After the Wellington Marathon: Days Bay

The Route: Queens Wharf → Days Bay → Eastbourne foreshore → Queens Wharf Logistics: The harbour ferry crosses in about 25 minutes and does not run every hour, so check the current timetable and book if the operator takes reservations. Winter sailings are usually fewer than in summer and can be cancelled in rough weather. Marathon Month: July Duration: Day trip

Queens Wharf ──(about 25 mins by ferry)──> Days Bay ──(level foreshore path)──> Eastbourne
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Queens Wharf <──(about 25 mins by ferry, check the last sailing)─────────────────────┘

The Wellington Marathon is run on a Sunday in early July, and on Monday most legs want to be carried rather than used. Days Bay is the answer for a day with no climbing. The ferry leaves from Queens Wharf, a few minutes' walk from the waterfront finish area, and delivers you to a beach that looks back across the harbour at the city you have just run round.

July in Wellington: midwinter. Days are cool, usually in the low double figures Celsius, and the wind can arrive from any direction without warning. Rain is common. On a clear day the light across the harbour is sharp and low, and on a bad one the crossing can be rough enough that a sailing is cancelled, so keep the day flexible and take a windproof jacket even if the morning looks calm.

The ferry is the main event. Sit inside if the wind is up, and go outside for the last few minutes as the boat swings round towards the bay. Some sailings call at Matiu / Somes Island on the way, which is a Department of Conservation island with its own landing rules and a steep climb from the wharf, so treat it as a future trip rather than something for this one.

Days Bay itself is a short crescent of pale sand with a row of large old trees along the back and a level, sealed path behind them. A slow walk along the foreshore towards Eastbourne takes about 20 minutes each way and there is nothing to climb. Benches are plentiful. In winter the beach is almost empty, and the sound is wind in the pohutukawa and the occasional dog.

There is a café at Days Bay and more in Eastbourne village, about a kilometre and a half along the flat. Opening hours shrink in winter, so check that your first choice is open on the day before you commit to it. Bring cash or a card, and bring a bag for wet shoes.

Allow time to check the return timetable before you settle in for lunch. The last ferry back can be early in winter, and a missed boat means a long bus ride round the Hutt Road, so aim to be at the wharf well before the final sailing. The Wellington Harbour Ferry timetable is published on the operator's website, and it is worth taking a screenshot before you leave the hotel.