Two council-owned cable ferries shuttle across the Noosa River from the end of Moorindil Street in Tewantin to Maximillion Road on the North Shore, roughly every ten minutes from 5.30am. This is the vehicle crossing for the Cooloola recreation area and its beach driving, not one of the passenger cruise boats that also work the river.
Hours published by Noosa Shire Council and by the operator, both read on 15 October 2026; operator status page last updated March 2026 Noosa North Shore Ferries – Timetable and tides · 2026-10-15
School and public holidays are the busy weeks at the end of Moorindil Street in Tewantin: they are the periods for which the operator tells campers bound for the beach camping grounds north of the Noosa River to book sites at least six weeks ahead. In the wetter months the issue is the river rather than the crowds: heavy rain, king tides and storm surges can lift the water until the ferry deck sits too high above the road to load safely.
Whatever the season, there is no day off: the ferries work all 365 days. Noosa Shire Council owns the crossing and fixes its hours and fares; since July 2024 the ferries have been operated for the council by Noosa North Shore Ferries, a business within Entrada Travel Group. Two purpose-built cable ferries carry vehicles and foot passengers across in a few minutes, leaving roughly every ten minutes.
The hours are long but finite: 5.30am to 10.20pm from Sunday to Thursday, and until 12.20am on Friday and Saturday nights. A car under 4.5 tonnes pays $18 each way.
Council sets the fares and the operator collects them. On the ferry the crew takes cash or a card, or you can buy online beforehand and show a QR code on your phone; online tickets stay valid until the next 30 June, which helps if your camping trip slips by a week. The 10-trip pass is only sold online. Each fare below agrees with the council's 2026–27 schedule, which lists one-way prices, and with the operator's price page.
| Standard vehicle, one way | $ 18 |
| Standard vehicle, return | $ 36 |
| Standard vehicle, 10-trip pass (online only) | $ 154 |
| Campervan, one way | $ 18 |
| Campervan, return | $ 36 |
| Motorbike, one way | $ 8 |
| Motorbike, return | $ 16 |
| Vehicle with trailer or boat, one way | $ 36 |
| Vehicle with trailer or boat, return | $ 72 |
| Vehicle with caravan, one way | $ 36 |
| Vehicle with caravan, return | $ 72 |
| Pedestrian or cyclist, return | $ 2 |
| 4.5 t to 15 t GVM | $ 54 |
| 15 t to 25 t GVM | $ 80 |
| 25 t to 40 t GVM | $ 154 |
| Over 40 t GVM | $ 236 |
| Up to 24 passengers | $ 20 |
| 25 to 35 passengers | $ 39 |
| 36 to 72 passengers | $ 81 |
| 73 to 99 passengers | $ 123 |
Noosa Shire Council fees and charges 2026–27 (from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027), matching the operator's price page; both read on 15 October 2026 Noosa North Shore Ferries – Ferry tickets and prices · 2026-10-15
The crossing itself is short, but what lies beyond it is not. Driving on the beach north of the river, through the Cooloola recreation area, needs a vehicle access permit from the Queensland Government, and camping there needs a camping permit as well; popular sites go early in the holidays. The same permit regime covers K'gari, reached at the far end of that coast by the Inskip Point barges. Time the beach drive for within three hours of low water, as the operator advises.
The service has had the same operator since July 2024, Noosa North Shore Ferries, a business of the Entrada Travel Group, which until mid-2026 also ran the Daintree River cable ferry in the far north. Without a four-wheel drive, the Sunshine Coast's water trips are different in kind: the Mooloolaba ferry is a small passenger boat across the Mooloolah River and up the canals.
Coming from Noosa, follow Moorindil Street to its end at the river. About 200 m before the ramp there are public toilets at the state parks and forests office; the ferry team's own office, where locals collect concession cards, is at the crossing. You can buy a ticket on board with cash, EFTPOS or card, so there is no need to stop elsewhere.
Southbound drivers leaving the Cooloola beach have to come off the sand at Third Cutting, follow the wilderness track past the Noosa North Shore Beach Campground and the Retreat, then take Maximillion Road to the ramp. There are toilets on the left of the ferry approach, but no rubbish collection at either landing, so take your waste with you.
This is when campsites fill and queues lengthen. Buy your ferry ticket online and print nothing: the crew scans the QR code from your phone.
King tides, storm surges, strong winds and heavy rain can leave the ferry too high above the road or make crossing unsafe. In March 2026 the service kept running through a minor flood warning but warned of steeper ramps.
When the river is up, buses, motorhomes, lowered cars and anything towing should board slowly and follow the deck crew's signals.
The ferries run on cables strung across the river. Wait for the orange warning light to stop flashing, pass only when the ferry is stationary, keep to the middle of the river and do not cross the cables needlessly.
The ferry status page is the place to look in unsettled weather. In March 2026, during a minor flood warning for the Noosa River, the operator reported that the higher tides of that week fell outside operating hours and kept the service running, then warned two days later that the ramps were still steeper than usual. At the other end of the year, the last crossing on New Year's Eve 2025 was moved to 1.00am, with a warning that the ferries would stop at that time sharp.
Until 12.20am. On Fridays and Saturdays the ferries run from 5.30am to 12.20am; from Sunday to Thursday they finish at 10.20pm. After-hours call-outs can be arranged for a fee.
$36 one way or $72 return if the car and trailer together are under 4.5 tonnes GVM. A caravan or boat on the back is charged the same way.
A Queensland Government vehicle access permit, which the ferry does not sell, plus a camping permit if you stay overnight. Book campsites well ahead for the holidays.
No, this page covers only the short vehicle crossing at the end of Moorindil Street in Tewantin. The cruise boats that carry passengers along the Noosa River belong to other businesses and sell their own fares.
Yes. The operator lists king tides, sea surges, strong winds and heavy rain or flooding as conditions that can raise the ferries too far above the road or make crossing unsafe. Look at the operator's status page before setting off.
Yes. Pedestrians and cyclists pay $2 return; the council's schedule sets the one-way fare at $1.
Exit at Third Cutting, take the wilderness track past the Noosa North Shore Beach Campground and the Retreat, then follow Maximillion Road to the ramp.