Frequently Asked Questions

There is a myth that taking your vehicle is more expensive than walking on as passengers, did you know you can take up to five passengers in your vehicle? (Conditions apply) Most people only consider the ferry prices outlay associated with taking your vehicle and not the FULL cost including transportation around the island. Having your vehicle on the island also provides convenience as you can do what you want when you want in the comfort of your own car. We currently offer cheaper fares online (website only rates) depending on the time and date of travel. Booking via telephone or point of sale are a standard fare. Please visit the fares page for current point of sale prices. If your vehicle is larger than five metres, please contact our friendly staff to discuss prices for vehicles larger than five metres.

We offer more than eight return services daily. Please check our timetable for up to date travel information and our news section for any changes.

Cars 5.5m and under have a weight limit of 2.5t. Cars that are 5.6-6m have a weight limit of 3t. If the weight limit is exceeded, the vehicle will be moved up to the Campervan or Truck pricing bracket, these vehicles cannot be booked online and must be booked with our office.

Our terminal is located at Ross St, South Townsville. Ross street is off Palmer street Townsville. Please visit the location and parking page for further details.

Unfortunately, we do not have an office at Nelly Bay.
Bookings can be made online or you can contact our office on 07 4796 9300.
Bookings can also be made on the vessel but this does not guarantee your booking on that particular service.

Secure car parking is available at our terminal. The car park is monitored under 24/7 CCTV and is fully fenced, gates are locked at night. We also have random security patrols throughout the night. The car park is $8 per day for all Magnetic Island Ferries customers. When you arrive at the terminal please drive into the car park area on your right, the boom gate will open. Please ensure you then go to our office to receive a car park ticket.
Payment for car park is made upon your return journey from the island. You can do this on the vessel (at anytime), or at the office (to 5:00pm only).
Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions prior to parking your vehicle in our carpark.

Independent Rentals (www.independentrentals.com.au or 1800 678 843) have agreements in place so that hire cars can be taken safely across on the ferry. Thrifty Car Rentals also allow vehicles to travel to Magnetic Island (www.thrifty.com.au or 1300 367 227). Please check your terms and conditions of car hire for more information.

Reservations made online require payment by Visa, MasterCard or Amex at the time of booking. Bookings made by the reservation office are only confirmed once payment has been received. EFTPOS is available at the terminal and on the vessel, cash is also accepted.

No, walk on passengers and bicycles are welcome, however transfers to and from the ferry are to be made by the passenger and is not the responsibility of Magnetic Island Ferries.

Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to travel without the care of an adult.

Yes, we definitely advise to pre-book to avoid disappointment, especially if you are wanting to book a car. Peak times are generally during Easter, school holiday periods, public holidays, long weekends and the Christmas/New Year break.

Yes, pets are welcome, but for health and safety reasons cannot enter the café area. Undercover seating is available outside of the café area if you wish to take your pet out of the car (but they need to be kept on a leash).

Yes, all reduced rates are to be booked through the office. Online discounts do not apply to concession rates. We offer the following rates in good will: Queensland Seniors Card Holder, Department Veteran Affairs and Defence/ Emergency Personnel. Further Off-peak rates are also on offer, please visit our rates page for further information.

Please refer to our Dangerous Goods page.

No, if you have already booked and have a boarding pass you are not required to check in. Only customers who need to pay are required to check in with our staff prior to boarding.

You are required to arrive at the terminal at least 20 minutes prior to departure.

When you book online you will receive an email with your boarding ticket. You can either print this boarding ticket or display on your phone when boarding. If you do not receive a ticket, please phone our team on 47969300 to resend so you have it before arriving at our terminal.

The sailing takes approximately 40 mins each way.

A variety of hot & cold food and drink is available for purchase in our licensed cafe.

Yes, when you arrive at the terminal simply proceed into any of our car waiting lanes. Please ensure that you have printed your boarding ticket or have it available on your phone to display for departure. If you still require to pay for or purchase your ticket, please proceed to our reservations counter prior to boarding. Crew will instruct you to drive onto the ferry when ready.
All passengers traveling with the vehicle should remain in the vehicle until the vehicle has been boarded. Any passengers that walk on will need to purchase a walk on ticket. If you do not feel comfortable driving your car onto the ferry, please discuss with our friendly staff.

Magnetic Island Ferries considers sponsorship that are in line with their corporate and marketing objectives to increase community awareness of the company’s services and to support the Magnetic community. Please visit the sponsorship request page for further details.

Read our full terms and conditions here. Please make sure you read our Refund and Cancellation policy prior to purchasing a boarding ticket.

Yes, we do have a mailing list, for email updates. When you make a booking online tick the option to be notified of specials. You will then be updated in our system. Every time we have a special you will be notified by email.

• Please refer to the Kinetic/Translink site for up to date information https://www.wearekinetic.com/au/townsville

With our new system, we can no longer offer open tickets. If you require to book a return but are unsure of your return date and time, please select a time and date in the future. Once you know when you need to travel please either change your booking online (registered customer) or contact our office to update your booking.

With our new booking features and the option to now book online easier if you are unsure when you want to travel you can book a one-way fare and when you want to return make a booking for your return leg.

Our kiosk and deck areas are only accessible via stairs. If you have mobility issues we recommend remaining within your vehicle for the duration of the journey.

The vast majority of guests book online and that means we don’t need to have a huge call centre – therefore we are able to pass on those savings to our customers! Our main aim is to provide a quick and easy booking process for our customers and ensure you have the best experience from making the booking to departing our vessel. Our prices are calculated depending on the time of travel with high, shoulder and off-peak fares available through the year.

To register as a new customer, browse to our secure booking platform and fill out the new customer registration form.

If you are registering to receive a discounted price please contact our reservation staff after you have completed the registration, they will advise if you are eligible and what documentation you will be required to supply prior to your account being activated.

• The benefits of registering as a customer will give you the options as below:
• Your details will be stored in our system to make bookings easier. If you are booking with one of our staff member advise them of your customer registration at time of booking.
• You can make changes online to existing bookings
• You can reprint your tickets ready for boarding
• You will be notified of future updates
• You may be eligible for a special fare, your registration will be set up with this to make it easier for booking online.

When we have specials available there will be a promotional code issued for these specials. These promotional codes need to be entered in ‘promo code’ section when making a booking online. When we have specials available there will be advertised on our website and Facebook page. Please make sure that if you are booking a special then you understand the ‘terms and conditions’ for that promotion.The benefits of registering as a customer will give you the options as below:

When making a booking for a vehicle, we require the registration of the vehicle. If you are unsure of the registration number of your vehicle at the time of booking please put in TBA. Once you know your vehicle registration please let our reservation staff know by either telephone or advising the Passenger Attendant as you board.

Discounts are only available online if you are a registered customer. When you select the passenger type online, this does not activate any discounts. This is only to make sure the correct passenger fares are charged.
We offer a Seymour Sale on specific Days and Times, please refer to our Specials Page for Details!

Yes, all concession rates are to be booked through the office. Online discounts do not apply to concession rates. We offer the following concessions: Australian Seniors and Concession Card Holder, Department Veteran Affairs or TPI Gold Card Holders, Defence and Emergency Personnel.

Yes, bookings are allowed to be changed but depending on the fare you originally paid you may be required to pay extra for the changes. You can either make changes online (If you are a registered customer) or you will need to contact our office on 07 4796 9300 to make the changes. If there is a fare difference you will be required to pay the difference at the time to confirm your booking. Any changes made with our staff will be charged an amendment fee.