I ordered a book from Amazon Australia on April 22nd for a May 4th birthday present. It was received by Australia Post for shipping on April 28th with an expected delivery somewhere around the birthday .
“It’s on the way!” says their friendly tracking system, but with the proviso that,” Your parcel may take longer than usual to arrive due to COVID-19 disruptions”.
One week to get from Sydney to North Arm Cove after I got a switch from a locked-down communist China in four days? However, covid is mutating fast here and the book will only be a bit late for the birthday.
The book eventually left the Australia Post Botany facility on May 3rd for Newcastle. A bit slow but hopeful.
Only it next turns up at Adelaide airport. Maybe it’s covid-safer to fly the item from Adelaide to North Arm Cove than to put it in a van from Newcastle. Long-distance drone delivery perhaps?
But no such luck. It comes back to Sydney. Obviously being chased by a rapid covid mutation in SA.
Now, you’re not going to believe this (but maybe you will), my book then goes to Sunshine West in, Melbourne, Victoria. Maybe covid can infect the Aus Post truckie Tom Toms? You know - north becomes south and North Arm Cove becomes Port Phillip. A covid-induced reversal of the earth’s magnetic field. That sort of thing.
As of this morning, it’s now back in Sydney with a revised estimated delivery date of May 17th . By this time my book will have travelled approximately 4995km from when it started out a mere 200km from my house three and a half weeks before.
Covid certainly has a lot to answer for. But maybe I’ll be offered a compensatory left-over Australia Post Cartier watch. Bet the battery's flat by now.
(Another Tony H rant)
You are not alone. P2.5
You are not alone. P2.5 filters for face mask ordered 15 April. The parcel went to Adelaide on 19 April and disappeared. Australia Post will not let you put in a lost parcel notification until the parcel has been missing for weeks, so the notification has just been lodged.