Palm Beach to Mackerel Beach ferry, Sydney: Timetable & prices

The Palm Beach to Mackerel Beach ferry across Pittwater, Sydney, costs $9.50, with ferries timetable to leave every hour. Enjoy the beach when you get there.

Where is Mackerel Beach?

Mackerel Beach is a little-known beach on the western shore of Pittwater, Sydney. It is carved out from Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park as part of the tiny suburb of Great Mackerel Beach.

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How to get to Mackerel Beach by road

A-ha! Trick question. It is not possible to get to Mackerel Beach by road. This, of course, provides a large part of its appeal. You really have to make the effort to get there, and that keeps the crowds away.

How to get to Mackerel Beach by boat

There are three ways to get to Mackerel Beach – a private boat, a water taxi and the ferry from Palm Beach. Of these, the Palm Beach to Mackerel ferry service is the cheapest option.

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Palm Beach to Mackerel Beach ferry timetable

The Palm Beach to Mackerel Beach ferry generally leaves on the hour throughout the day, with the first daily departure at 09.00 and the last at 20.00.

The ferry journey from Palm Beach to Mackerel Beach either takes ten minutes or half an hour, depending on which way round the ferry is going. Throughout most of the day, the Mackerel Beach Ferry makes other stops on the way to Mackerel Beach. From 16.00 onwards, this switches round, and the stops are made on the way back to Palm Beach.

For full timetables, visit the Palm Beach Ferries website.

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How much do fares on the Mackerel Beach ferry cost?

Single tickets on the Palm Beach to Mackerel Beach ferry cost $9.50, although that goes down to $8.55 if you pay with a smartcard. Prices are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change in the future.

Mackerel Beach on the western shore of Pittwater, Sydney. Photo by Andrew Gregory/ Destination NSW.

More Sydney ferries

Sydney Harbour ferries