Shuttle service all year: roughly every 10 minutes by day, about every 20 minutes early and late · Sailings shown by frequency — exact times from the operator. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full timetable
Map – Opua – Okiato Car Ferry (Russell)
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Foot passenger, adult, one way | $2.70 |
| Foot passenger, child 5-14, one way | $1.60 |
| Foot passenger, child 0-4 | Free |
| Car or ute under 6 m, one way (all occupants included) | $19.80 |
| Motorcycle, one way | $9.70 |
| Vehicle 6-8 m, one way (e.g. 2-berth campervan with toilet and shower) | $33.80 |
| Vehicle 8-10 m, one way | $41.10 |
| Vehicle 10 m and over, one way | $81.70 |
| Trailer under 6 m, one way (charged on top of the towing vehicle) | $19.80 |
| Trailer 6-8 m, one way | $33.80 |
| Trailer 8-10 m, one way | $41.10 |
| Trailer 10 m and over, one way | $81.70 |
All prices are one way and are paid on board; there is nothing to book because the boats shuttle. The crew take EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard and American Express, and the operator's FAQ confirms cash is still accepted (Diners Club is not). The vehicle fare covers everyone inside the vehicle. Vehicles and trailers are charged by length, each trailer as a separate unit, and the crew confirm the price at the ramp. There are no SuperGold concessions. Holders of a Northland Ferries Frequent User card (about 10% off, for non-residents) or a Resident card (postcodes 0200, 0202, 0204, 0272 and 0184) pay less; each card covers only its named holder. All fares in New Zealand dollars (NZD).
Drivers heading from Paihia to Russell by road reach the water at Opua, about seven minutes' drive from Paihia, and cross the harbour to the ramp at Okiato. From there it is about ten minutes by road into Russell. Northland Ferries, a New Zealand business within Entrada Travel Group, runs the crossing, and the Far North District Council describes it as two ferries working in tandem through the day. The operator states that it receives no council or government funding and pays Far North Holdings, a council-owned company, for the infrastructure needed to run the service.
There is no timetable to learn and nothing to book. Boats leave roughly every ten minutes in daylight hours and about every twenty minutes at the start and end of the day, between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm. The crossing is timed at ten minutes. At busy periods the crew abandon the pattern altogether and shuttle continuously, which is why the ramp can sometimes be empty at a moment you expected a sailing.
Payment happens on the deck. A car or ute under six metres pays one fare whatever the number of people inside, so a carload of people pays the same as a solo driver; walk-on passengers pay a small adult or child fare, and under-fives travel free. Longer vehicles, campervans and caravans are priced by length, and a towed trailer is charged as its own unit. Residents of five listed local postcodes can apply for a resident card, and non-residents can apply for a frequent user card.
The ramps are the main constraint. Campervans with long rear overhangs, boat trailers and caravans can ground at low tide, so Northland Ferries asks those drivers to cross within two hours of high water, and buses or truck units should do the same. Commercial vehicles must declare dangerous goods, the on-board speed limit is 5 km/h, and pets stay inside the vehicle. For anyone without a car, the passenger ferry from Paihia wharf straight to Russell is the separate service on this side of the bay.
- Be at the wharf a few minutes before departure; vehicle loading usually closes earlier than walk-on boarding.
- Check the operator's service updates on the day — wind, swell and tide cancel or shift sailings, especially on exposed routes.
- Check which card or ticket the route takes: Auckland Transport's AT HOP works on some ferries and not on privately run ones.