Noosa North Shore Ferry: Fare cost and timetable from Tewantin

The Noosa North Shore Ferry from Tewantin costs from $10 per car, and runs from 5.30am to 10.20pm.

The Noosa North Shore Ferry provides a perhaps unexpectedly vital link between Noosa and the Noosa North Shore.

Book in advance for the best rates on Noosa accommodation.

For the uninitiated, the Noosa North Shore is the section east of the Noosa Everglades and Noosa River on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. It’s not entirely uninhabited, but it’s quiet. A handful of local residents live there, and there are plenty of holiday homes. And, to the north are the vast forests and dune systems of the Great Sandy National Park.

Crossing the Noosa River

No bridges cross the Noosa River to the North Shore. Without the Noosa North Shore Ferry, you’d have to drive an hour-and-a-half to Rainbow Beach, then come all the way back down in a 4WD along Teewah Beach.

Get the best out of Noosa – 6 sensational experiences to look into

Cruise the mirror-like waterways of the Noosa Everglades – a glorious glide through stunning natural landscapes.
4WD along the beaches – AND kayak with dolphins on a day tour full of easy adventure.
Take a dolphin-watching safari down the Noosa River.
Have a go at kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding or waterbiking.
Take a tasting tour of the local craft breweries and distilleries – find out how the locals have devoted themselves to quality.
Get standing on your board by the end of a beginners’ surfing lesson.

This makes for a great day trip. The Great Beach Drive up to Double Island Point is fantastic fun. But you don’t necessarily want to do it twice. Or at all, if your aim is to reach the North Shore or go camping at Teewah Beach.

Teewah Beach from Double Island Point in Queensland. Photo copyright David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions.

Noosa North Shore Ferry timetable

The Noosa North Shore Ferry departs from the Moorindil Street Wharf in Tewantin. There are two car ferries, chugging back and forth along the river. The ferry essentially takes no time at all to cross the river. Most time is consumed in loading and unloading the vehicles. Even then, there tends to be a crossing roughly every ten minutes.

Given this sort of frequency, there is no set timetable for the Noosa North Shore ferry. It operates from 5:30am to 10:20pm, Sunday to Thursday, and 5:30am to 12:20am, Friday and Saturday. Be warned that you sometimes have a long wait in the queue on popular holiday dates.

12 fantastic Sunshine Coast experiences to book now

Taste coffee and ginger, do rainforest walks, and visit the best lookouts on a highlight-packed hinterland tour.
Take a serene Noosa Everglades cruise along the mirror-like waterways – or canoe through the Everglades.
Learn to surf at a Sunshine Coast surf school – or try paddleboarding instead.
Combine sight-seeing and thrills on a fast boat tour.
Go e-mountain biking on the downhill trails of Tewantin National Park.
Kayak with dolphins as part of a beach 4WD tour.
Explore the Sunshine Coast from above on a seaplane flight.
Take an indigenous cultural tour – with bush tucker tasting.
Visit the region’s best craft breweries and distilleries on a drinks tasting tour.
Go jetskiing through the gorgeous Pumicestone Passage.
Taste wines, cheeses and chocolates on a hinterland food tour.
Watch migrating humpbacks on a whale-watching cruise.

Noosa North Shore Ferry fare prices

The Noosa North Shore ferry is a cash-only affair, and is pretty cheap. The pedestrian fare is just $1. There are very few pedestrians, though, and the money is made with the cars. The fare for cars up to 5.5m long is $10. Any cars over that cost $12. A full list of prices for caravans, trailers, tour buses and more is available on the ferry operator’s website.

If I can do just one thing in Noosa, what should it be?

The Great Beach Drive – a four wheel drive adventure up Teewah Beach towards Double Island Point – is fantastic on its own. To go kayaking with dolphins as part of the same trip makes for a genuinely superb day out.

Take it as a massive personal recommendation – the Great Beach Drive plus Kayaking With Dolphins day tour should be at the top of your Noosa wishlist.