Roughly every hour, from early morning until close to midnight: that is the rhythm of Fullers360's walk-up boat to Waiheke, with more boats around the weekday rush. The crossing from Downtown Auckland's Pier 11 to Mātiatia on Waiheke takes about 40 minutes, a few of the day's sailings call at Devonport on the way, and Auckland Transport lists the adult single fare at $31, paid by AT HOP or cash, but not by tapping a bank card.
Fullers360's Walk-up timetable effective 21 March 2026, where it matches Auckland Transport's schedule data from 30 September 2026; a summer timetable with extra sailings has been announced, start date not confirmed; checked 9 October 2026 Fullers360 – Waiheke Walk-up ferry timetable, effective 21 March 2026 (PDF) · 2026-10-09
Fullers360 calls its main Waiheke product the Walk-up ferry, and the name tells you how it works: you buy a ticket or tag on with AT HOP and board the next boat out of Pier 11 or 12. Auckland Transport, which counts the route as part of its ferry network, still advises planning ahead in busy seasons because capacity is limited.
Monday to Saturday, Downtown's opening Waiheke departure is 06:00, and Sunday starts at 07:00. From late morning to late afternoon the pattern is simple: on the hour from Downtown, on the hour from Mātiatia. In the evening the gaps widen to an hour and a half; Monday to Saturday the city's last boat is the 23:45 and the island's is the 00:30, while Sundays wind up earlier.
Is Fullers360 the only operator? No. Island Direct runs a bookable service from Pier 13 to Pier 3 at Mātiatia, with seven departures from Auckland on Mondays to Thursdays and more on Fridays and weekends; it takes contactless as well as AT HOP. The two companies sell separate tickets, and a monthly pass for one is no good on the other.
Auckland Transport prices a Fullers360 trip between Waiheke and central Auckland or Devonport at one flat amount per direction, and here the AT HOP card buys no discount: cash and HOP cost the same. Contactless payment by bank card or phone is not taken on the Fullers360 boat, AT's fare caps play no part, and the free weekend travel AT gives children on other ferries does not extend to Waiheke.
Fullers360 also sells its own return, off-peak and family tickets. We could not read those prices on Fullers360's website on 9 October, so they are not in this table; the amounts below are AT's.
| Adult, one way (cash or AT HOP) | $ 31 |
| Child 5–15, one way (cash or AT HOP) | $ 14 |
| Secondary student, one way (cash or AT HOP) | $ 14 |
| AT HOP Waiheke monthly pass | $ 400 |
Single fares in Auckland Transport's ferry fare table (page last updated 9 March 2026), read 9 October 2026 Auckland Transport – Ferry fares, Waiheke Island (Fullers360) · 2026-10-09
From Piers 11 and 12 the boat runs east, leaving the Waitematā behind and crossing the inner Hauraki Gulf to Mātiatia, the bay at the western end of Waiheke where both passenger operators berth. Fullers360 gives the direct crossing as approximately 40 minutes, and AT's schedule data times it the same way. The sailings that call at Devonport cross the harbour to the North Shore first, about ten minutes into the trip, and Fullers360 reckons them roughly ten minutes slower overall.
Fullers360's Waiheke boats board at Piers 11 and 12 of the Downtown Ferry Terminal at 99 Quay Street. Island Direct, the other Waiheke operator, uses Pier 13 next door, so check which pier your ticket belongs to before you queue. Paper tickets for the Fullers360 boat are sold at the terminal and on Fullers360's website; if you need an AT HOP card, the AT Customer Service Centre is on Pier 1.
On Waiheke, Fullers360 departs from Pier 1 at the Mātiatia Ferry Terminal, and Fullers360 tickets are sold at the terminal as well as in the city. Island Direct berths at Pier 3 on the same wharf, where its crew sell tickets as you board. Waiheke Bus Company, which is part of Fullers360, runs the island's buses, and they are included in the AT HOP Waiheke monthly pass.
Tapping a Visa, Mastercard or phone works on most Auckland ferries but not on the Fullers360 Waiheke boat. Load an AT HOP card or buy a ticket at the terminal or online before you walk down the pier.
A return between Auckland and Waiheke does not include a stopover. Fullers360's timetable warns that getting off at Devonport means paying again for the trip back to the city.
If your HOP card carries the SuperGold concession, AT ferries cost nothing outside the weekday morning rush, that is from 9am Monday to Friday and at any hour on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Waiheke is not on AT's list of exceptions; before 9am on a weekday the adult fare applies.
From Monday to Saturday the last boat leaves Mātiatia at 00:30; on Sundays and public holidays it is the 23:00. Miss it and the next one is in the morning.
This boat carries foot passengers only. Cars go on SeaLink's separate vehicle ferries, which run from their own terminals and are booked with SeaLink.
Why trust a timetable printed in March? Because the core of it has not moved. Fullers360 switched to this off-peak Walk-up timetable on 21 March 2026, and AT's schedule data from 30 September carries every one of its weekend sailings unchanged. On weekdays AT's data goes further, with a few extra boats at commuter times, and Fullers360 has announced more sailings for summer without a start date we could confirm. Island Direct, for comparison, says its own summer timetable begins between 19 October and 6 November, depending on which of its pages you read.
Which other boats leave the same terminal? Fullers360 also runs the Devonport ferry, which shares a few sailings with this route, and the Rangitoto Island ferry to the volcano across the channel. For a quieter Gulf island, Belaire's Rākino Island ferry leaves from Pier 6, a short walk along Queens Wharf, for the small island off Waiheke's northern end, but only on set days.
About 40 minutes from Downtown to Mātiatia. Sailings that call at Devonport take roughly ten minutes longer.
No. The Walk-up service is designed for turning up with a ticket or an AT HOP card, though Auckland Transport warns that space is limited at busy times.
Not on the Fullers360 boat. AT HOP works, and so does a paper ticket from the terminal. Island Direct's Waiheke service does accept contactless.
Auckland Transport lists $31 for an adult and $14 for a child (5 to 15) or secondary student, the same with cash or AT HOP. Under-5s ride free.
Mondays to Saturdays it is the 00:30 from Mātiatia, just after midnight. On Sundays and public holidays the island's final boat is the 23:00.
Yes, on the sailings that call there. From Devonport they leave at 09:10, 11:10 and 15:10 on weekdays; on weekend days and holidays add 13:10 and 17:10 to those three.
Yes. Auckland Transport's data runs the Sunday and public holiday timetable on Monday 26 October 2026.