Eastbourne is a friendly sea side village just a short drive or ferry ride to Wellington City, the capital and cultural centre of New Zealand. Perfect for all ages with schools, shops, library, medical, dental, many recreation options such as coastal rides and walks, hiking in the hills, beaches, sailing and fishing. Safe for children and suitable for the elderly, it’s perfect for families
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The Future of Local Government – what should it look like?From 3-15 June 2026, Hutt City Council sought public feedback on the Government’s invitation to councils across New Zealand to explore potential local government amalgamations through a fast-tracked “Head Start” process. More information and survey report. If you made a submission on what a future local government should look like, and what principles should guide discussions – thank you! If not, this is an invitation to provide feedback for use in a workshop on the 1 July. Answer some or […]
The Eastbourne Herald latest / recent / past delivers the latest local news to more than 5,000 residents of the Eastern Bays of Lower Hutt, Wellington. Email editor@eastbourneherald.co.nz,
HCC Waste Collection for Monday 13 July Bins : BLUE (glass) & RED (landfill)
Options for recycling all other materials are listed here
Next Lion's Skip Bin is Saturday 25 JulyBurdan's Gate 8:00 am to 11:30 am, charges apply, unload help available
Metservice: Warnings & watches @ 5:00 am Thu 9 Jul
Wed 8:59 pm Strong Wind Warning - Orange.
Severe gale south to southeast winds gusting 120 km/h in exposed places. Impact: Damage to trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures possible. Driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles. Chance of upgrading to a Red Warning: Minimal. Changes: Upgraded to Orange Warning.Wed 8:59 pm Heavy Rain Warning - Orange.
On top of what has already fallen, expect 50 to 90 mm about the Tararua Range, and 40 to 60 mm about the eastern hills of Wellington and Wairarapa. Peak rainfall rates 10 to 20 mm per hour. Impact: Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible. Chance of upgrading to a Red Warning: Low.Metservice: Marine Warnings & Watches @ 5:00 am Thu 9 Jul
Wellington Water recent alerts updated 11:14 pm Thu 25 Jun
25 Jun 11:37 am Water outage notice
Water Outage - Muritai Road, Eastbourne This will affect the following: 446 -521 Muritai Road, both sidesReason for shutdown: Toby Repair
Outage start date: 2026-06-25 11:40:00
Estimated outage end date: 2026-06-25 12:40:00
Properties affected : 25
(To see all outages and other notices go to LAWA)
HCC Active Consultations updated 5:13 am Thu 9 Jul
No active consultations.No active consultations.
GWRC Active Consultations @ 12:00 am Thu 9 Jul
Kāpiti Flood Hazard Mapping - Engagement on historic flood eventsGWRC Have Your Say / Consultations
Ferry Alerts updated 5:10 am Thu 9 Jul
08 Jul 6:32 pm Alert - Ferry WHF: The 6.50pm sailing from Queens Wharf and the 7.20pm sailing from Days Bay are cancelled today.08 Jul 5:52 pm Alert - Ferry WHF: All sailings have been cancelled, Thursday 9 July, due to weather conditions.08 Jul 1:15 pm Alert - Ferry WHF: Restricted Timetable running this afternoon due to forecasted high winds, please keep an eye on Metlink for further changes.
Bluebridge Service Alerts updated 5:00 am Thu 9 Jul
_______________________
Sailing cancellations: Wednesday, 8 July & Thursday, 9 July 2026
Updated: 5:25 pm, Wednesday, 8 July
The southerly weather system moving up the country is expected to continue affecting the Cook Strait through to Thursday, 9 July, with high swells forecast from tonight. Due to this weather event, the following sailings have been cancelled:Wednesday, 8 July
Wellington to Picton:
8:30 pm - Cancelled for passengers
Thursday, 9 July
Picton to Wellington:
2:30 am - Cancelled for passengers
7:45 am - Cancelled for passengers
2:00 pm - Sailing cancelled
Wellington to Picton:
8:15 am - Sailing cancelled
Affected customers have been contacted by email and/or text and automatically rescheduled onto the next available sailing.
