HSW’s New Ferry To Stradbroke Island
City to seaside in under an hour
It wasn’t long ago that we sat down with the down-to-earth brains behind Howard Smith Wharves, Adam Flaskas, back in October. Amongst the new restaurants, watering holes and riverside events, he revealed bold plans for a riverside terminal at the Wharves as a gateway to Moreton Bay – home to some of Brisbane’s best local travel destinations. Now, it’s the talk of the week as the plan is officially setting sail. Announced recently by Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones, is a new ferry link between Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane’s CBD connecting to North Stradbroke Island.
Boasting a 40-minute trip by cutting out the commute to Cleveland, the Queensland Government has announced the ferry will be dropping anchor before Christmas – just in time for the summer holidays.
Like many local lovers of the Howard Smith Wharves precinct, it’s just another reason to head down for a fresh brew, get your hands around the delectable food options, have lunch on the grass or dine under the Story Bridge lights. But now, with the option to head directly to North Stradbroke Island on the cards, it’s certainly a game changer to our River City.
Finer details are yet to be confirmed such as local operators. Many have already expressed interest in the new ferry port of call – sure to be popular amongst the locals nearby who can go for a drink while they wait for their ride to go seaside.
Nowadays, Queensland Tourism suggests the trip currently takes about two hours of travelling on public transport via Roma Street Station train, bus and ferry. For those driving, it requires a 30-kilometre drive to Cleveland and a 30-minute ferry from Toondah Harbour to Dunwich on the island. With this new ferry, your time will be better spent chillin’ out maxin’ relaxin’.
While we can certainly get around a trip that takes us from the breweries and restaurants of HSW to island life in less than an hour, we’re keen to see if the attractive travel time sticks. Considering there is a speed limit for commercial vessels within the Brisbane River, we hope that it will be a speedy journey all ‘round!
