If you’re moving to Australia, getting around such a huge country might feel a bit overwhelming at first. But Aussies enjoy a well-developed public transport network, and ferries are a key part of that system in coastal regions—and beyond.
In Australia, ferries will take you around bays, along rivers, and across the ocean. Some are similar to city buses or trains, arriving every 20 minutes throughout the day, while others take several hours to reach their destination. In fact, some of the best places to travel in Australia are only reachable by ferry. So here’s Remitly’s guide to Australia’s extensive ferry network.
Importance of ferries in Australian transportation
Ferries play an important role in the public transport networks of major cities like Sydney and Brisbane. In fact, you may want to take the local ferry network into account while you’re considering the best cities to live in Australia. Ferries can be a scenic way to see the city and as well as a practical way to relieve traffic congestion in urban areas.
Ferries are also essential for connecting the mainland with islands like Kangaroo Island, Rottnest Island, and Daydream Island (yes, that’s a real place!).
For tourists and commuters alike, ferries can be a great way to get around, connecting urban centres and island destinations for a unique travel experience.
Key ferry routes in Australia
As you’d expect, most of the major urban areas in Australia—the majority of which are around the country’s vast coastline—are well-served by ferries.
Major cities and destinations covered by ferries
Sydney
There are several routes within the city and beyond. Circular Quay is the main ferry terminal, located between the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. From here, you can jump on a ferry to:
- Manly
- Watsons Bay
- Cockatoo Island/Wareamah
- Taronga Zoo
- Lane Cove
- Parramatta
- Bangaroo
Brisbane
Ferries are a fast and scenic way to move through the city along Brisbane River—the CityHopper is a free ferry service that covers eight stops:
- North Quay, Brisbane City
- South Bank 3, South Brisbane
- Maritime Museum, South Brisbane
- Thornton Street, Kangaroo Point
- Eagle Street Pier, Brisbane City
- Holman Street, Kangaroo Point
- Dockside, Kangaroo Point
- Sydney Street, New Farm.
To go farther up or down the river, you can buy a ticket for a CityCat or SpeedyCat ferry. These travel all the way from Northshore Hamilton to UQ St Lucia.
To hop across the river, Brisbane’s fleet of KittyCat Ferries take you between the following points:
- Bulimba to Teneriffe
- Dockside to Sydney Street
- Holman Street to Riverside
- Maritime Museum to QUT Gardens Point
To get out of the city and into nature, you can ride a ferry from Brisbane to North Stradbroke Island, or the islands of Tangalooma or Moreton. Enjoy beautiful sandy beaches and crystalline waters for snorkelling, kayaking, swimming, and sunbathing.
Queensland
Besides Brisbane, there are a number of different ferry routes along the coast of Queensland that connect the mainland with idyllic natural settings including Hamilton Island, Daydream Island, Magnetic Island, Green Island and Fitzroy Island.
Tiwi Islands
If you travel to the Northern Territory, you can take a ferry from Darwin to Bathurst Island (Wurrumiyanga), one of the Tiwi Islands. Almost 90% of the population of this pristine natural paradise are of Aboriginal descent, and all visitors must first obtain a permit if they’re not with a tour on arriving on one of the SeaLink ferries.
Perth
Ferries connect the city of Perth with Fremantle, travelling along the picturesque Swan River. From Fremantle, a separate ferry takes you to Rottnest Island, a protected nature reserve with dozens of beaches and bays.
Rottnest Island is also home to the quokka, a cat-sized marsupial whose friendly “smile” has led to their reputation as the world’s happiest animal.
Kangaroo Island
Nature lovers can take a ferry from Cape Jervis to Kangaroo Island, known for its native Australian wildlife including penguins, sea lions, dolphins, wallabies, koalas, and of course, kangaroos.
Lucky Bay
Hailed as the World’s Best Beach, even kangaroos love to visit dazzling Lucky Bay, the whitest beach in Australia. Off the coast, visitors can spot dolphins and whales in the turquoise waters. The ferry leaves from Wallaroo once or twice a day.
Melbourne
Being a large city of some five million people, Melbourne has both public and private ferry companies working to keep its inhabitants moving.
Public transport options:
- Port Phillip Ferries: scenic trips between Melbourne (Docklands) and Portarlington (Bellarine Peninsula) or Geelong
- Western Port Ferries: connecting Stony Point (Mornington Peninsula), French Island and Phillip Island
- Westgate Punt: short ferry for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Yarra River
Private companies:
- Searoad Ferries: connects Queenscliff (Bellarine Peninsula) and Sorrento (Mornington Peninsula)
- Williamstown Ferry: offers stunning views of Melbourne, travelling along the Yarra River and across Port Phillip Bay
Tasmania
- Ferries to the island state of Tasmania leave from Geelong (close to Melbourne) and arrive in Devonport. The journey across the Bass Strait takes between 9 and 11 hours. It’s possible to book private accommodation with beds, making the long journey more comfortable.
How to find and use ferry maps
Most of Australia’s ferry maps are available online. A simple search for the city or destination + ferry map should bring up good results.
Routes and timetables are subject to change, though, and some are seasonal. Overall, live websites are generally a bit more reliable than maps, as they’re updated regularly and therefore more likely to have the latest information.
That said, the main routes shouldn’t vary too much, so here are some ferry maps you may find useful:
You’ll notice that these maps are for entire ferry networks. Ferries that simply travel between two destinations may not publish a map.
