Book first, then drive. SeaLink's vehicle ferries carry cars, vans, trucks and foot passengers from Half Moon Bay in east Auckland to Kennedy Point on Waiheke in about 50 minutes, with fewer, longer runs from Hamer Street in Wynyard Quarter. Turn up 30 minutes before sailing with a vehicle; ramps close 20 minutes before departure.
Auckland Transport's schedule data for SeaLink's Half Moon Bay–Kennedy Point sailings, 30 September 2026 to 24 January 2027; SeaLink's booking calendar runs to 2 May 2027 and may add sailings; checked 9 October 2026 SeaLink – Ferry schedule tool · 2026-10-09
Reserve a space before anything else. SeaLink advises booking ahead for every vehicle, and in summer and on holiday weekends sailings fill. Choose Half Moon Bay if you are coming from the east or south of Auckland: the boats leave roughly every hour from 05:00 on weekdays. Choose Hamer Street in Wynyard Quarter if you are already in the city, but note there are only three departures a day.
Pick your vehicle category carefully, because price and loading position depend on it. Over 5.5 m, or over 2 tonnes even if shorter, counts as large; campervans, caravans, high trailers and quad bikes can only be booked by phone on 09 300 5900.
Foot passengers can use these boats too, but they land at Kennedy Point rather than at Mātiatia, where the island's passenger ferries from downtown Auckland arrive. If you have no vehicle to take, the passenger boats are usually the simpler choice; this one is about getting a car, van or trailer across.
SeaLink does not publish a single-trip fare for a car. You get the price when you choose a date, a sailing and a vehicle type in its booking system, and it depends on the vehicle category and on whether you hold a resident account. What SeaLink does publish are its multi-trip passes, priced with GST and sold at the Hamer Street, Half Moon Bay and Kennedy Point offices or by phone, and the extras below. A car-and-driver pass may be clipped no more than twice on one sailing.
On top of every booking sits a temporary fuel surcharge, introduced on 1 May 2026 and reviewed every fortnight: 11.2% from 21 September, cut to 10% from 5 October. It is itemised on your confirmation. A senior walking on with a Gold AT HOP card pays nothing once it is past 9am on a weekday, or on any Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, and no fuel surcharge either; behind the wheel, or before nine, the senior fare is charged.
| Car + driver, 10 trips | $ 1,269 |
| Adult foot passenger, 10 trips | $ 231 |
| Senior, 10 trips | $ 186 |
| Child, 10 trips | $ 111 |
| Car + driver, 10 trips | $ 1,300.50 |
| Adult foot passenger, 10 trips | $ 237 |
| Senior, 10 trips | $ 190.50 |
| Child, 10 trips | $ 114 |
| Unaccompanied vehicle loading, March–November | $ 45.50 |
| Unaccompanied vehicle loading, December–February and public holidays | $ 76.50 |
| Kayak, one way (Labour Weekend to Easter) | $ 15.50 |
| Bike in a group of 10 or more, each, one way | $ 10.50 |
Prices published by SeaLink, read 9 October 2026; multi-trip passes change on 19 October 2026; fuel surcharge reviewed fortnightly SeaLink – Waiheke multi-trip passes, extras and fuel surcharge · 2026-10-09
Most sailings run between Half Moon Bay and Kennedy Point, a crossing of about 50 minutes. The Hamer Street boats start in Wynyard Quarter and take about 70 minutes; SeaLink recommends that terminal to anyone staying in a city hotel. Both routes arrive on Waiheke's southern side, at Kennedy Point, rather than at Mātiatia.
SeaLink's east Auckland terminal is at 37 Ara Tai Road, past the marina and about half an hour's drive from the CBD by SeaLink's estimate. It has a ticket office, a waiting area, toilets, bike racks and wheelchair access. A traffic marshal meets each vehicle at the gate and sends it to a loading lane; drivers without a pre-paid ticket, or with extra passengers to add, go to the office first.
Kennedy Point sits on Putiki Bay on Waiheke's southern shore, now next to the island's new marina. The terminal has a ticket office, toilets, baggage trolleys and a coffee cart, and a public boat ramp with a floating dock lies beside the ferry ramp. It is a different landing from Mātiatia, where the passenger ferries from downtown Auckland arrive.
Standard covers cars, utes, vans and small trucks up to 5.5 m and 2 tonnes, bookable online. Large, oversize, campervans, trailers and caravans must be booked by phone, and crew may measure you at the gate.
Drivers report 30 minutes before sailing, walk-on passengers 20, heavy vehicles a full hour. Vehicle boarding closes 20 minutes before sailing, foot boarding 15.
Sailings are often full, so pull up close behind the vehicle in front. Some boats are drive-on; on others, and with a roof load, you reverse on with crew guiding you.
Heavily soiled vehicles and machinery can be turned away to stop kauri dieback spreading. Seal food and check camping gear for pests before you leave home.
Dogs travel free on the outside decks on a lead; cats stay in the car or in a carrier. On dangerous-goods sailings nobody may stay in a vehicle, pets included.
Unaccompanied vehicles or trailers travel on selected sailings, booked by phone with some notice, for a loading fee. Ask SeaLink when to drop the vehicle off: its two pages on the subject give different times.
Weather or tides can change sailings at short notice. SeaLink's text alerts are the quickest way to hear about it.
Is the timetable going to change for summer? Very likely. In September SeaLink opened bookings for its 2026–27 summer schedule through to 2 May 2027 and said more sailings had been added. The table above reflects Auckland Transport's data for the season's opening months, which runs to 24 January 2027; use SeaLink's schedule tool to see the sailings on your date.
Half Moon Bay has a second ferry at the same road end, and it is easy to confuse the two: the Half Moon Bay ferry to Downtown is an Auckland Transport passenger service paid by AT HOP, with no cars. SeaLink's vehicle boats also serve the smaller Gulf islands: about once a month in summer a freight sailing leaves Half Moon Bay for Rākino, whose residents otherwise rely on the Rākino Island passenger ferry.
About 50 minutes from Half Moon Bay to Kennedy Point, and about 70 minutes from Hamer Street in Wynyard Quarter.
SeaLink quotes the fare in its booking system once you pick a date, sailing and vehicle type. A 10-trip car-and-driver pass costs $1,269, rising to $1,300.50 from 19 October 2026, plus the fuel surcharge.
The car fare and the car-and-driver pass include the driver. Other passengers are added when you book or at the ticket office.
30 minutes before departure with a car, 20 minutes on foot. Vehicle boarding closes 20 minutes before sailing.
At Kennedy Point on Donald Bruce Road, Surfdale, on the island's southern side, not at Mātiatia.
Yes. SeaLink only takes bookings for oversized vehicles, motorhomes, trailers and caravans over the phone, so ring its customer team rather than booking online.
Yes, free of charge on the outside decks and on a lead. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the passenger lounge.
No. That one is an Auckland Transport passenger route to Downtown; SeaLink's car ferry goes to Waiheke and needs a booking.