Bay of Islands vehicle ferry
Northland Ferries operates vehicle ferries in the Bay of Islands. The service is operated as a shuttle, departing approximately every 10 minutes during the day, and every 20 minutes early morning and late evening. Ōpua is about 7 minutes’ drive from Paihia and Ōkiato is about 10 minutes’ drive from Russell.
Vehicle ferries are suitable for all vehicles including trucks, buses and campervans. Please note low tides may dictate travel time for extra-large vehicles, including oversize truck and trailer units, buses and overweight vehicles. Please contact Northland Ferries to confirm your requirements.
When boarding the ferry, please stay in the ferry lane and move forward as space allows. Please follow the instructions of the crew.
The speed limit on the ferry is 5km/hr. A dangerous goods declaration is required for all commercial vehicles.
Timetables
Ōpua - Ōkiato | Ōkiato - Ōpua |
| Departures every 10 minutes (approximately) between these hours | Departures every 10 minutes (approximately) between these hours |
|
6:10am First ferry |
6:00am First ferry |
|
10:00pm Last ferry |
09:50pm Last ferry |
Pricing
You can buy vehicle ferry tickets on board or at the Opua Store. EFTPOS, VISA, MasterCard and American Express are available on board. There is no additional charge for passengers travelling in the vehicle. Prices shown are for one-way travel.
Vehicle fares (one-way) | Cost |
| Car/Ute (less than 6 metres) | $18.00 |
| Motorcycle | $8.50 |
Large vehicle prices
For more information on pricing for larger vehicles, Northland Ferries lists all pricing here.
Foot passenger fares
Passenger only fares (one-way) | Cost |
| Adult | $2.00 |
| Child (5 - 14 years) | $1.00 |
| Child (0 - 4 years) | Free |