Sydney is one of the largest cities, and among the most popular places to live in Australia. Unsurprisingly its cost of living is among the highest in the country, but its public transport is at least capped, so you can travel as much as you like in a week for a fixed maximum price. The city’s public transport travel card is called Opal.
No matter how much you travel within the Opal network, whether it’s by ferry, bus, metro, train, or light rail, you’ll never spend more than $18.70 AUD a day from Monday to Thursday, $9.35 AUD a day on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, or $50 AUD per week at time of writing.
Once you have your card, you put money on it electronically, then tap on and tap off when you travel. You can buy and top up your Opal card using the Opal Travel app, the website, or one of the machines available at select stations. This can also be done at certain shops and retailers.
If you don’t get an Opal card, you can pay for ferries directly with a debit or credit card, although your bank may charge you an international transaction fee if you haven’t set up an Australian bank account yet.
Tips for scenic and budget-friendly ferry trips
For public ferries, you may get discounts for using a public transport card like the Opal card in Sydney, or an app like SeaLink’s in Queensland. In Sydney, public transport costs depend on the distance travelled, the time of day and whether you’re an adult or child. So a bit of research online before your trip should help you find out when you’ll get the best price, if you’re free to choose when you go.
Where private ferry companies are operating, there may be several companies who travel the same route, so it’s worth comparing prices and the quality of the vessels. But in general, ferry trips may be more expensive during peak season. For example, ferries to Tasmania are more costly from September to April. Prices may also rise on public and school holidays, when Australians are likely to travel.
For the best prices, you may want to travel in the off-season if you can. However, if you’re looking to escape to one of Australia’s famous beaches, you’ll also need to assess factors like the weather and even jellyfish season, which vary in different areas of the country.
Schedules and travel information
Ferry schedules vary depending on the type of route you’ll be travelling.
For urban routes within ferry networks in cities like Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, ferries may leave as frequently as every 15 minutes. These ferries are incorporated into the public transport network, and work much like riding a city bus or train. Outside of the urban centres, it may be a bit different.
Understanding ferry schedules and peak times
The online timetables will list what time ferries will be at each station. When checking a timetable, pay close attention to:
- The direction the ferry is travelling
- The day of the week
Schedules may vary depending on whether you’re travelling on a weekday, weekend or public holiday.
If you’re taking a ferry that travels less frequently, be sure to arrive in plenty of time before departure—some of them carry a lot of people and it can take a while to board everybody.
In terms of peak times, the city of Sydney considers that 6:30 am to 10 am and 3 pm to 7 pm Monday to Thursday are peak times for metro, train, bus, and light rail. While peak-time pricing doesn’t apply to ferries, it’s worth keeping in mind for using public transport to and from your ferry stations.
Travel information on public holidays
Ferry schedules may differ on Australian public holidays such as New Year’s Day (January 1), Australia Day (January 27), Easter weekend, Anzac Day (April 25), May Day (May 1), Christmas Day (December 25), and Boxing Day (December 26).
Each state and territory also celebrates additional regional holidays, so look out for these when you’re planning your trip.
Resources for journey planning and real-time schedule updates
You can find real-time Sydney ferry alerts here and Brisbane service updates here.
For other types of ferries over longer distances, you’ll usually buy your ticket for a specific date and time, so you won’t have to worry about the schedule changing.
There are also some third-party smartphone apps to help you plan your travel in Australia, which will include ferries in their journey planners:
- Tripview
- AnyTrip
- Citymapper
- Triptastic
- NextThere
Safety and accessibility on ferries
Australia’s ferry network is generally modern, well-maintained and run to strict safety and security standards. But there are always things you can do for yourself to stay safe.
While waiting at the wharf, stay away from the water’s edge and allow those leaving the ferry to get off first. The crew will tell you when it’s safe to board.
When boarding, walk slowly and be alert to avoid slipping or falling. On the ferry, take a seat or hold onto a handrail, and be extra careful going up and down stairs, as the ferry may move suddenly. Don’t lean out the windows or sit on the bow. When you arrive at the destination, wait for instructions from the crew before disembarking.
In terms of accessibility, many but not all ferries are accessible to people using mobility aids. The Sydney and Brisbane trip planners linked to above show accessibility information when you plan your route, and Transport New South Wales provides extra information about accessible ferry travel. For other routes, contact the operator to ask about their accessibility.
All in all, we can’t recommend Australia’s ferries highly enough. They’re a great way to get around and provide some spectacular opportunities for sight-seeing around the countless miles of coastline Down Under. So get on board and enjoy!
FAQs
How much does the ferry cost from Circular Quay to Manly?
The ferry between Circular Quay and Manly is an Opal network service, so it depends when you travel, whether you’re an adult or a child, and if you’ve already reached your weekly cap. Here’s how adult fares pricing works.
Is there a car ferry from Australia to New Zealand?
No, there’s no ferry service to travel between Australia and New Zealand.
Are there free ferries in Sydney?
Yes, there are certain vehicle ferries that carry cars across short distances in Sydney (three- to six-minute trips) for free.
- NSW Trip Planner (Sydney)
- Translink – Queensland trip planner (Brisbane)
- SeaLink (Kangaroo Island, Rottnest Island and more)
Where can I find additional travel information?
You can find more information on regional government websites, travel guides, travel blogs, and forums. Customer testimonials and reviews will give you a better idea of the experience. And if you’re already in Australia, talk to people! The locals are generally very friendly and will be happy to share their perspective on the best ferries in Australia.