New Zealand has a very efficient postal service. The service is operated by New Zealand Post and it costs just 50c to post a standard letter within the country. In most instances, the letter will arrive at its destination within two to three days. There is also a fast-post service available for $1, which should ensure your letter arrives at its destination the next day. Post from Australia normally only takes three to five days to arrive, while post from the UK and the US normally takes a week to 10 days.

Posting a medium-sized letter to Australia costs around $1.50, and posting to most other parts of the world will cost around $2. The cost of posting packages overseas depends on the weight of the package and the speed at which you want it delivered. New Zealand Post delivers mail to householders six days of the week, and you can buy stamps at most supermarkets, bookshops and all New Zealand Post shops. If you do not want your mail sent to your home address, you can organise a post office box through your nearest New Zealand Post store. Check out www.nzpost.co.nz for more details.

DHL, 0800 800 020, www.dhl.co.nz
World Courier, 0800 275 5300, www.worldcourier.com/nz
TNT, 0800 275-868, www.tnt.co.nz
Gateway Express, 0800 920 2000, www.gatewayexpress.co.nz
New Zealand Couriers, 0800 800 841, www.nzcouriers.co.nz
Urgent Couriers, (09) 307 3555, www.urgent.co.nz
Fastway, (09) 634-3704, www.fastway.co.nz