Stockton Ferry Timetable and Fare 2026: Queens Wharf to Stockton in 5 Minutes, $3.30 Adult Opal, Every 15 to 20 Minutes (Newcastle, NSW)

The Stockton ferry takes 5 minutes to cross from Queens Wharf in Newcastle to Stockton Wharf, runs every 15 minutes in the weekday peaks and every 20 minutes through the day and on weekends, and costs an adult $3.30 ($2.31 off-peak) with an Opal card or a contactless bank card. Newcastle Transport operates it, and its timetable has been valid since Monday 10 August 2026.

This guide uses the Newcastle Transport ferry page, its PDF timetable for routes STKN and 55N, its Stockton page and the Transport for NSW adult Opal fares page. Everything below is a snapshot as of 7 November 2026; the timetable itself says it is subject to change without notice and does not include extra trips for special events or short-term changes.

How long does the Stockton ferry take?

Every trip in the PDF timetable lists a departure and an arrival five minutes later. A 05:05 departure from Newcastle, for example, arrives at Stockton at 05:10. The ferry operates between the terminals at Queens Wharf in Newcastle and Stockton Wharf, and nothing in the timetable shows a stop in between.

How often does the ferry run?

The Newcastle Transport Stockton page says the ferry runs every 15 minutes during peak periods and every 20 minutes throughout the day and on weekends. The PDF timetable agrees with that pattern on weekdays. On Monday to Friday, the departures from Newcastle in the morning peak are at 07:15, 07:30, 07:45, 08:00, 08:15, 08:30 and 08:45, and in the afternoon peak at 16:00, 16:15, 16:30, 16:45, 17:00, 17:15, 17:30, 17:45, 18:00, 18:15, 18:30 and 18:45. Between those blocks the boat leaves every 20 minutes, for example 09:20, 09:40 and 10:00 from Newcastle.

Day	First departure from Stockton	First departure from Newcastle	Pattern in the timetable
Monday to Friday	04:55	05:05	Every 15 minutes in the peaks, every 20 minutes between them; less often after about 19:30
Saturday	05:05	05:15	Mostly every 20 minutes from about 07:00 until the evening
Sunday and public holidays	08:20	08:30	Every 20 minutes for most of the day, with some longer gaps

The timetable is printed in 24-hour time, so 17:00 means 5pm. The exact minute of the next boat changes through the day, so the printed PDF is better for planning a particular trip than a rule of thumb.

When is the last ferry?

The times at the end of the night depend on the day. Read from the PDF timetable:

Day	Last departure from Newcastle	Last departure from Stockton
Monday to Thursday	23:00	23:05
Friday	00:00 (marked as Friday nights only)	00:05 (marked as Friday nights only)
Saturday	00:00	00:05
Sunday and public holidays	22:00	22:05

A 00:00 departure from Newcastle arrives at Stockton at 00:05, so the Friday and Saturday late boat finishes just after midnight. The Newcastle Transport ferry page summarises the service as running Monday to Thursday from 4.55am to “12.10pm”, Friday and Saturday from 5.05am to “12.10pm” and Sunday from 8.20am to 10.10pm. The Sunday figures match the PDF, but the “12.10pm” end time on the web page does not match the timetable’s late-night times, and the Friday first departure in the PDF is 04:55, not 5.05am. Use the PDF or the trip planner for the night you are travelling.

How much does the Stockton ferry cost?

The Transport for NSW adult fares page lists a separate row for the Newcastle Stockton ferry: 0 to 3 km, $3.30, with an off-peak price of $2.31. The page lists that as the adult fare, which applies to people 16 and over unless they are eligible for a concession. Children aged 4 to 15 are entitled to concession fares on NSW public transport and children aged 3 and under travel free, according to Newcastle Transport. The fares page gives the off-peak price but, in the part read for this guide, does not list the peak and off-peak hours.

Item	Amount (as of 7 November 2026)
Adult single trip, Newcastle Stockton ferry	$3.30
Adult off-peak trip	$2.31
Daily cap, Monday to Thursday	$19.30
Daily cap, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays	$9.65
Weekly cap (the Opal week runs Monday to Sunday)	$50

The caps apply across metro, train, bus, ferry and light rail within the Opal network, so a ferry trip counts toward the same cap as a light rail or bus trip on the same day.

How do I pay for the Stockton ferry?

You tap on at the wharf and tap off when you arrive, using an Opal card or a contactless Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, or a phone or watch linked to one. Transport for NSW says that if you forget to tap off you are charged a default fare, which is the maximum possible fare for your trip. Without an Opal card or a contactless option you would need an Opal single trip ticket, which Transport for NSW says is more expensive and gives no Opal benefits.

The timetable adds that a contactless card or device is charged an adult fare with the same benefits as an adult Opal card, provided you tap on and off with the same card or device every time. Adult and Child/Youth Opal cards are sold at the Newcastle Transport Hub at Newcastle Interchange and at Opal retailers. Gold Senior/Pensioner and concession cards can be applied for through Transport for NSW.

How do I get to Queens Wharf?

Newcastle Transport says the ferry is a 200 metre walk from the Queens Wharf light rail stop, and around a 350 metre walk from buses arriving at King Street at Perkins Street.

Is there a night bus to Stockton?

On Friday and Saturday nights a route 55N bus runs from Queens Wharf to Stockton after the ferry has stopped. The timetable notes that the 55N picks up passengers only as far as the end of Beaumont Street, and sets down passengers only from there to Stockton. Its stops after Queens Wharf are Customs House on Watt Street, Beaumont Street at Tudor Street in Hamilton, Maitland Road after Elizabeth Street in Tighes Hill, Nelson Bay Road opposite Vardon Road in Fern Bay, and Fullerton Street opposite Booth Street in Stockton.

The two official sources disagree on the last Queens Wharf departure. The ferry page says the last departure from Queens Wharf is at 2.44am, while the PDF timetable prints 03:00 against Queens Wharf. Check the trip planner for the exact bus on the night.

What is there to do in Stockton?

Newcastle Transport’s Stockton page suggests a family day out, with the Stockton Playground and Skate Park, a range of local cafes and eateries, and the Shipwreck Walk along the break wall, where the shipwrecks can be seen. It is the transport operator’s own description, so it is a starting point rather than a full guide to the suburb.

What should I check before I go?

• The trip planner on transportnsw.info for the live departure, because the timetable PDF leaves out special-event trips, short-term changes, holiday timetable changes and disruption alerts
• The day of the week, because the last ferry is at different times from Sunday to Saturday
• Whether you are tapping on and off with the same card or device each time, to get the benefits and avoid a default fare

Sources

• Newcastle Transport — Ferry services (operating hours summary, 55N night bus, timetable link; read 7 November 2026)
• Newcastle Transport — STKN and 55N timetable (PDF) (valid from 10 August 2026)
• Newcastle Transport — Explore Stockton (frequency, walking distances, attractions)
• Transport for NSW — Adult Opal fares (Newcastle Stockton ferry fare, caps, how to pay; read 7 November 2026)
• Newcastle Transport — Tickets and Opal (child fares, where to buy a card)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Newcastle Transport or Transport for NSW. Times and fares can change; check the trip planner before you go.

Featured image: the Stockton ferry Shortland, Newcastle (photo: Mertie . / CC BY 2.0, taken September 2015) (text added)