Unless you're lucky, Australia Post Paddington will almost always greet you with an extensive line-up of bored patrons. Located at Paddington Central - right next to a busy bus stop - this P.O. draws in large numbers, which is also evidenced by the store's size and extensive range of gifts.
Paddington P.O. is more of a gift shop with an Australia Post tacked onto the end. The store packs the queue with an assortment of non-essentials - puzzles, books and toys, the latter so a bored child in the queue has enough time to whine about a desired toy and maybe even get it. (Usually the kiddies aren't so lucky, I've noticed. A snapped, "Put it back and get up off the floor" is the standard parental response.)
The other thing about Paddington P.O. is that the staff are friendly, which is kind of a double-edged sword. You don't want to be served by an arsehole, but by the same token you run the risk of getting into a chat at the counter. This makes the turnover time at the counter here quite long at times, especially if someone's buying a mobile phone and there's a discussion about what the best new model is.
Definitely don't make the mistake of thinking that you can line up here while waiting for your bus. You know the rule: as soon as you're served, the bus will show up and you'll be that person running after the bus while everyone watches you trip along. Then you have to return to the scene of the crime. Not cool. read more