Three crossings leave Toondah Harbour for North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah): SeaLink's water taxi, the independent Stradbroke Flyer and SeaLink's vehicle ferry. They differ less in their timetables than in where they land, how you pay and whether you can simply turn up.
SeaLink timetable and booking system read on 7 October 2026 (checked against sailings loaded to 30 December 2026); Stradbroke Flyer board marked effective 16 December 2024, still the one it publishes SeaLink North Stradbroke Island – Ferry timetables · 2026-10-07
Set the two passenger boats side by side and the first surprise is how alike their timetables are. SeaLink's water taxi and the Gold Cats Stradbroke Flyer both leave Cleveland at 04:45 on weekdays, both take about 25 minutes, and until mid-afternoon they depart at exactly the same times. The real difference is at the island end: SeaLink ties up at Junner Street in Dunwich, beside its own car-ferry ramp, while the Flyer runs to One Mile Jetty, further north up the shore.
Ticketing pushes them further apart. SeaLink sells passenger tickets only online or at its office, valid on any sailing for a year, and runs a late pair of boats on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The Flyer has no online booking at all, takes payment at its office or on board, and runs its last boats at 20:15 and 20:45 every day, but skips its earliest pair on weekends and public holidays alike.
Taking a vehicle is a different choice altogether rather than a third option for walk-on passengers. SeaLink runs about ten sailings each way from the same harbour, it takes 45 to 50 minutes, it must be booked, and the price depends on the day — SeaLink sells vehicle space with demand-based fares and a temporary fuel surcharge on top.
On the water taxis the two companies are within cents of each other, and an adult return is $23.00 on both. Where they part is in how you pay. SeaLink stopped selling passenger tickets on board: you buy online or at the Cleveland office, and the ticket is then valid on any sailing for 365 days. The Flyer takes no online bookings at all and sells at its office or on the boat, for cash or EFTPOS.
Each operator's passenger fares below come from that operator's own price table, the only place either is published; we have not found a second listing to check them against, so treat them as the companies' current asking prices rather than fixed tariffs.
| Adult, one way | $ 13.50 |
| Adult, return | $ 23 |
| Child 5–14, one way | $ 8.75 |
| Concession card holder, one way | $ 6.75 |
| Student, one way | $ 11.50 |
| Adult, 10 returns | $ 140 |
| Child 0–4 | Free |
| Adult, one way | $ 14 |
| Adult, return | $ 23 |
| Child, one way | $ 8 |
| Concession, one way | $ 7 |
| Tertiary student, one way | $ 10 |
| Adult, 10-trip multi pass | $ 85 |
SeaLink passenger fares effective 1 July 2026; Stradbroke Flyer fares from 13 July 2026; SeaLink vehicle fares flexible. All read on 7 October 2026 SeaLink North Stradbroke Island – Ferry fares · 2026-10-07
The crossing runs east from Toondah Harbour across the southern half of Moreton Bay to Dunwich on the western shore of Minjerribah, about twelve kilometres in a straight line. The water taxis cover it in around 25 minutes; the vehicle ferries take nearly twice as long. Moreton Island, the next sand island to the north, is reached from Brisbane rather than Cleveland — see the Tangalooma ferry — and SeaLink's other Queensland car barge, the Kingfisher Bay ferry to K'gari, also quotes its vehicle fares as 'from' prices.
Both operators work out of the same harbour at the end of Emmett Drive. SeaLink's terminal is at number 12; walk-on passengers head for the passenger ferry arch, drivers follow the blue line to the check-in window. The Stradbroke Flyer sells tickets from its own office a few doors along at 13–21 and runs a free courtesy bus to and from that office, timed to most of its sailings. Public parking around the harbour is limited at weekends and in school holidays, and some bays are shared with boat trailers.
SeaLink's water taxi and all three of its vehicle ferries use the Junner Street terminal in Dunwich, which SeaLink labels with its other name, Goompi. The Flyer lands separately at One Mile Jetty, further north along the same shore. The island bus links the two landings before heading on to Amity Point and Point Lookout, so arriving on one operator and leaving on the other is perfectly workable.
Its crew no longer sell passenger tickets on board. Buy online or at the Cleveland office; it is good on any departure and stays usable for a year.
There are no online bookings for the Flyer. Pay at the Emmett Drive office or on board, by cash or EFTPOS, and buy a multi-trip pass if you will be crossing often — the Flyer's passes do not expire.
Vehicle space is limited and has to be reserved. SeaLink asks drivers to be at the check-in window at least 30 minutes before sailing; the driver and children up to four travel free with the vehicle, other passengers pay a small extra fare.
Neither boat is a Translink service, and the island bus that meets them charges a flat 50 cents in cash or by EFTPOS rather than on a go card. Have a bank card ready on both sides of the bay.
SeaLink's passenger ferry Yalingbila has a dedicated wheelchair space. Among the car ferries, Minjerribah has a lift; Sea Breeze has no lift but fewer stairs; Quandamooka has steep stairs and no lift.
SeaLink's fleet carries local names: the Yalingbila water taxi and the Minjerribah, Sea Breeze and Quandamooka car ferries. Dunwich itself appears in SeaLink's material as Goompi. Once ashore, sealed roads link Dunwich with Amity Point and Point Lookout, so a car is only essential if you plan to go onto the beaches or the island's 4WD tracks — and that needs a separate permit from Minjerribah Camping.
Getting to the boats without a car is straightforward on the Brisbane side. The Cleveland railway line ends a short bus or taxi ride from Toondah Harbour, and the Flyer adds a free courtesy bus of its own to and from its Emmett Drive office for most departures. On the island, the same 50-cent bus serves both landings. Inside Brisbane the picture is very different: a Translink ferry such as the Bulimba to Teneriffe crossing costs 50 cents on any card, whereas none of the Straddie boats accepts Translink payment at all.
For an adult return it makes no difference: both charge $23.00. One way, SeaLink is $13.50 and the Flyer $14.00. Concession holders pay $6.75 one way with SeaLink and $7.00 with the Flyer.
For the Flyer, yes — it does not take advance bookings and sells tickets at its office and on board. For SeaLink's water taxi, buy online or at the Cleveland office before boarding, because the crew no longer sell tickets. The car ferry must always be booked.
SeaLink's water taxi lands at Junner Street, Dunwich, next to the car-ferry terminal. The Stradbroke Flyer lands at One Mile Jetty, further north. The island bus calls at both before going on to Amity Point and Point Lookout.
SeaLink's water taxi still leaves at 04:45 at weekends. The Flyer's 04:45 runs on weekdays only, so its first Saturday departure is 05:45. The first car ferry is 06:00 on Saturday and 07:00 on Sunday.
On SeaLink's water taxi, 19:45 from Monday to Thursday and 20:45 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Flyer's last boat leaves One Mile Jetty at 20:45 every day. The last car ferry leaves Junner Street at 17:30, or 18:30 on Sundays.
No. Translink lists both the Flyer and the SeaLink service as non-Translink operators, and the island bus also takes cash or EFTPOS rather than a go card.
There is no single answer. SeaLink sells vehicle space with fares that change with date and demand, and its own pages showed two different starting prices on the same day, so check the booking planner for your date. A temporary 3% fuel surcharge is added to every vehicle booking.
SeaLink's water taxi Yalingbila has a dedicated wheelchair space and priority seating. If you are driving, ask for a sailing on the Minjerribah, the only car ferry with a lift.