Orbus 10 Contact us Tō kaunihera Your council Me nanao atu te rika Get involved Taiao Environment Te whakaaetaka me te tautukuka Consents and Compliance Te whakahaere o kā mōrea māori Managing natural hazards Mahia ki te ipuraki Do it online Find by A-Z Skip A-Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Homepage Your council Latest news News MEDIA RELEASE ORC launches expanded Queenstown Ferries service Monday 22 September 2025 Copy link The Otago Regional Council (ORC) has expanded Queenstown’s ferry service; with late night services extended to seven days a week and daytime services running every hour. Tō kaunihera Your council View page Our councillors Our team Iwi partnerships Regional relationships Council meetings and agendas Work here Latest news Rates Plans and strategies Public reporting Contact us Local body elections ORC Priority Actions 2026–2028 ORC’s General Manager Regional Planning and Transport Anita Dawe says the Lake Whakatipu ferry contract was awarded to new owners Watersports Ltd in July and provided an opportunity to expand services. “Watersports has expanded the ferry timetable which allows us to offer people more options to travel by water in Queenstown.” Timetable improvements started on 4 July, with late services being offered seven nights a week, rather than three. “From today, services will expand further - running every hour between 8.15am and 9.45pm,” says Ms Dawe. Watersports Ltd co-owner Iraj Barabi says, “We are delighted to have partnered with ORC to provide ferry services in Queenstown. Our entire team is mobilised to enhance all aspects of water transport in order to provide the public with a best-in-class transportation experience in a safe, reliable, and efficient manner. We will accomplish this with investing and employing all resources necessary to improve customer experience. Ferry passengers can expect better timeliness, expanded and more reliable services, more efficient processes, resulting in elevated customer satisfaction.” Mr Barabi says, “In the limited time Watersports has taken over the ferry operations, we have extended the late-night service to seven days a week effective 4 July which has resulted in a 9% increase in patronage for the month.”   Queenstown Ferries ferry on Lake Whakatipu   Ms Dawe says total patronage on the Queenstown Ferries service for the 2024/25 financial year was 71,123, a 4% decrease from the same period in 2023/24. “However, while we have seen patronage slowly decrease since the withdrawal of half price fares in 2023, 2025 has markedly improved, with January to July patronage increasing by 4% compared to the previous year. We are optimistic the expanded timetable will drive higher passenger numbers for the rest of the year.” Ferry pricing remains the same: $10 per person, per trip with a Bee Card, or $14 with a bank card (children under 5 travel for free and cash is not accepted). Orbus Ferries Information on the Orbus Ferries in Queenstown - when you can catch them, where they travel and what the fares are. Read more Take the lake Dedicated page for people using the Queenstown Ferries. Read more Orbus Ferries on Facebook Stay up to date on delays, cancellations or other news. Orbus Ferries operates a daily scheduled ferry service between Queenstown Central, Bayview - Kelvin Heights, Queenstown Marina and the Hilton. Read more Was this page helpful? Page last updated 12 December 2025 24/7 Pollution Hotline 0800 800 033 Call us Mon-Fri 8am-5pm 0800 474 082 Contact us Navigate Your council Get involved Environment Consents and Compliance Managing natural hazards Public transport (Orbus) Do it online Find by A to Z Search ORC jobs Useful resources Environmental Data Portal LAWA (Land Air Water Aotearoa) Otago Civil Defence Otago Maps Otago Native Planting Guide Otago Natural Hazards Database Spatial Data Portal Privacy and Terms & Conditions All rights reserved 2026