Portobello postie Lyn Cameron-Manu will make her last deliveries today after nearly 30 years on the job. One of the first things she's likely to do on Monday - the first day of her new life in retirement - is to check her pockets for dog biscuits.
"I'll probably put them outside for a dog to eat them,'' she joked. ‘‘On a lot of levels, it's been a great job,'' she said.
"I've always been an outdoors person. I love the outdoors, and talking to people.''
Plenty of posties have had close encounters with dogs over the years, but, partly thanks to her dog biscuit-carrying precautions, Mrs Cameron-Manu (67) says "I have no trouble with dogs''.
But there was one exception.
About 15 years ago, one small dog, probably over-enthusiastic to see her, burst unexpectedly out of a nearby hedge in Portobello, and she fell from her bike, receiving some bad grazes.
Having grown up on Otago Peninsula, where she attended Portobello School, she has become popular with the locals, as well as with their dogs.
As the local postie, she has provided plenty of friendly social contact through the years, including for some residents living on their own.
She has taken one older woman under her wing, also helping deliver a few groceries and dropping in for the odd cup of coffee.
Mrs Cameron-Manu's retirement coincides with big changes in parts of the Otago Peninsula mail service.
Main deliveries at Portobello are switching from six days a week to three days, as part of national postal changes.
From next week, mail will be delivered at Portobello and Broad Bay on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Mail will be delivered at Macandrew Bay on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
A New Zealand Post spokeswoman emphasised postal service standards were not changing and express parcels would be delivered overnight, and postal box and rural delivery services remained unchanged.
Mrs Cameron-Manu has seen many other changes through the years.
She first delivered the mail on a scooter and later rode a succession of other small motorbikes for nearly 20 years before driving a car for the past 10.
When the postie started, overall mail volumes were much greater and about 90% involved letters - "junk mail'' was much less common.
But the previously frequent personal letters have dwindled and parcels are now more plentiful, many resulting from internet buying.
Back in her motorcycle days she coped with plenty of bad weather, sometimes having to shelter in someone's garage briefly before continuing.
She is looking forward to retirement, saying it will be easier to head away for occasional weekend trips with her husband, John Manu, without having to worry about delivering the Saturday mail.
And as for the job itself, "I think I'll probably miss it''.
