End of (River) Road for rural delivery couple

DON AND MAREE Adams have delivered mail to canoes, refrigerators, lawn mower catchers, fence posts and other letterboxes along the Whanganui River Rd for more than 14 years.
Now they have come to the end of the letterbox line, selling their rural delivery contract so they can focus on their other business, the chartered coach service Take It Easy Tours.
Mr Adams said the move would allow the Wanganui couple more time to themselves. He often worked seven days without a break.
He would miss witnessing the changing of seasons, the cups of tea looking out along the valley and driving along the windy road, he said.
Above all, he would miss the River Rd people, who had become his friends over the past 14 years. "I do feel as though I'm going to miss it. I'll miss that close contact with people."
When the close-knit River Rd community threw a farewell party last week, to thank Mr and Mrs Adams for many years of dedicated service, the locals thanked them for their persistence during the February 2004 floods.
Despite slips blocking large sections of road and the threat of more to come, Mr Adams made every effort to continue his deliveries.
"They were a lifeline to us," resident Lois Gilbert said. Former River Rd resident Heather Caseley said the Adamses often helped residents by picking up forgotten grocery items from town.
"They're very people-orientated. I think rural service people have to be a very special breed."
Although the rural post contract was originally Mr Adams' responsibility, Mrs Adams said she was quickly cajoled into helping.
"I always used to say, 'I'm not learning how to do it; I don't want to get roped in'." Mrs Adams said the couple had learned to live on "river time" and take life one hurdle at a time.
"If you get stuck in a slip, you just sit there and wait. There is no point getting worked up about it." Life on the road was never dull.
"I wish we had kept notes of all the funny things that happened over the years. We could have written a book." The couple ran a sightseeing venture together with the rural delivery contract.
For $35, tourists could join the early morning delivery run, which included a running commentary and scenic detours.
"The delivery run is your bread and butter. Tourists are the cream on top," Mrs Adams said. The delivery contract will be taken over by Noel Petherick, of Wanganui, next Monday. He will maintain the tourism component of the venture.
Based in Wanganui, Mr Petherick has worked for the Hairdressing Industry Training Organisation in Wellington for the past 12 months, commuting between the two cities.
He said he was looking forward to providing the same high-quality service as the Adamses.
"I like the outdoors, I like driving, I like meeting people, and that's what this is all about."