Out Tallygaroopna way, Post Office operators Greg and Andrea White have never been busier.
They have been run off their feet keeping up with deliveries of parcels ordered online by people stuck at home home during lockdown restrictions.
“Busy is an understatement,” Greg said.
“The growth in parcel deliveries and collections has been staggering. We've been here 16 years and we've never seen anything like it.”
Greg said regular mail runs to Katandra West and Wunghnu had also been increased, with "literally car loads" of parcels being delivered.
“This is busier than Christmas,” Greg said.
He said smaller parcels could be left in mailboxes, but larger ones were kept at the town's Victoria St office for people to come in and pick up, meaning the office was also busier than ever. However, social distancing rules meant only one person at a time could enter the shop.
“When we introduced social distancing, people thought it was strange at first and kept coming closer to the counter, so we had to put up a barrier,” Greg said.
“A week later people were thanking us, saying ‘we feel so safe'.”
Australia Post figures confirm the huge jump in online sales.
Based on national delivery data, online sales for the last week of April were up 86 per cent on last year.
The figures show online department store sales increased 207 per cent, athletics-leisure was up 199 percent, fashion accessories up 175 per cent, and hampers and specialty foods up 151 per cent. Fashion sales increased by 99 per cent, driven by loungewear, pyjamas and casual clothing.
Greg said talking to customers had revealed puzzles and games had been popular online orders.
He said he and Andrea missed the daily chats and regular face-to-face contact with customers who would come in to buy their copy of The News.
“Now we put the newspaper in people's mailboxes along with their other deliveries,” Greg said.
“It's been an interesting time — people are being very friendly and out walking every day — but we'll be happy when it's all over.
“We're just thankful nobody from here has been diagnosed.”