Nationwide appeal for quirky letterbox exhibition project

A Northland organisation has put out a challenge to all DIY home handy people to produce the quirkiest letterbox in New Zealand.

 The Kaipara Coast Plant Centre & Sculpture Gardens at Kaukapakapa has organised the competition.

``We want artists, home-handymen, engineers, creative souls, builders, gardeners, craftspeople or anyone to create an unusual, amazing letterbox that challenge the standard New Zealand letterbox,’’ centre manager David Bayly said today.

``The more creative, fun and funky the better. There will be prizes for the most original, most bizarre, most creative, and most colourful and a people’s choice letterboxes.’’

All the letterbox entries will be for sale, to spread more unusual boxes around the Kaipara district. The NZ letter box project was the brainchild of Bayly’s wife, Geraldine. David Bayly said they wanted to run the letterbox project this year as letterboxes become less used as more people and businesses use the internet to communicate.

 ``I can’t help but wonder if the iconic NZ letter box will soon be a thing of the past? Maybe a few more interesting letterboxes around the countryside will help keep the excitement of going out to the letterbox alive for another generation.’’

A Kaipara-based rural postie, Carol Whitelaw, drives 216km on her run putting mail into letterboxes every day and has come across some quirky boxes including a vacuum cleaner, a microwave and a bicycle where the letters go in the basket.

Entries close October 30 and the exhibition of the best boxes opens November 20.