We had a letterbox that was inconvenient. We couldn’t retrieve mail without first needing to lift the entire letterbox out of a cavity in the retaining wall and then open the lid.

From the looks of it this wasn’t even its original colour but somebody chose this colour and painted it this way.

Our house numbers were also located on the letterbox. Some quite small numbers right underneath “LETTERS”. (I’ve removed the numbers from the photos for privacy reasons.) And the letterbox was facing away from the street, towards our driveway and carport. So it wasn’t entirely clear to people visiting which address to stop at unless they managed to spot the tiny hidden letterbox with the even tinier house numbers. And considering the amount of tradesmen and deliveries we currently have coming and going I felt it would be a good thing if that could be rectified at the same time.

So facing the street there was no sight of a letterbox or house numbers.

I had an idea for how I wanted to upgrade the letterbox but I wasn’t sure it would work for our mailman. He’s easy to hear coming down the street because he’s got a clunky little motorbike so when I heard him approach one day I ran out on the porch and called out to him.

I only got so far as to tell him I wanted to get a new letterbox when he got off his motorbike and BOWED! True story! He said that I just made his day. So apparently our awkward letterbox arrangement hasn’t only been annoying me for the past four weeks, but the postman for YEARS! He introduced himself as Peter Postman and said he’d even forego his Christmas bonus (bloody cheek) if I went through with the changes.

So when I knew my idea would fly with Peter Postie I got on to clearing the space where I wanted the new letterbox to sit.

I figured the corner of the retaining wall would be a good visible spot to host a larger sized letter box, as well as being accessible both from the front for Peter Postie, and the back for us. (It’s a rather high spot which was why I wanted to clear it with the postman first, make sure he could reach it without getting off his bike.) It would also be facing the street so the new larger house numbers, which I would put right underneath the letterbox, they would finally be visible as well.

A bush was growing in the spot where I wanted the new letterbox so in my new undertaking as arboretum murderer I simply took to the secateurs and the saw again and hacked away until most of it was gone. I will not win any landscaping awards for my handiwork, I tell ya, but I got the immediate result I wanted. The shadows make it a bit difficult to see but the bush is gone and the corner is clear.

And to my dear friends T & C, from what I’ve been told about the area, I think this is a Sydney Funnel Web spider‘s nest. I thought you’d get a kick out of that.

Wonder if anyone’s home…? Right next to where the new letterbox was going… Not ideal. I think I finally have to call the Pest man, I’ve been putting it off but I can see now that I need to face that potential issue sooner rather than later.

I liquid nailed the new letterbox on to the stone. I have commitment issues and wasn’t sure this was the final resting place for it so instead of bolting in to the rock I went for a softer approach. Just in case I change my mind down the track. Trust me. It’s a very likely scenario.

And I got some nice large plain stainless steel house numbers and will fasten them too on to the rock, right next to Spidey McSpiderson and right underneath the mailbox.

Wonder what Peter Postie will say on Monday?