New Zealand By Mail

Airmail is the best way to send mail home. Aerogrammes, printed sheets that fold into envelopes and travel via airmail, are available at post offices or shops. They cost NZ$1.50 to send anywhere in the world from New Zealand. Write “airmail” on the front. Most post offices will charge exorbitant fees or simply refuse to send aerogrammes with enclosures. A regular 200g letter sent airmail from New Zealand will cost about NZ$2.50 to Australia and NZ$3 to the rest of the world. Surface mail is by far the cheapest and slowest way to send mail. It takes one to two months to cross the Atlantic and one to three to cross the Pacific. It’s good for heavy items you won’t need for a while.

Sending Mail To New Zealand

In addition to the standard postage system, Federal Express (Australia ☎13 26 10, Canada and US 800-463-3339, Ireland 800 535 800, New Zealand 0800 733 339, UK 0800 123 800; www.fedex.com) handles express mail services from most countries to New Zealand. There are several ways to arrange pickup of letters sent to you while you are abroad. Mail can be sent via Poste Restante (General Delivery) to almost any city or town in New Zealand with a post office, and is quite reliable. Address Poste Restante letters like so:

- Elusive KIWI
- Poste Restante, CPO
- City, NEW ZEALAND

No zip or area code is necessary. The mail will go to a special desk in the central post office, unless you specify a post office by street address or postal code. It’s best to use the largest post office, since mail may be sent there regardless. It is usually safer and quicker, though more expensive, to send mail express or registered. Bring your passport (or other photo ID) for pickup; there may be a small fee. If the clerks insist that there is nothing for you, have them check under your first name as well. Let’s Go lists post offices or shops in the Practical Information section for each city and most towns. Post shops offer post office services in shops.

American Express’s travel offices throughout the world offer a free Client Letter Service (mail held up to 30 days and forwarded upon request) for cardholders who contact them in advance. Some offices will offer these services to non-cardholders (especially AmEx Travelers Cheque holders), but call ahead.