This post is sponsored by Australia Post.
This is a question that has been plaguing me for much of my adult life. When I worked a desk job about 6 years ago, it was literally impossible for me to pick up a parcel at the post office. I worked 9 to 5 and my office was a 45 minute drive away from my local P.O, so I was only ever available to go and get my parcels once they were already closed. I couldn’t have my packages delivered to my work place because it was a university and actually getting the package into the right hands was a total nightmare. Thankfully I had kept in touch with my former boss from the time I worked at my local post office as a teenager. And as a favour, she would take my parcels back to her place for me to collect after work. This is obviously a solution that’s available to almost no one, so at the time I would wonder how other people managed to get their packages within normal working hours. I now work from home and my trip to the post office is often the most exciting part of my day but for most Australians, who work in offices and probably for longer hours than ever, I know of a solution that may well change your life. Well, maybe not your life but it’ll certainly make your post office dealings a hell of a lot easier. Australia Post has recently introduced 24/7 Parcel Lockers so that you can pick up your parcels any time you like. 6am in the morning when you’re walking your dog, 3am when you’ve just finished a night shift or even at 6.30pm when you’ve just finished work and the post office counter has just closed.
Why Parcel Lockers Rock
They’re 100% flexible
You can go and get your parcel any time you like. At 6am or at midnight. It doesn’t matter. You’re the boss baby. You’re a free spirit. You won’t be tamed by your post office’s opening hours. You’re a lone wolf. You can register for the Parcel Lockers online here. You can also register for lockers at different locations which is totally bad arse. I once used a Parcel Locker to have swimsuit delivered to me in Queensland. I felt extremely savvy that day.
You don’t have to wait in line
The last time I was at the post office, the dude standing behind me SNIFFED MY HAIR. As if that wasn’t awkward enough but I had to stand there in front of him for another 20 minutes while the person in front of me posted what seemed like 400 parcels. Parcel Lockers are the perfect way to avoid this awkwardness. [divider type=”thin” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”]
You know exactly when your parcel arrives
When the parcel reaches the locker Australia Post texts or emails you a code which is brilliant because you might right near your Parcel Locker and you can just pop in and grab it. Futuristic. [divider type=”thin” width=”1/1″ el_position=”first last”]
You can pretend like you’re a spy
You go inside the parcel locker room, type in your code and a door just pops open. It actually feels like you’re one of Ocean’s Eleven cracking the code on a vault. Super sneaky. ‘Gee, I wonder which locker my parcel is hiding in? MAGICAL LUCKY DIP!!!’
Another service Australia Post has started offering is Parcel Collect. Basically, you register online and you choose the Australia Post location where you would like your parcel delivered to. You then receive notification as soon as your parcel is ready for collection. Easy!
Why Parcel Collect Rocks
No need to re-arrange your day
If you’re expecting an important delivery, you don’t have to sit at home all day waiting for it. You just get sent a text message when the package arrives at your chosen post office, which is brilliant because you can just go about your day as normal. You can sign up for Parcel Collect for free here. 
You can keep your online shopping habits a secret from your spouse
There’s nothing quite like a pile of post office slips to give away the fact that you went on a little shopping binge last month. With Parcel Collect you can pick your fancy new boots up from the post office, sneak them inside the house and pretend you’ve had them for ten years. Stealth. You can also have larger deliveries like boxes of wine delivered with Parcel Collect. Win. 
No annoying letterbox surprises
You’ll no longer experience that annoying moment when you get home from the post office, only to find that there’s another parcel notification waiting for you there.
You can keep your address private
This is perfect for people who are part of online communities that trade goods. You can never be too careful with giving out your address and this way you can give your ‘address’ to anyone and they’ll never know where you actually live. Stalker weirdo prevention is always a bonus.
Over to you…
How do you pick up your parcels? Do you find navigating parcel delivery as difficult as I do?
This post is co-ordinated by The Remarkables Group