WellingtonSee & Do
The teal-coloured Ika Rere electric ferry leaves its berth on the Wellington waterfront to head out into the harbour. The Wellington skyline is behind it.

East By West Ferries

  • Location

    Meridian Building (waterside), 55 Elizabeth Lane, Queens Wharf, Wellington

  • Website

    East by West Ferries

Experience Wellington from the water, explore the eastern bays and an island nature reserve on the city’s only harbour ferries.

Located on Wellington’s waterfront at Queens Wharf, East by West offers a pleasant 25-minute crossing to Days Bay, near Eastbourne. Or, continue from there to Mātiu/Somes Island. Commuter transport as much as tourism experience, it’s a great way to see the city. 

Across the harbour, there’s plenty to do in Days Bay. From the ferry drop-off point on the jetty, it’s easy to spend the day exploring the area. 

There are bush walks and parks, and kayak, paddleboard, and bike hire. You can swim and jump off the jetty, eat ice cream, or drink coffee while enjoying expansive views. Take a short walk to the nearby seaside village of Eastbourne where you’ll find restaurants, shops, and art galleries.

A person uses their cellphone to take a picture of the Carter Memorial Fountain at Oriental Bay from the East by West ferry in Wellignton.
An East by West ferry docked at Wellington's harbourfront.
Three people sit on an East by West Ferry in Wellington, New Zealand.
Two people holding hands walking together on a concrete dock with a small ferry boat where other passengers are disembarking behind them.

Catch a ferry from the mainland to the island nature reserve in the middle of Wellington Harbour. Mātiu/Somes Island is only accessible by booking through East by West Ferries.

The scientific and historic reserve is managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). It’s steeped in local history, from early Māori settlement to a prisoner of war camp, and then a quarantine station. It’s now rodent-free, rife with birdlife, and full of native flora and fauna.

East By West has weekly and weekend timetables for its three ferries that cruise around the harbour up to seven times a day.

One of those ferries, Ika Rere, is the very first electric high-speed passenger ferry in the southern hemisphere. Locally built, the carbon-fibre 19-metre catamaran has a passenger capacity of 132 with three crew. There’s an on-board café and inside and outside seating options.

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A view of Wellington Harbour/ Port Nicholson at golden hour with Matiu/Somes Island in the centre of the image.

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