Ferry

Port Stephens, New South Wales, Australia.

We called in here en route to a weekend with friends on the Central Coast.

In 1904 the first passenger ferry between Nelson Bay and Tea Gardens was started by the Boyce and Thurlo families. It proved such a success that the runs were expanded to Salt Ash and Soldiers Point. They operated three launches; “Reliance”, “Kingfisher” and “Replica”. These petrol driven vessels carried supplies and passengers on a daily basis. In 1927 the business was taken over by the Engal family, who installed the first diesel engines to operate on Port Stephens. With the outbreak of World War II the vessels were commandeered and the Engal family was forced to close. In 1987 the ferry service was re-established with an aluminium vessel named “Waterbus” operating four days a week between Nelson Bay and Tea Gardens.

Today, the ferry service operates two historic timber ferries on a daily basis, carrying thousands passengers each year from Nelson Bay to Tea Gardens. It’s a ferry ride that both visitors and locals can enjoy, taking in the beautiful vista of the bay up to Tea Gardens on the Myall River, and all the surrounding bird and marine life that the area has to offer.
portstephensferryservice.com.au/about-2/