From the marina at Gulf Harbour, near the tip of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, Fullers360 runs an Auckland Transport commuter ferry to the city: 50 minutes to Pier 8, Monday to Friday. On a working day 13 boats leave Gulf Harbour, starting at 06:30, and 11 come back from town.
Auckland Transport timetable and schedule data from 12 October 2026 to 7 February 2027; checked 23 October 2026 Auckland Transport – Gulf Harbour ferry timetable · 2026-10-23
For anyone living near the end of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, is the boat still worth it? AT's own study says that with today's buses, people driving from anywhere east of Little Manly Beach save time by parking at the marina and taking the boat into the city centre. The crossing is 50 minutes each way from the marina to Pier 8, and it never meets a traffic queue.
The weekday timetable is weighted towards people leaving the peninsula early. Three boats leave Gulf Harbour between 06:30 and 07:30, after which there is a boat only every hour or two until mid-afternoon, before an evening group at 17:45, 18:15 and 18:45. The last departures are 21:45 from the marina and 20:45 from the city. The lopsided count, 13 sailings out of Gulf Harbour against 11 from town, is what the published timetable shows.
Fullers360 runs the service for Auckland Transport. There are no weekend sailings; on Saturdays and Sundays the peninsula relies on its buses.
AT prices Gulf Harbour in its outer-harbour group, the most expensive of three, with each fare covering one leg between marina and city. Tag on as an adult and the charge is $13.80; a paper ticket costs $17.50. No fare cap applies, so for a five-day commuter the Outer Harbour monthly pass at $400 is the figure to compare against ten single fares a week.
Because nothing sails at weekends, the free weekend travel for registered child cards never comes into play here. SuperGold holders with the concession on AT HOP ride free from 9am.
| Adult, AT HOP or contactless | $ 13.80 |
| Adult, cash ticket | $ 17.50 |
| Child 5–15, AT HOP | $ 7.45 |
| Child 5–15, cash ticket | $ 9.50 |
| Community Connect, AT HOP | $ 6.90 |
| Outer Harbour pass, registered AT HOP | $ 400 |
Auckland Transport outer-harbour fares in force since 1 February 2026, read 23 October 2026 Auckland Transport – ferry fares · 2026-10-23
Gulf Harbour sits on the southern side of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, close to its eastern end. No call is timetabled between the marina and the Downtown Ferry Terminal.
The same marina is the pick-up point for Explore's day trips to the Tiritiri Matangi island sanctuary, whose boat collects passengers at Gulf Harbour after leaving Viaduct Harbour. Seats on it are booked and priced by Explore, not AT.
Gulf Harbour boats leave from Pier 8 at the Downtown Ferry Terminal, according to both AT's printed timetable and its schedule data. AT's map on the printed timetable shows Britomart station just across Quay Street from the terminal.
The terminal is at the end of Laurie Southwick Parade inside Gulf Harbour Marina. AT counts 171 free park-and-sail spaces at the marina and the Hammerhead. Without a car, bus 988 runs from opposite Pacific Plaza along Whangaparāoa Road and down Gulf Harbour Drive to the wharf, timed around the ferries.
The 06:00 from Pier 8 reaches Gulf Harbour at 06:50; the earliest boat towards the city leaves the marina at 06:30.
It runs from opposite Pacific Plaza to the wharf and is timed to meet most weekday ferries in both directions.
AT counts 171 free spaces for ferry users at the marina and the Hammerhead.
Weekdays only; holiday Mondays such as Labour Day have no boats either.
AT itself has described the ferry as often cancelled because of the weather, so look at live service alerts before you set off.
What happens when O Mahurangi Penlink opens? In 2023 AT proposed replacing the ferry altogether with frequent buses when the contract ends in 2028, describing it as often cancelled because of the weather. After a round of feedback in which most respondents asked to keep the ferry, AT adopted a different plan from its Whangaparāoa Public Transport Study: the ferry stays, but only at weekday peaks, with three sailings from Gulf Harbour in the morning and three from the city between 4pm and 6pm, run with two vessels instead of today's three. AT says details will be confirmed after further engagement in 2027, and nothing changes until both Penlink and a new Whangaparāoa bus station are open.
Gulf Harbour shares the outer-harbour fare band with only one other route, the Pine Harbour ferry from Beachlands, which unlike Gulf Harbour also sails at weekends.
50, both ways, between the marina and Pier 8 at the Downtown Ferry Terminal.
No. The boats work weekdays, and holidays are off too.
From Gulf Harbour, 06:30 and 21:45. From the city, 06:00 and 20:45.
$13.80 per adult trip by card, $17.50 on paper, and $7.45 for a child using HOP.
At the marina: 171 free park-and-sail spaces between the marina car park and the Hammerhead.
Not yet. AT's adopted plan keeps it at weekday peak times once Penlink and the Whangaparāoa bus station open, with details to be confirmed after engagement in 2027.
Yes, but on Explore's separate Tiritiri Matangi boat, which picks up at the marina on its sailing days; the AT commuter ferry only goes to the city.