't ? come over for a holiday if you can do if you stay more than 2 weeks you can see a lot more and have a look around, if you like it, go down to the nearest immgration office and apply to be British

Are you on my planet?

Good transport in the countryside? One bus an hour is good?
Good wages? Yes if you are lucky but it’s all going in reverse
Plenty of opportunities? We are in a recession and people are getting evicted because they are losing their jobs.
The countryside is green what is left of it. Stanstead airport expansion should remove a bit more of that and the garden of England (Kent) is now the Patio of England with all that Chunnel concrete slapped on it!
Please come over for two weeks. That will soon kill your enthusiasm if it doesn’t yes apply to be British and get free car, free house, Bring your entire family, free money

Come on down if the price is right!

As for the Queen she has none of these problems and she can sit in comfort whatching her sons play jolly boy soilders whilst the real men and women soilders give their lives for this counrty and are lucky to have a holiday let alone the right gear to fight with!

There is stil a lot of Countryside left you know. There's the Yorkshire Dales, The Scottish Highlands, Large areas of Wales, etc., etc.. Although sadly, they are under constant threat from the so-called Developers (more like wreckers, in my opinion!). There's certainly no shortage of "Brown Belt" land, which they could use. But no. It's cheaper to buy "Green Belt" land, so that's what they use.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 11 Oct 2008, 13:20

I have to agree with Andy on this - in less than an hour I can get to the Peak District, The Dales, The Lake District and Saddleworth Moor and at a push the North York Moors and I don't have a car. In 2 hours I can get to North Wales and Robin Hoods bay

. I agree though having lived in the South East, Hampshire to Kent and North to Essex and then West to Hertfordshire is all one big concrete jungle with only a few unspoilt areas of countryside.

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