Current timetable confirmed 15 September 2026 - Sunday-Thursday pattern shown as the base grid; Friday and Saturday run later (see notes) · Services shown by frequency — exact times from the operator.
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Frequency
every 10 min
Operator
Noosa North Shore Ferries
Map – Noosa North Shore Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Pedestrian or cyclist (return only) | $2.00 |
| Motorbike (one way) | $8.00 |
| Motorbike (return) | $16.00 |
| Standard vehicle, under 4.5T GVM (one way) | $18.00 |
| Standard vehicle, under 4.5T GVM (return) | $36.00 |
| Standard vehicle 10-trip pass (online purchase only) | $154.00 |
| Vehicle plus trailer or boat, combined under 4.5T GVM (one way) | $36.00 |
| Vehicle plus trailer or boat, combined under 4.5T GVM (return) | $72.00 |
| Vehicle plus caravan, combined under 4.5T GVM (one way) | $36.00 |
| Vehicle plus caravan, combined under 4.5T GVM (return) | $72.00 |
| Campervan, under 4.5T GVM (one way) | $18.00 |
| Campervan, under 4.5T GVM (return) | $36.00 |
| Heavy vehicle, 4.5T to 15T GVM (return) | $54.00 |
| Heavy vehicle, 15T to 25T GVM (return) | $80.00 |
| Heavy vehicle, 25T to 40T GVM (return) | $154.00 |
| Heavy vehicle, 40T+ GVM (return) | $236.00 |
| Bus, 1-24 passengers (one way) | $20.00 |
| Bus, up to 24 passengers (return) | $40.00 |
| Bus, 25-35 passengers (one way) | $39.00 |
| Bus, 25-35 passengers (return) | $78.00 |
| Bus, 36-72 passengers (one way) | $81.00 |
| Bus, 36-72 passengers (return) | $162.00 |
| Bus, 73-99 passengers (one way) | $123.00 |
| Bus, 73-99 passengers (return) | $246.00 |
Fares are set by Noosa Shire Council and collected by the operator, Noosa North Shore Ferries. Pedestrians and cyclists are only sold a return ticket ($2 total); every vehicle category has separate one-way and return fares. A 10-trip pass is available for standard vehicles but can only be bought online. Heavy vehicles and buses pay tiered fares by GVM or seating capacity. Tickets can be pre-purchased online for a QR-code boarding pass, or paid on the day by cash or EFTPOS/card once on board. A separate Queensland Government Vehicle Access Permit (VAP) is required to then drive on the North Shore beach/Cooloola Recreation Area tracks beyond the ferry ramp - that permit is bought from the Queensland Government, not the ferry operator, and is not included in any ferry fare below. Prices confirmed current on 15 September 2026 from the operator's own pricing page, which does not print an effective-from date. All fares in Australian dollars (AUD).
The Noosa North Shore Ferry is a vehicle and foot-passenger cable ferry crossing the Noosa River between Moorindil Street in Tewantin and Maximillion Road on the Noosa North Shore, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. It isn't run to a printed timetable of clock times: two purpose-built cable ferries shuttle back and forth continuously, with a boat departing from each side roughly every 10 minutes throughout the operating day. Sunday to Thursday the service runs from 5:30am to 10:20pm; Friday and Saturday nights it keeps going until 12:20am. It operates all 365 days of the year, and after-hours callouts can be arranged for an extra fee.
Noosa Shire Council owns the service and sets both the operating hours and the fares. Day-to-day operations have been contracted to Entrada Travel Group, trading locally as Noosa North Shore Ferries, since it took over in July 2024. There is no bridge across this stretch of river, so the ferry is the only vehicle link to the North Shore side, carrying residents, tradespeople, campers and four-wheel-drivers headed for the Noosa North Shore Recreation Area, Teewah Beach and the Cooloola section of Great Sandy National Park. It is a separate service from the Noosa River passenger cruise run by the Noosa Ferry Cruise Company further downstream near Noosa Heads and the Sofitel - that operator runs sightseeing cruises on a different timetable and does not carry vehicles.
Fares are charged per vehicle type, with separate one-way and return prices for most categories; pedestrians and cyclists are only sold a $2 return ticket. Tickets can be bought online in advance for a QR-code boarding pass, or paid for on the day in cash or by card once aboard. Reaching the North Shore beach tracks beyond the ferry ramp also requires a Queensland Government Vehicle Access Permit, bought separately and not included in the ferry fare.
Because the crossing sits on a tidal river, weather can interrupt the service: the operator has previously kept running through a Minor Flood Warning while warning that elevated water levels make the ferry ramps steeper than usual for towed and low-clearance vehicles. Live service alerts are posted on the operator's own status page and Facebook, both worth checking before travelling in wet weather.
- Arrive at the terminal a few minutes before departure; vehicle boarding usually closes earlier.
- Check the operator's service alerts before travelling — weather, tides and river levels affect services.
- Confirm accepted payment methods and whether a booking is required for vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
A standard vehicle under 4.5T GVM is $18 one way or $36 return. Motorbikes are $8/$16, and pedestrians or cyclists pay a flat $2 return - there is no separate one-way walk-on fare.
Sunday to Thursday 5:30am to 10:20pm, and Friday and Saturday 5:30am to 12:20am, every day of the year, with a ferry departing roughly every 10 minutes.
Yes. It's a vehicle and foot-passenger cable ferry - standard cars, motorbikes, campervans, vehicles towing a trailer, caravan or boat, and heavier vehicles and buses on tiered fares, are all carried alongside walk-on passengers and cyclists.
On the Tewantin side, follow Moorindil Street to the river end. Coming from the North Shore beach side, exit the Cooloola Recreation Area beach at Third Cutting onto the wilderness track and follow it to the ferry approach on Maximillion Road - only travel that beach stretch near low tide.
No booking is required. You can pre-purchase a ticket online for a QR-code boarding pass, or simply pay by cash or card when you board.
It runs 365 days a year, but the operator warns that king tides, heavy rain, flooding or severe wind can occasionally suspend or alter sailings on this tidal river crossing - check the operator's status page before travelling in wet weather.
Yes. Driving or camping on the Cooloola and K'gari recreational area beaches beyond the ferry needs a separate Queensland Government Vehicle Access Permit, bought from the Queensland Government, not included in the ferry fare.
Yes. Noosa North Shore Ferries offers concession cards for resident landowners, non-resident landowners, permanent renters, North Shore workers and other frequent users, managed through an online account - the exact concession rates aren't published outside that application process.