A boat about every ten minutes, a $5.50 adult fare paid on board and a stone wharf from 1837 at the far side: the Whitianga ferry is the quickest way from the town to Ferry Landing and the beaches beyond. Its current hours, labelled winter 2026, are 07:30 to 19:25 and again from 20:30 to 21:25, every day of the year.
Operating hours headed 'Winter 2026' on the Whitianga Ferry website, page updated 13 October 2026; summer 2026/27 hours not yet published; checked 23 October 2026 Whitianga Ferry – timetable and FAQ · 2026-10-23
Before there was a ferry service, people rowed themselves across. The company's history credits Neil Harris with starting the first official crossing in 1895, rowing passengers and livestock over for a fee. The stone wharf waiting for him on the far side had already been standing since 1837.
The boats have changed with the decades. The Stella B was built after the previous ferry was swept off its mooring on the night of the Wahine storm in 1968, and served until 2015; the shallow-draught Mercury Star came from Whangarei Engineering in 1985; and in August 2015 a 63-seat aluminium ferry arrived, designed so bikes and wheelchairs could board on the level. Since March 2018 the ferry has been owned by Jeremy and Louise, and Louise descends from Captain Dacre, who had the stone wharf built.
None of this needs planning around today. There is no booking, the boat leaves about every ten minutes from either side, and the fare is collected on board.
You buy the ticket from the crew once you are on the boat, and the prices include GST. A return saves a little over two singles: $8 instead of $11 for an adult, $6 instead of $7 for anyone under 16.
Bicycles pay their own small fare each way, which adds up if a family is riding to Hahei and back, while dogs travel at no charge.
| Adult, single | $ 5.50 |
| Adult, return | $ 8 |
| Child under 16, single | $ 3.50 |
| Child under 16, return | $ 6 |
| Bicycle, each way | $ 1.50 |
Whitianga Ferry price list, GST included, read 23 October 2026 Whitianga Ferry – price list · 2026-10-23
The ferry crosses Whitianga Harbour between the town wharf on the western shore and Ferry Landing on the eastern side. It is a short passenger hop rather than a road link, so walkers and cyclists heading for the eastern beaches use the boat while drivers take the long way round by road.
On the town side the ferry uses Whitianga Wharf, first built in 1882. There is no booking office to find: walk to the ferry berth, wait for the next boat and buy your ticket from the crew once aboard.
The Ferry Landing side is the 1837 stone wharf commissioned by the timber trader Captain Ranulph Dacre, built with local stone and labour; the ferry company says it is believed to be the first stone wharf in Australasia. Front Beach is about 150 metres away on foot, and the road from here leads on to Cooks Beach and Hahei.
The 63-seat ferry launched in 2015 has level boarding for bikes and e-bikes from the loading docks on both sides. Each bike is $1.50 per crossing.
Dogs travel on the ferry, and they do not need a ticket.
The main ferry is wheelchair accessible and runs most of the time. Ring ahead if you need it on a particular day, so the company can confirm it is in service.
Only passengers and bicycles cross. With a car, you stay on the road instead.
There is no ferry between 19:25 and 20:30. If you are dining across the water, plan for the later run, which finishes at 21:25.
The current hours carry a winter 2026 label, and the website was last updated on 13 October. Longer summer hours have not been announced yet, so take the times above as the ones in force until the company says otherwise, and check its page again in December.
Many people cross to start a ride rather than a walk. Destination Coromandel's guide points cyclists from Ferry Landing towards Lonely Bay, Cooks Beach, Hahei and Hot Water Beach; at Hahei, the Cathedral Cove water taxi leaves from the beach for the famous arch. For another passenger boat that has worked the same short crossing since the nineteenth century, the Diamond Harbour ferry in Lyttelton Harbour dates its scheduled service from 1888.
About every ten minutes from each side while it is running; there is no list of departure times.
07:30 to 19:25, then 20:30 to 21:25, every day. On Christmas Day it runs continuously from 07:30 to 20:25.
$5.50 single or $8 return for an adult; $3.50 single or $6 return for under-16s. Bikes are $1.50 each way.
No. Turn up at the wharf and pay the crew once aboard.
No, the ferry carries passengers and bikes only.
Not on the published hours. Ring 021 269 1136 a day ahead to arrange a late boat; it costs extra.