Builder wins NZ quirkiest letterbox competition

Media release - November 18, 2010

Northland builder wins first NZ quirkiest letterbox competition

Northland builder Iain Cathcart has won the first-ever quirkiest New Zealand letterbox competition.

Cathcart's ferro-cement letterbox in the shape of a crown, with libertia plants on top, was today named the winner of the most unusual letterbox by judges and organisers David and Geraldine Bayly of the Kaipara Coast Plant Centre & Sculpture Gardens at Kaukapakapa.

The competition attracted about 30 entries from around the country including, Whangarei, Hamilton, Orewa, Helensville, Auckland, Whangaparoa, Makarau and Taranaki.

Cathcart said today his crown letterbox was meant to be a tulip flower, but he couldn't work out the shape perfectly so it turned into a crown.

"The great thing about cement is that you can add things later. Remember Van Gogh said 'If you ever needed inspiration, look at nature'.

``I have three of my letterboxes collecting mail in Auckland and my postie loved my own letterbox so much that he commissioned me to make one for a friend. I just love letterboxes as they are your public interface containing information for you.''

For his effort, Cathcart won a three day walking holiday at the newly established Kaipara2Kaipara walk in north Auckland. The three night 35km Kaipara2Kaipara walk takes visitors on a journey through heartland New Zealand experiencing flora and fauna special to the area.

The posties' choice letterbox was won by Whangarei artist Bruce Young, who has a striking sculpture installed at the Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens.

Carol Whitelaw, judge of the posties' award, said Young's letterbox was her favourite because it had plenty of room for parcels and was ''just gorgeous". A few letterboxes didn't meet the New Zealand Post criteria, but they looked so impressive.

Young won a night's accommodation and meals at the historic Mataia homestead in Glorit, near Kaukapakapa.

The winning letterboxes and other entries will be open to the public at the Kaipara centre's exhibition from Saturday along with 70 sculptures by artists throughout New Zealand.

People visiting the exhibition will be invited to slip their votes in to their favourite letterbox in a people's choice award which will run for a year before a 2011 winner is named.

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