Seeking Solitude Part 1: A trip to Eastbourne, Wellington.

‘Being solitary is being alone well: being alone luxuriously, immersed in doings of your own choice, aware of the fullness of your won presence rather than of the absence of others. Because solitude is an achievement.’ – Alice Koller.

Update: This post was edited in February 2021. When I checked bus ticket prices in 2021, the price of a Day Rider ticket had increased to NZ$9.50 for an adult travelling up to Zone 7. According to Metlink’s Zone Map, Eastbourne sits in Zone 6, so the cost of a Day Rider that includes Eastbourne may have dropped now. When I lived in Wellington, I do not remember there being a zoning system!

Buying a Wellington bus Day Rider ticket…

It’s the dead zone between Christmas and New Year. We all know those few days, where time is just a sink and there’s not a lot going on. Thankfully, in Wellington, this period coincides with the summer holidays and a lot of attractions remain open. To pass time and to go somewhere new, I take a trip to Wellington Zoo with a couple of friends.

We purchase a Day Rider ticket as we board the bus. The weather is warm and sunny and when we reach the zoo, it’s still early. Wellington Zoo is not big – we walk it in a couple of hours, including talks. The highlights are some unsociable tigers that don’t want to make a full appearance and the troop of chimpanzees. By lunch time, we’ve covered everything we want to see and with half of the day left, we stroll down through Wellington to Newtown before boarding a bus back into the CBD. Here, I part ways with my two friends and head back to the hostel.

I still have my Day Rider ticket…

I find that I am restless and reluctant to go back to the hostel, wasting the remainder of this gorgeous day just lounging around. As I walk the final minutes home, a thought strikes me. I have the Day Rider ticket still burning a hole in my pocket – why not use it? I could pick a random destination on one of the bus routes and go! There’s nothing stopping me, I have the ticket, why not use it?

As I eat my lunch, I pull up a map of the Wellington region and the bus timetable. It takes no more than five minutes for me to decide that I want to go and see what Eastbourne has to offer. It’s a small town around the bay from the main city and easily reachable on a forty or so minute bus ride. I check the timetable. The next bus leaves in twenty minutes. Without further ado, I wolf down the rest of my lunch, grab some water and my backpack and head out. At the bus station, I find the correct bus and hop aboard. I am off!

Some alone time at last!

Living in a hostel with all my friends is wonderful and has a lot of benefits. Time alone is not one of those benefits! So I’m now thrilled and filled with anticipation at a mini expedition in my own company, with no one else to consider. I’ve chosen a window seat and as the bus pulls onto the highway, I can track our progress around the bay. It’s the first time I’ve been out of the city since I arrived a month ago and I am excited at the prospect of some peace in a less urban environment. And on such a beautiful day!

Even the journey is interesting, as the bus is taking me to places I’ve never been before. It also gives me an opportunity to find my wider bearings in my new home. We pass through Petone, Sea View and Day’s Bay, the road hugging the coastline as the bus travels onwards to Eastbourne. Beaches are squeezed between road and sea. I am delighted with the scenery as it passes by and enjoy watching people frolicking in the waves. Mere glimpses, children playing, adults lying back, relaxing on their holidays. For NZ$9, this Day Rider ticket has really given me a bargain day out. This bus trip is the perfect sightseeing tour!

Glorious Eastbourne

It feels so long since I left the city that as I disembark from the bus with one other person, it feels like I’ve landed in the sleepiest place in the world. Eastbourne is gloriously quiet and suburban. At the end of the road, I can see the sea glittering in the sunlight. Despite it being the holidays, and the other beaches all being busy, this one is largely empty and peaceful. It’s wide and pebbly, with piles of driftwood scattered the length of it. I wander aimlessly, with no real plan or agenda. It’s just so nice to be on my own, ‘back to nature’, with the only noise the calm lapping of waves against pebbles. I admire the views across the bay, with Somes Island shining in the middle like a beacon.

In my hurry to leave and catch the bus, I’ve forgotten to put sun cream on, or bring any. I become aware of the fact that I’m probably burning so head to a shadier spot and lie in the short grass of a rec to read my book for a while. An extended family are having a BBQ and playing games nearby. It brings forth a surge of nostalgia. A wave of memories engulf me. I find myself remembering the summer days when my extended family used to gather at my Nanna’s house and BBQ. We’d play rounders, eat burnt sausages and generally have a great time. I eat an apple and contemplate where my day has brought me.

Homeward bound

The last bus back to Wellington leaves in half an hour. I wander along the waterfront, past pretty holiday homes with driftwood Christmas trees and smooth, beach pebble walls. These people are so lucky to come and stay at this lovely baches, with such fantastic views and in such a great location. I can’t help but feel a little jealous.

The centre of Eastbourne itself has some small shops, a deli and a takeaway. I pop in as I have time to spare and my stomach is growling. The food takes longer than I anticipated it would and I bolt a hot toastie and chips down at the bus stop. Just as I finish, the bus rolls into view, the sign in the window clearly prominent. ‘No Eating Allowed On Board’.

On the way back into Wellington, the bus is busy. People are returning to the city after a brief respite, a day on the beach relaxing. As we arrive back into the bus station, I feel content. My impulsive day out has been just what I needed – an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and some much needed alone time. I walk the final few minutes back to the hostel brimming with happiness and with the beginnings of some serious sunburn…

If you enjoyed this post, then why not read the second in this two part series, Seeking Solitude Part 2: A trip to Waikanae, Wellington. You can also read all about my time living in New Zealand – it’s all in my New Zealand Archives.