I am about as regular posting a letter or a parcel nowadays as I am to receive them (unless its…read morecome from ebay). So you can imagine my surprise when I went into Australia Post the other day and felt like I was being transported into some space shuttle of the future. Clean lines, no isles full of cheap gifts you will never send to relatives overseas, limited product in store, fluro red lighting, someone on a Hoverboard could have zoomed past and it wouldn't have been out of place! Aus Post are now giving you a "self check out" option, which even I as a Gen Y'er was too scared to try. Apparently you can weigh your parcel, pay a bill or post a letter withi this machine. I'm sure that's the way of the future but for now, putting a good old stamp on the front of an envelope and knowing its going to be delivered to someone by a guy on a motorbike is the greatest reward about sending a letter! Even during "peak hour" (1pm) I was served quickly and with a smile!

Flash new Australia Post with a shiny fit out that includes a self-serve drop off point for parcels…read moreand letters. But avoid during weekday lunchtimes unless you want to spend your precious free time in a huge line. The best bit? The Travelex staff in their special little booth. They are always friendly and happy to have a laugh, I always leave their counter with a smile!

Standing proudly on the corner of King William and Franklin Streets sits the Adelaide GPO Building…read moreand this is another of Adelaide's significant buildings designed by Edmund Wright along with Edward John Woods. Of course today it's the Adelaide head office for Australia Post and inside you can do all the normal post office things like post your letters and parcels, pay bills or organise a passport. Where the GPO now stands has actually been the site of the Adelaide post office since 1851 even though the current building wasn't actually built until the years between 1867 and 1872. It took over 20 years before the clock and bells were installed. There were four bells installed to chime and one to strike on the hour. These are the bells you still hear today when they chime every quarter hour. In 1892 the building was extended to accommodate the recently added telephone exchange and by 1894 a new switchboard was installed. It's incredible to think how technology has changed since the days of the first post office and I have to admit, in this age of electronic and social media I enjoy going into the post office to post some old fashioned snail mail. There's something quaint about it in this day and age and I'd really like to think that a building like this hasn't lost its significance or relevance.

What a curious place is Adelaide with all its history carved in stone. It is a beautiful place in…read moreso many ways, and a savage place in others. A dreadful heat pounding on the land so much of the time, and in the cold weather it is truly a cold place. Much of the stone used to build Adelaide buildings was quarried from the local region. The masonry work done on buildings such as Adelaide's rather large General Post Office is quite fine when you get up close, and the historic interiors are very beautiful with a lot of amazing wood work along with the grand design. Sometimes the actual service can seem just as brutal as the weather when you hear the way non mainstream people are handled, but if you turn a blind eye you can get way with believing this whole city is a beautiful place filled with beautiful people. I say this after hearing an Australia Post worker be so incredibly rude to an Indian customer I thought for a moment I was on Candid Camera; I'm not even going to repeat what she said to the woman it is so rude, but I will say this - these people are so complacent and secure in their job positions they think they rule the world. At the Adelaide GPO I have stood and requested to speak with the manager on duty because I've been mocked by a service provider at the counter. I was handed seventy cents worth of five cent coins once in change, and I requested I be given my change with less coin; the woman behind the counter rolled her eyes at me and huffed and puffed because this meant she had to get some other change for her change drawer. Given her display of ridicule towards me I asked if I may speak to the supervisor or manager on duty; which solicited more eye rolling and puffing and huffing, "Oh you'll have to wait," says she. "That's okay," says I, "I will wait." After about nine minutes a woman came out from the back asking, "What's your problem?" Her attitude was clear - I was the bad guy - there was no doubt she had me pegged as some kind of trouble maker. "I'm not happy with the counter service," I said. "What do you expect me to do about it?" says she. "I'm only coming back here if you guarantee I'll be treated with civility and respect; otherwise I'll be writing a long letter to my local MP," I said. "Right," she says, "that's fair enough," I smiled, "Good, we'll leave it at that then" and I left. Don't let them get away with it say I. If they are rude be quite clear that you want to speak to someone about their rudeness. It is such a beautiful building, it would be a great tragedy if people stopped coming in to it because the staff were so incredibly rude.

I've used A LOT of different post offices in my time, both for professional and personal reasons -…read moreand Norwood Post is one of the best. Why? Well, if you'll permit me to answer in list form: 1. Location. A central, easy to get to location near other facilities like Foodland and pharmacies. It's also about 3 minutes' walk from my house (not that this info helps you guys) 2. Range. It's got all of the usual post office stuff and is well laid out, with lots of desks and pens to do your posting. It also has a good selection of nicnacs, stationery, gift cards, phones, and is especially great when it comes to kids stuff. 3. Service. Yes the lines can get long but I've never had to wait very long here. All engines are running and all counters have staff behind 'em. They're also very helpful and informative and just, well, nice.

For some reason this is my local post office I need to go to when I miss my packages in the mail…read more And on account of the fact that I get a lot of packages (not of the herbal remedy kind) I am here almost every second week. Service has continued to decline and staff aren't keen on staying open more than a minute past 5pm so tough luck if you walk in 5 minutes before close to make a transaction! It isn't too busy in the middle of the day though so at least you are able to avoid a long wait and once served are quickly dealt with. There is a particular female staff member who works most days and still refuses to show an interest in her job or providing a warm welcome into the store but I guess I wouldn't be too happy if I worked for the postal service either to be honest...

I post things a lot ... I run my own online business, and I study by correspondence. Out of all…read morethe Australia Post outlets I have visited, this one is one of the best for customer service. This Post Shop is pretty small, but has all the packaging you could need, as well as a range of books, DVDs and stationery that you would expect at an Aus Post outlet. For some reason, it's hardly ever busy, which is great when you're in a hurry during a lunch break. I've always found the staff helpful, and they have often given me suggestions for decreasing my postage costs.