Rakino Island ferry
Island serviceAuckland · Belaire Ferries
three sailing days a week, and the dates that break the pattern
45 minutesCrossing, Downtown to Rākino
Wednesday, Friday, SundayRegular sailing days
$45 / $75Adult fare, one way / return
The boats here are the ones the big inter-island operators leave out: a harbour car ferry in Northland, a three-day-a-week island run from downtown Auckland, and the water taxis that drop trampers at the start of a Great Walk. Each page says plainly whether you can just turn up or must book.
Only a few of these are ferries in the timetable sense. The Rāwene crossing on the Hokianga runs to a printed table and takes cars; the Rākino boat keeps a calendar of set sailing days; the Port Chalmers to Portobello boat has fixed times but still needs a minimum number of passengers. The rest are water taxis or track transfers that go when they are booked, and some, like the boats to D'Urville Island, quote a price only on request.
Spring is when this changes. The Great Walks season on the Milford Track starts on 1 November, summer timetables appear for the Queen Charlotte Track boats, and lake services that close for winter reopen. Each page shows what was published when we checked on 29 September 2026, and says so when the summer dates were not yet out.
All prices are in New Zealand dollars. Where an operator does not say whether GST is included, or where two of its own pages give different numbers, the page tells you rather than picking one.
Pins mark the wharves and landings; a dashed line runs between the two ends of each service. Select one to see crossing time, the next thing to know about booking, and a button through to the full page.
three sailing days a week, and the dates that break the pattern
three boats a day to Hot Water Beach, and only if you book
Great Walk boats that go where the lake level lets them
water taxis and a barge across Te Aumiti
pick your Picton boat before you pick your bed
the Kohu Ra Tuarua's fifteen-minute crossing to The Narrows
ten minutes across the Otago Harbour, with a stop at Quarantine Island
a boat you book by the trip, not by the seat on a cruise
the Milford Track's first leg runs on DOC's calendar
book the boat, search your bag, be off the island by 18:00
Time on the water, sailings and operator for every service. A dash means the operator publishes no figure for that column.
| Service | Region | Kind | Time on the water | Sailings | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rakino Island ferry | Auckland | Island service | 45 min | Wed, Fri, Sun (set dates) | Belaire Ferries |
| Lake Tarawera water taxi | Bay of Plenty | Water taxi | – | 3 a day, only if booked | Totally Tarawera |
| Lake Waikaremoana water taxi | Hawke's Bay | Track transfer | 30 min to 1 hr | Set runs, book 2 days ahead | Waiwai Xpres |
| French Pass to D'Urville Island boat | Marlborough | Water taxi | about 15 min (barge) | On demand | D'Urville Island water taxis and barge operators |
| Queen Charlotte Track boat transfer | Marlborough | Track transfer | – | 3 a day from Picton (Cougar Line) | Cougar Line and Beachcomber Cruises |
| Rāwene ferry | Northland | Vehicle ferry | 15 minutes | 19:30 from Rāwene, 20:00 from The Narrows | Northland Ferries |
| Port Chalmers to Portobello ferry | Otago | Scheduled ferry | about 10 minutes each way | 12:55 and 15:00 | Port to Port Cruises and Wildlife Tours |
| Manapouri to West Arm water taxi | Southland | Water taxi | around 50 min | By arrangement | Manapouri Water Taxi |
| Te Anau Downs to Glade Wharf boat | Southland | Track transfer | 50 min to 1 hr 15 min | 11:30 and 14:00 in season | Milford Track Transport and Fiordland Outdoors |
| Ulva Island water taxi | Southland | Water taxi | 5 to 10 min | By booking | Rakiura Charters & Water Taxi |
The kind of boat decides almost everything: whether there is a timetable, whether you need to book, and whether the price is a ticket or a charter. The same services, grouped that way.
On the Rāwene car ferry you pay on board. Almost everything else here needs a booking: the Lake Tarawera water taxi only sails if someone has booked, and the Lake Waikaremoana boats ask for notice before a run. On the harbour side of Dunedin, the Port Chalmers to Portobello boat has set times but needs enough passengers booked, and the Queen Charlotte Track boats from Picton are booked by departure.
The DOC Great Walks season for the Milford Track runs from 1 November 2026 to 28 April 2027, and the boat from Te Anau Downs to Glade Wharf follows those dates.
The Rāwene ferry across the Hokianga Harbour carries cars, and the barge operators serving D'Urville Island carry vehicles by arrangement. The other services on this site take passengers only.
The Rākino ferry sails from downtown Auckland but not every day, and AT HOP cards are not accepted on it: tickets are bought from the operator.
Each table carries the date it was read from the operator or DOC and a date for the next check. Services that change in spring are due to be rechecked before the summer season starts.