Crafty Girls' Road Trip by Ann Packer

Author:Ann Packer [Ann Packer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781869798949
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Eastbourne Escape

You won’t find craft supplies in this seaside village around the far side of Wellington Harbour but there’s plenty to inspire crafty girls in the little shopping centre. If you come by ferry from Queens Wharf in town, you’ll find the village a short walk from Days Bay Wharf. Days Bay itself has one of Wellington’s oldest craft outlets in Van Helden’s, which still sells lots of ceramics and silk scarves. (04) 562 8191.

The bays and the flat area known as Muritai — the setting for Katherine Mansfield’s story ‘At the Bay’ — each have their own character, but the best way of starting to explore Eastbourne proper is in Rimu St. There you can still buy meat from the butcher, fresh fruit and veges from the greengrocer, groceries from Four Square, and freshly churned ice cream from Gelissimo. There’s also a good deli, several cafés and restaurants, the library and a computer shop.

Then there are the shops loaded with ideas for crafty girls. Kevin and Ruby takes its name from owner Deby Smith’s cat and artist Annie Haywards’ dog; the stock includes embellished felt cushions and lampshades, delicate, whimsical jewellery made from glass and china fragments, and Jason Kelly’s send-up signs. (04) 562 7838.

Across the road on Rimu St is Montage, (04) 562 7188, which also stocks a range of work from Kiwi crafters, while G&L Antiques, around on Muritai Rd, deals in period furniture with a good line in decorative accessories like chandeliers. (04) 562 8705, www.glantiques.com

Rona Gallery and Bookshop has moved to larger premises on Muritai Rd, and still sells great books as well as featuring artists such as Darcy Nicholas and Wellesley Binding.

If you’ve had enough crafty stimulation you can walk on the beach: take a stroll in Days Bay or park your car at the end of the road for a full-on four-hour walk to the historic Pencarrow lighthouse, the first in the country to have a female keeper.

When you need somewhere to lay your head, Eastbourne has some good B&Bs. Bet and Wal Louden’s The Anchorage is within a block of the village at 107 Marine Parade, (04) 562 8310, while The Walnut Tree also comes highly recommended; 335 Muritai Rd, (04) 562 8768, thewalnuttree.co.nz

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