If your new sailing doesn't suit your needs, the quickest and easiest way tochange your booking is online. Alternatively, please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 844 844 or emailbookings@bluebridge.co.nzwith your booking reference.
Standby is currently operating on select sailings. Standby space is limited and cannot be guaranteed. Please call us on 0800 844 844 to discuss standby options.
If you booked via a third-party travel agent and wish to cancel, please contact them directly to request a refund.
Sea conditions are currently forecast to improve from Friday, and at this stage, we expect sailings on Friday to operate as scheduled. We will continue to monitor conditions closely and, if further delays or cancellations impact your sailing, we will notify you by text and email as soon as possible.
Our top priority is ensuring everyoneâs safety while minimising the impact on your travel plans.
Thank you for your understanding. We recognise these cancellations come during the school holidays, when demand for travel is high, and we apologise for the disruption this may cause. _______________________ State Highway 1 (SH1) closed between Ward & Waipara Updated: 5:25 pm, Wednesday, 8 July
State Highway 1 (SH1) in the South Island is currently closed between Waipara and Ward due to flooding.
NZTA advises travellers to avoid the area. Please check road conditions before travelling and refer to the NZTA Journey Planner for the latest information, including the available detour route. If you need to change your sailing due to this road closure, the quickest and easiest way to do this is online (direct bookings only). Alternatively, pleasecontact our Customer Service team on 0800 844 844 (8:30 am â 8 pm) or email bookings@bluebridge.co.nz with your booking number. _______________________ Bluebridge fare update due to fuel costs Updated 1:00 pm Thursday 9 April
The ongoing situation in the Middle East continues to drive fuel prices higher. Like all transport operators, Bluebridge has experienced a significant and rapid increase in fuel costs.
While weâve worked hard to absorb these increases, fuel prices have reached a point where we need to adjust our fares to help offset a portion of the additional cost.
Our priority is to keep New Zealand connected with a safe, reliable and affordable Cook Strait service. We recognise the global situation is affecting everyone and we appreciate our customersâ understanding. We hope these conditions are temporary and will continue to review fares regularly in line with changes to fuel prices.
Please note: the new fare levels apply to new bookings, or to amended bookings made after the change on Thursday 9 April 2026. _____________________
East Harbour Parks Status updated 5:10 am Thu 9 Jul
Gollan’s Valley Station
Alerts, Notices and restrictions can be found here
RNZ: Latest 5 News Items updated 4:59 am Thu 9 Jul
Wed 9:59 pm More slips, flooding expected as some ferry sailings cancelled. Wed 8:42 pm Man charged after taking mere pounamu from church museum. Wed 8:22 pm Family says woman died after leaving hospital over fears she faced 25-hour wait. Wed 7:47 pm More tech infrastructure needed to bring AI scribe data to NZ. Wed 6:56 pm Concerns about Dunedin's Wakari Hospital raised before human rights issues uncovered. 
Geonet: recent earthquakes near Eastbourne updated 5:10 am Thu 9 Jul
2.8 - (weak) 154.2 km NorthEast of Eastbourne at 9:55 pm Wed 8 Jul (confirmed)
3.6 - (light) 193.2 km West of Eastbourne at 7:01 pm Wed 8 Jul (confirmed)
4.1 - (moderate) 154.1 km NorthEast of Eastbourne at 6:56 pm Wed 8 Jul (confirmed)
Product Recalls updated 12:00 am Thu 9 Jul
30 June 2026: Bath toy squishy - sold at Dollarama
30 June 2026: Musical Instrument toy - sold at Dollarama
29 June 2026: Play & Learn Squigglers Softie Water Squirters - sold at Toyworld
29 June 2026: Smoke Alarm LZ-1902 sold via Trade Me stores
25 June 2026: Apeks XL4, XL4+ and Ocea Regulator Second Stages - sold at Dive Tutukaka, Dive Wellington and The Dive Doctor
More products & information on product recalls
