Timetables & fares

Ferry crossings across New Zealand — timetables, fares and wharves

Harbour ferries, island services and vehicle crossings, each with its published timetable, current fares and both wharves on the map.

10
Crossings
5
Regions
Local
wharf time zone

Popular crossings

Vehicle ferries

Crossings that carry cars, from short harbour links to island car ferries.

Passenger ferries

Harbour, lake and island ferries for foot passengers and bikes.

How ferries work in New Zealand

There is no single national ferry timetable. Each crossing is published by the company that runs it, and in Auckland and Christchurch the regional transport authority sets many of the timetables and fares.

In Auckland, several harbour routes are part of the public transport network and take the AT HOP card, while island and vehicle services are run commercially with their own tickets. In Christchurch the Diamond Harbour ferry is part of the Metro network. Elsewhere, from Queenstown to the Bay of Islands, private operators publish their own timetables and fares. Each page here says which ticket or card applies.

Fares follow the operator's own structure: adult and child fares, concessions, bikes, and vehicles by length on car ferries. Each page lists the fares as the operator publishes them.

Timetables change with the season, school holidays and public holidays. Where the next timetable is already published, the page switches to it on its first day; where it is not, the page says so. Times are shown in local New Zealand time, labelled NZST or NZDT according to the date.

Weather cancels or delays sailings on exposed routes. Operators post those notices on their service updates page; they appear here as a dated note when they were known at the time of checking.

Before you travel

Check service updates
Cancellations and delays are posted on the operator's service updates page, not in the timetable itself.
Which card works
AT HOP is accepted on some Auckland ferries and not on privately run ones. Each page says which ticket applies.
Book vehicles ahead
Car ferries to the islands usually need a booking for vehicles, especially at weekends and in summer.
Public holidays change the timetable
Many services run a weekend or holiday timetable on public holidays.
Straight from the source
Times and fares come from the operator or the transport authority that publishes them.
Wharf-level maps
Both landings are mapped at the wharf itself, not at the centre of town.
Fares broken out
Adult, child, concession, bike and vehicle fares are listed separately.

Crossings by region

Canterbury
Diamond Harbour Ferry (Lyttelton)
Auckland
Devonport Ferry (Auckland), Great Barrier Island Ferry (Auckland), Half Moon Bay Ferry (Downtown)
Waikato
Whitianga Ferry (Ferry Landing)
Otago
Queenstown Ferry (Frankton)
Northland
Opua – Okiato Car Ferry (Russell), Paihia – Russell Passenger Ferry

What changes through the year

Most services run more than one timetable a year.

Summer, December to February
Peak demand on island and harbour routes; vehicle space on car ferries fills first.
Autumn, March to May
Summer timetables end on the dates the operator publishes.
Winter, June to August
Reduced timetables on some routes, and weather cancels exposed crossings more often.
Spring, September to November
Daylight saving starts in late September; timetables change on the dates the operator publishes.