Christmas has come in more ways than one for Tamworth and Gunnedah's Australia Post Offices.
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Not just rescuing many from lock-down listlessness, it could be said they are keeping our region afloat with essentials.
They are now the conduit providing us with potentially life-saving items like medicine, as well as keeping normal tasks like paying bills accessible as banks and service providers shorten hours or close stores.
I think it's great people are staying home and dealing with their isolation in a way that makes them happy.
- Tracey Lang
Tamworth's store manager Tracey Lang said their parcel deliveries were up by 80 per cent compared to this time last year.
"It's pretty much a Christmas boom," she laughed.
While seeing a huge increase in parcel delivery from online shoppers, she and her "fantastic team" had seen a drop in letter sending.
"I think it's great people are staying home and dealing with their isolation in a way that makes them happy," she said when asked if people were going 'overboard'.
The company as a whole is facing limited airfreight, but she explained while there could be some delays in delivery, the posties and contractors were "taking it in their stride".
"[Everyone] is doing a really great job to get these parcels delivered," she said.
Down the road in Gunnedah, Australia Post Office store manager Scott Payne has seen an increase not just in parcel delivery, but also in foot traffic.
Despite hearing criticisms about the number of residents walking through Gunnedah stores, he said residents had been respectful and "incredibly mindful" of distancing rules.
People come in to pay things like phone bills and green slips, as service providers and banks reduce hours or close stores in town.
"It's been quite complex because people are getting into difficult circumstances with self isolation, so for us to maintain policies and help people out, it's been difficult," he explained.
The silver lining - people who go in person are buying much more stocked items in store than usual.
We've also seen medications being sent to people who have had trouble getting them in town.
- Scott Payne
As for trending item delivery, he has seen many deliveries of hand sanitiser, but not as much toilet paper.
"We've also seen medications being sent to people who have had trouble getting them in town," he said.
Rapidly changing the way we do ordinary things, Mr Payne expects some of what we are doing today will carry over after the lockdown ends.
The sale of prepaid credit cards has increased as a result, selling as much in a day as he would in a week.
He thanked head office for providing essentials like sanitiser whenever they needed it.
"If I could ask one thing though, bring your own pens, and remember to bring your P.O. box key."
