Hokitika postie Diane Howe has won Rural Women New Zealand's Postman pat-on-the-back Award.
Rural Women organised the competition to acknowledge the exceptional service that many rural posties deliver to their country customers.
Ms Howe was nominated by Anne van Beek and Di Strang.
They say Ms Howe became a rural postie after her husband Bernie died following an accident delivering mail in the area. She didn't want to let his customers down, so took on the run herself.
That was 12 years ago and she now travels 52-thousand kilometres a year, delivering the mail, as well as medicine and other necessities to about 500 clients.
