Editing Eastbourne, New Zealand (section)

== Culture and features today ==
Eastbourne constitutes [[Point Howard]], Sorrento Bay, Whiorau/Lowry Bay, York Bay, Mahina Bay, Sunshine Bay, [[Days Bay]], Rona Bay, Robinson bay, and Camp Bay.

Eastbourne's culture involves its laid-back, sunny atmosphere, small restaurants, heritage homes and remoteness that invokes a curiosity among other Wellingtonians, who have flocked there for summer day trips since the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Eastbourne and Days Bay|url=https://www.huttvalleynz.com/visit/eastbourne-and-days-bay/|access-date=29 November 2020|website=www.huttvalleynz.com|language=en-NZ}}</ref>

A regular trans-harbour [[Ferries in Wellington|ferry service]] connects Wellington's CBD and Eastbourne, docking at the Days Bay wharf in Eastbourne and at Queen's Wharf close to down-town Wellington. The ferry started in 1886, became daily in 1901, was bought by Eastbourne Borough Council in 1913 and stopped between 1948 and 1989.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=18 Jan 2019|title=Eastbourne Borough Council Omnibus Service Garage (Former)|url=https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/7644|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.heritage.org.nz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221045700/https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/7644 |archive-date=21 December 2019 }}</ref> The ferry service is now owned and operated by East by West Ferries who added services between Eastbourne and [[Seatoun]] (which ceased in 2021 due to the Seaton Wharf undergoing substantial repairs to maintain safety and preserve its heritage. However after its reopening in 2022, the company chose not to resume services) and services between Eastbourne and [[Matiu / Somes Island|Mātiu / Somes Island]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=East by West Ferries {{!}} Wellington's unique harbour ferry |url=https://eastbywest.co.nz/ |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=eastbywest.co.nz}}</ref>
[[File:Eastbourne_Borough_Council_Omnibus_Service_Garage.jpg|thumb|Eastbourne Borough Council Omnibus Service Garage 1939]]
The southern terminus of buses in Eastbourne is the Bus Barn,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bus Barn Track|url=https://www.wellingtonregionaltrails.com/trails/east-harbour-regional-park/bus-barn-track/|access-date=2021-12-26|website=www.wellingtonregionaltrails.com|language=en-NZ}}</ref> or Eastbourne Borough Council Omnibus Service Garage, which was formally opened on 24 May 1939. It has had a [[Heritage New Zealand#New Zealand Heritage List / Rārangi Kōrero|Historic Place Category 2]] listing (Number 7644) since 8 February 2006.<ref name=":0"/> It was in the news in March 2022 when a double-deck bus tried to enter its low doorway.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Kate |date=2022-03-18 |title=Upper deck of bus crushed after going through low entrance, driver stood down |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/128107214/upper-deck-of-bus-crushed-after-going-through-low-entrance-driver-stood-down |access-date=2022-07-02 |website=Stuff |language=en}}</ref>

Eastbourne has two currently operational local primary schools: [[Muritai School]] and (in [[Days Bay]]) [[Wellesley College, New Zealand|Wellesley College]].

At the end of Eastbourne beyond Burdan's gate there is a pedestrian-only coastal road (unsealed) which extends out to the [[Wellington Harbour]] entrance heads, where there are three lighthouses including both the upper and lower now decommissioned [[Pencarrow Head Lighthouse]] which were then replaced in 1935 by the [[Baring Head Lighthouse]]. This area, popular with cyclists, provides access to [[East Harbour Regional Park]].
[[File:Football field, Eastbourne, 29 November 2020.png|thumb|Muritai School Field, Eastbourne]]
The hills surrounding Eastbourne provide an important habitat for indigenous biodiversity and contain some of New Zealand's rarest and most-endangered plant species.<ref name="Sawyer2005">
{{cite book
|last1= Sawyer|first1= John
|title= Native plants of the Eastbourne hills : status and conservation management
|date= 2005|publisher=Department of Conservation|location= Wellington, N.Z.
|isbn= 0-478-22676-4|page= 4
|url= http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/conservation/native-plants/wellington-publications/Native-plants-of-Eastbourne-hills.pdf
|access-date= 1 June 2016
}}
</ref>

[[New Zealand dotterel|The banded dotterel (tūturiwhatu)]] is a nationally vulnerable bird that nests in the Eastbourne foreshore (Robinson Bay), [[Baring Head]], and Parangarahu Lakes. Predator Free NZ has said that the banded dotterel is more endangered than the [[Blue duck|whio]] and [[great spotted kiwi]]. MIRO, [[Wellington Region|Greater Wellington]], [[Hutt City Council]], and [[Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika|Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika]] have worked together since 2013 to manage the coastal-breeding populations of these birds.<ref name="Tso2020">{{cite news |last1=Tso |first1=Matthew |title=Prowling cat decimates banded dotterel colony for second breeding season |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/118927562/prowling-cat-decimates-banded-dotterel-colony-for-second-breeding-season |access-date=22 December 2024 |work=www.stuff.co.nz |agency=Stuff |date=21 January 2020}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Guthrie |first=Kate |date=2019-09-15 |title=MIRO helps out overlooked banded dotterels |url=https://predatorfreenz.org/stories/miro-banded-dotterel/ |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=Predator Free NZ Trust |language=en-US}}</ref>

The Eastbourne [[Double-banded plover|banded dotterel]] colony is located along the eastern shores of Wellington Harbour in Lower Hutt, and is the only breeding site for this species inside [[Wellington Harbour]]. In 2020, volunteers monitoring the site noted that a lone cat had eaten eggs and killed chicks, decimating seven nests in one season.<ref name="Tso2020"/><ref name=":3" />
[[File:EastbourneANZACMemorial.jpg|alt=Eastbourne ANZAC memorial baring a pohutukawa and a plaque with white crosses behind|thumb|Eastbourne ANZAC memorial]]
Eastbourne has two [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps|ANZAC]] war memorials, one is located along the fencing of [[Muritai School]] installed in 1986,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eastbourne war memorial |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/eastbourne-war-memorial |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=nzhistory.govt.nz |language=en}}</ref> and the second is a [[Pōhutukawa]] (planted on 14 July 1915 by Eastbourne Mayor J P Kelly) together with its plaque forming the first [[Australian and New Zealand Army Corps|ANZAC]] memorial erected in New Zealand.