Stoke resident Ivan Taylor is happy to receive a calendar from his sister in England, even though it took 108 days by post to arrive.

A former naval man, he reckons that's about 19th-century sailing ship speed.

Mr Taylor's sister, Hope, posted two calendars on October 10 from Ilkley in Yorkshire, one to him and the other to their sister in Taos, New Mexico.

It's become a family tradition each year, to receive a Yorkshire pictorial calendar as a reminder of where they were brought up. Mr Taylor said his sister thought the calendar had ample time to get to New Zealand by Christmas.

It arrived on Saturday, belated but appreciated all the same, so he rang her on Sunday to thank her.

It was Saturday United Kingdom time and he said she told him "that's odd" because she had that day received back the calendar she had posted to New Mexico saying there was not such address - yet a Christmas card she had sent to the same address arrived.

The Royal Mail's website says expected delivery to Australasia takes up to 12 weeks

A NZ Post spokesman said there was currently no backlog in New Zealand Post's processing of mail arriving in New Zealand. "Once mail touches down at a New Zealand airport it is almost always processed and into our delivery chain within 24 hours."

He noted Christmas was the busiest season for many postal services, and had been known to create delays in mail from overseas.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Comments