Operating hours (operator's Winter 2026 hours): continuous service about every 10 minutes · Sailings shown by frequency — exact times from the operator. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full timetable
Map – Whitianga Ferry (Ferry Landing)
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, single trip | $5.50 |
| Adult, return | $8.00 |
| Child under 16, single trip | $3.50 |
| Child under 16, return | $6.00 |
| Bicycle, each way | $1.50 |
| Dog | Free |
Tickets are bought on the ferry; there is nothing to book. Prices include GST. A return ticket saves $3 for adults and $1 for children against two singles. The operator does not say on its website which payment methods are accepted on board. Late crossings outside operating hours can be requested at least 24 hours ahead and are charged separately (price not published). All fares in New Zealand dollars (NZD).
The Whitianga ferry shuttles passengers and bikes across the mouth of the Whitianga estuary, between the wharf on the town waterfront and the settlement of Ferry Landing on the opposite shore. It is run by the Whitianga Ferry company, owned since March 2018 by Jeremy and Louise, and it carries no cars.
The operator traces a paid crossing here to 1895, when Neil Harris began rowing people and livestock over the river. Both landings are older than that. The stone wharf on the Ferry Landing side was built in 1837 for the timber merchant Captain Ranulph Dacre and, in the company's words, is reputed to be the first stone wharf in Australasia; the town wharf dates from 1882. Louise, the company notes, is Dacre's great-great-great-granddaughter. The operator describes a 63-seat aluminium ferry launched in August 2015, built so that bikes, e-bikes and wheelchairs roll on level from the loading docks.
There is no timetable of fixed departures. The ferry runs continuously during its operating hours and, according to the operator, leaves each side about every 10 minutes, with one break in the evening, between 7:25 pm and 8:30 pm. It runs every day of the year, Christmas Day included. After hours a late crossing can be requested by phone at least 24 hours ahead, for a charge.
Tickets are bought on board, with no booking. An adult pays $5.50 for a single crossing or $8 return, children under 16 pay $3.50 or $6, a bicycle is $1.50 each way and dogs ride free.
One thing to watch: the operator's home page still carries a heading reading 2025/26 Summer Timetable, but the hours under it match its FAQ, which calls them the Winter 2026 timetable. As of 29 September 2026 the operator had not announced hours for summer 2026/27, so confirm them with the operator before relying on a late crossing.
- 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.