He has crisscrossed the globe delivering postcards from the edge of the world, which none of their authors probably expected to reach their destination.
Traveller Jonny Beardmore has taken it upon himself to become the Galapagos postman – a one-man mail delivery service carrying heartfelt missives written to family, lost loves and even to the authors themselves.
And now his journey of 36,000 miles has reached Scotland – where an unsuspecting woman in Kilmarnock was the latest recipient of one of the letters.
New Zealander Jonny’s journey began on the tiny Isla Floreana, where an ancient bucket postbox sits on the sand.
In past times, sailors would drop letters there in the hope a passing ship might be heading to their desired destination, and nowadays it has become a custom for visitors to drop off postcards carrying messages to someone special, or even just their thoughts of being so far from the rest of the world.
Beardmore has taken 50 of these postcards, and is on a year-long quest to deliver them to addresses across seven continents, with number 25 taking him to Kilmarnock in Ayrshire.
On the way he’s met with people across the globe and heard tales both poignant and inspiring from those he’s been able to hand the postcards to.
So far, Jonny’s quest has taken him to South, Central and North America. Recipients include a doctor in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a love letter to San Pedro, Belize, a mother who could not read in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and a honeymooning couple in Washago, Canada.
The adventurer’s main motivation is to raise money for MND charities in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, which are focused on improving the quality of life, funding research, and campaigning for people affected by MND.
“My inspiration for this endeavour comes from my father, Eric. He battled MND for over 8 years until he passed away in 2022. Through this project, I aim to reconnect people through the written word, emphasising the personal touch that letters provide.
“But there’s more: I want to highlight the loss of mobility and freedom of movement that my father and other MND sufferers experience—a reminder that we should never take these abilities for granted.”
Follow Jonny's adventures here:
See @bigoadventures on Instagram for more detail
And support his fundraising at MND Scotland
The rules are simple – He turns up at the address on the postcard and waits for a day until it can be handed over. If he can’t find the recipient, the postcard goes in the mailbox as ‘the Galapagos postman always delivers’.
Despite facing communication barriers, high fences, and the occasional big dog, there have only been one card which has not been handed over.
And in Scotland, he managed to complete his quest - when he delivered a postcard addressed to Jen Watson, an account manager for G Adventures travel agents, who had sent it to herself.
Ms Watson, who has worked in the travel industry for almost two decades, posted the card see if it would be delivered, and to meet fellow adventurers.
She said: "It’s amazing that the card was delivered. I’ve has spoken about the letterbox as part of my job with G Adventures.
"It’s so cool that it’s part of the Galapagos Postman challenge. Good luck on rest of journey."
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Jonny, a consultant based in London, says it has been a “privilege” to be the postman for such unusual letters.
He said: “I look for adventures and journeys with a purpose to them, and this is about making connections.
“We lost that during Covid, so I wanted to get back out there and see the world on a personal basis. It’s been an interesting way to meet people, and a unique way to travel the world.
“And I have loved the people that I have met. They have opened up to me when they have understood why I was there, because there is a personal connection.”
Some of the messages have been very personal. One was from a Student, Alex Marquez, who was working on an environmental project in the Galapagos, to her mother, who had been injured in a fall.
Marquez had wanted to return home, but her mother urged her to stay and follow her dream – so she wrote down all her thanks on the postcard, never expecting it to arrive until Jonny brought it to her mother’s door.
Alex said: “I wrote her something I never told her in daily conversations, that I was very grateful that she had convinced me to stay and to keep living my dream.”
Jonny has also found his fame is spreading, sparking an amazing coincidence when he tried to deliver one postcard in England.
He said: “I was walking down the main street in Godalming and I was recognised by a mother and daughter, who knew me from an adventure festival called Yestival where I spoke online about the Galapagos postman challenge in June when I was in Winnipeg, Canada.
“Turns out that they are neighbours with the letter recipients and know them. They have messaged them and arranged for me to meet them to deliver the letter. The odds of this happening are ridiculous.”
Angela Harris, Director of Support Development at MND Scotland, said: “MND Scotland are delighted to welcome and Support Jonny on his visit to Scotland.
“The MND community are wonderful at coming together to raise awareness for this brutal disease.
“We will continue to support Jonny’s travels and together raise awareness of MND. Safe travels, and good luck Galapagos Postman!”
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