Courier Parcels and Mail Update
Updated on 23 October 2025
Newly affected areas: Dunedin and the West Coast
We anticipate delivery services will return to normal from Friday, 24 October, following the State of Emergency and Red Level Weather Warnings issued on Thursday, 23 October.
Temporary Service Suspensions
To keep our people safe and off the roads, courier and mail deliveries were paused on Thursday, 23 October in the following regions:
North Island:
Wellington
Lower Wairarapa (south of Carterton)
South Island:
Dunedin
West Coast
Greymouth
Invercargill
Canterbury
Marlborough (including Kaikōura)
Expected Delivery Delays
Service Type | Expected Delay |
Courier & Economy Parcels | 1–2 working days |
1–2 working days | |
Express | Minimum 1 working day |
Perishable Items | Minimum 1 working day (held in chillers where possible) |
NZ Post Stores
NZ Post stores in the affected regions are expected to resume normal opening hours from Friday, 24 October.
For the latest updates in your area, please check Find NZ Post tool.
Weather and Road Condition
State Highway 1 reopened this morning (22 October), helping restore parcel movement between the North and South Islands.
Lewis Pass (SH7) remains closed due to previous heavy rain.
We’re monitoring conditions across the South Island and will update this page as new information becomes available
Chatham Islands Service Update
Unplanned maintenance has disrupted sea transport to the Chatham Islands.
We’ve added third-party air capacity to minimise disruption, but due to limited capacity and high volumes, please expect:
Mail and parcels: Delays of at least 7 working days
Delivery Times for Labour Day and Hawke’s Bay Anniversary
Updated on 23/10/2025
NZ Post will follow a different delivery schedule over the Labour Day and Hawke’s Bay Anniversary weekend.
National – Labour Weekend Delivery Schedule
Courier items
Overnight parcels sent on Friday, 24 October, with a Saturday delivery ticket will be delivered on Saturday, 25 October.
Overnight parcels without a Saturday delivery ticket will be delivered from Tuesday, 28 October.
Courier Economy items
Parcels sent on Friday, 24 October will be delivered from Wednesday, 29 October.
PO Box lobbies
Closed on Monday, 27 October.
Perishable goods
All perishable items must be sent on Friday, 24 October to ensure delivery by Saturday, 25 October, before the public holiday.
Perishable items without a Saturday label will not be delivered until Tuesday, 28 October.
Hawke’s Bay Region – Anniversary Weekend Delivery Schedule
Courier items
Overnight parcels sent on Thursday, 23 October will be delivered on Tuesday, 28 October.
Courier Economy items
Parcels sent on Thursday, 23 October will be delivered from Wednesday, 29 October.
PO Box lobbies
Closed on Friday, 24 October and Monday, 27 October.
Perishable goods
All perishable items must be sent on Wednesday, 22 October for delivery by Thursday, 23 October, before the public holiday.
Perishable items sent on Thursday, 23 October will not be delivered until Tuesday, 28 October.
Tip: If you’re sending time-sensitive or perishable parcels, please plan ahead to avoid delays over the public holiday period.
Disruption
Here's the current disruption to the NZ Post network as of October 20, 2025.
Domestic delivery updates
Unplanned maintenance has affected sea transport to the Chatham Islands. The team is taking steps to reduce disruption by adding extra third-party air capacity. However, due to high air freight volumes, capacity remains limited, and delays of at least 7 working days are expected for mail and parcels.
International delivery updates
15 October: All sending services to Canada have now resumed. Please note that delays are expected as we work through the backlog of parcels resulting from the recent strike.
Sending overseas: Parcels may experience delays — typically one day for all items leaving New Zealand, and up to 4 days for shipments to Canada.
Receiving from overseas: Parcel deliveries are not experiencing significant delays.
Additional resources for the latest information:
US and US territories sending restrictions
Some delivery services to the United States and its territories (including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands) have resumed. These updates follow the removal of the duty-free threshold, meaning that starting 29 August (EST), all items entering the US are subject to duties and taxes regardless of their value.
Additionally, new regulations now apply when sending items to the US or its territories. See here
Upcoming Public Holidays – Delivery Schedule
Labour Day Public Holiday
The Customer Care Centre phoneline will be closed on Labour Day, Monday 27 October. Customers and partners may still submit inquiries online during this period. Normal operating hours will resume at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 28 October.
There will be no pickups or deliveries nationwide on Labour Day, Monday 27 October.
Overnight parcels sent on Friday, 24 October with Saturday delivery tickets will be processed for delivery on Saturday, 25 October.
Overnight parcels not ticketed for Saturday delivery will be processed for delivery from Tuesday, 28 October.
Economy parcels sent on Friday, 24 October will be processed for delivery from Wednesday, 29 October.
Perishable items sent on Friday, 24 October must have a Saturday delivery label applied to ensure delivery on Saturday, 25 October, before the public holiday. Perishables without a Saturday label will not be delivered until Tuesday, 28 October
Hawke’s Bay Anniversary Day – Friday, 24 October
There will be no pickups or deliveries in regions observing Hawke’s Bay Anniversary Day.
Overnight parcels sent on Thursday, 23 October within the Hawke’s Bay region will be processed for delivery on Saturday, 25 October.
Economy parcels sent on Thursday, 23 October will be processed for delivery from Wednesday, 29 October.
Perishable items sent into the region must be dispatched by Wednesday, 22 October to ensure delivery by Thursday, 23 October. Perishables sent after this date will not be delivered until Tuesday, 28 October.