A "friendship plate" landed in Jenny Dobson's mailbox last month from The Stay Inn, a Facebook group formed during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Mrs Dobson said she was invited to join the online community during the pandemic and was now one of the top contributors.
The forum included support for members going through mental health challenges or family issues, but it was also about friendly camaraderie.
"It’s a lot of fun. There’s a lot of joking. There’s a lot of banter."
Mrs Dobson has had the friendship plate for about a month but was now passing it on to her friend Rosemary Brook.
The two met when Mrs Brook was Mrs Dobson’s nurse while she was giving birth to her son 45 years ago.
Nine months later, they discovered they were navigating new motherhood together.
"I found out I was pregnant and I rang her up," Mrs Brook said.
"And I burst out laughing and we have been good friends ever since," Mrs Dobson said.
That connection proved vital when Mrs Brook's husband Neville collapsed on a golf course, requiring two major operations for a torn aorta.
"Jenny was a big support both times ... especially after the first surgery,'' Mrs Brook said.
The care was reciprocated when Mrs Dobson's husband Les died.
``We've been there for each other,'' Mrs Brook said.
This long-term relationship was why Mrs Dobson knew she wanted to pass the friendship plate on to Mrs Brook.
Stay Inn co-founder Stephen "Chalky" Whyte, of West Yorkshire, posted the plate to Dunedin.
He founded the 17,000-member group to connect people during the pandemic.
"I thought if people can't go to the pub we will bring the pub to them."
Mr Whyte launched the friendship plate initiative after a friend found it in a charity shop, asking members to eventually pass it to a deserving recipient.
It travelled from England to Australia before reaching Mrs Dobson.
