In short
- Vehicle ferries to Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) leave from Toondah Harbour, 12 Emmett Drive, Cleveland, for Junner Street, Dunwich. The crossing takes about 45 to 50 minutes.[1]
- A car can't just turn up: every vehicle ticket must be bought beforehand, online or by phone, and the ferries fill early in holidays.[1][2]
- Sealed roads run to Point Lookout and Amity Point. Driving on Flinders Beach or Main Beach needs a 4WD and a vehicle access permit, and all-wheel-drive vehicles aren't permitted.[4][3]
- Rentzy's terms forbid driving on beaches and off-road. They don't mention ferries, so ask us before you book a vehicle ferry and keep our answer in writing.
- Without a car, passenger ferries take about 25 minutes and island buses link the ferry terminals with Point Lookout and Amity Point.[2][6]
How does the car ferry to Straddie work?
SeaLink runs the vehicle ferry between its Cleveland terminal at 12 Emmett Drive and its island terminal on Junner Street in Dunwich. SeaLink puts the terminal about 40 minutes' drive east of Brisbane and the crossing at 45 to 50 minutes.[1] The timetable it publishes is a base timetable: extra sailings are added on a third vessel, so the booking page shows the full list of departures.[1]
- Book the car's place first. SeaLink says all vehicle ferry tickets must be bought in advance, online or by calling 07 3488 5300.[1] Minjerribah Camping adds that vehicle ferries fill early in holidays and peak periods.[2]
- Arrive 20 minutes early. SeaLink asks drivers to be at the terminal at least 20 minutes before departure for check-in and loading.[1]
- Expect busy parking around the harbour. Public parking near Toondah Harbour has time limits in places and some spaces are shared with boat trailers; SeaLink warns it can be limited in public and school holidays.[1]
Fares and departure times change, so we don't repeat them here: check SeaLink's own site on the day you book. The island is Quandamooka Country; Naree Budjong Djara National Park on Minjerribah is jointly managed by the Quandamooka people, through the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.[5]
Can you take a Rentzy car on the ferry?
When you ask, give us the dates, the sailings you have in mind and where you plan to drive on the island. That lets us answer the question you actually have, rather than a general one. Remember that the beach rules below apply whatever the answer about the ferry is.
Do you need a 4WD on North Stradbroke Island?
Not for the townships. Minjerribah Camping, which issues the island's beach vehicle access permits, says you don't need a 4WD to reach the township camping grounds because sealed roads run to Point Lookout and Amity Point.[4] The beaches are different: you need a 4WD and a vehicle access permit for the beach camping areas on Flinders Beach and Main Beach.[4]
| Beach | Where 4WDs may drive | Tide rule | Speed limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flinders Beach[3] | Between the Amity Point entrance and the Adder Rock entrance | Not within 2 hours either side of high tide | 40 km/h |
| Main Beach[3] | Between the George Nothling Drive entrance and the southern end of the surf beach | Not within 2 hours either side of high tide | 60 km/h |
The permit page warns that some entrances can be soft and rough and that the beaches can become impassable with tides and weather. All-wheel-drive vehicles, motorbikes and quad bikes aren't permitted on the beach or in the Recreation Area, and a permit found on an all-wheel-drive vehicle is confiscated with its fees forfeited.[3] Permits are sold for one month or one year, online or at the campground offices.[3] If a vehicle gets bogged, rangers aren't permitted to help for insurance reasons.[4]
Can you drive a rental car on Straddie's beaches?
Not a Rentzy car. At the time of writing, clause 7 of our rental terms says you must not drive on beaches or off-road, or on unsealed roads unless that's reasonable for access. A vehicle access permit from the island doesn't change the rental agreement, so there's no point buying one for our car.
The cost of getting it wrong is high. Under clause 9, the excess limit doesn't apply to loss caused by a breach of clause 7.2, to underbody damage from driving on an unsuitable surface, or to water damage from driving through water. Salt water and soft sand are exactly those risks. Stay on the sealed roads and park legally, off the sand.
How do you get around Straddie without a car?
The passenger ferries are quicker than the vehicle ferry: about 25 minutes. Two water taxi services run to the island. SeaLink's goes from its Emmett Drive terminal to the Harold Walker Jetty on Junner Street, Dunwich, and the Stradbroke Flyer goes from the end of Middle Street, Cleveland, to One Mile Jetty in Dunwich.[2] Walk-on passengers can also travel on the vehicle ferry.[1]
Queensland Rail trains run from Brisbane to Cleveland station, and buses go from the station to both ferry terminals.[2] On the island, Translink's route 880 runs between Dunwich and Point Lookout, and route 881 now starts at the One Mile ferry terminal and runs through Dunwich to Amity Point. Since December 2025, route 880 has a seasonal timetable with extra services on school holidays, public holidays and weekends.[6]
A practical option is to drive our car to Cleveland, park it legally near the harbour, and cross as a foot passenger. You still have the car for the drive home, and the car never leaves the mainland.
Planning a Straddie day trip from Hendra
You collect and return a Rentzy car at 238 Nudgee Road in our opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Also closed: Friday 25 December 2026 (Christmas Day). Book your rental so that the last ferry back leaves you time to return the car, or keep the car overnight and return it the next open day.
- Check the service status page on SeaLink's site the morning you travel, where it posts updates to its services.[1]
- Allow for the Cleveland traffic as well as the crossing when you work out a return time.
- Plan for school holidays. Ferries and harbour parking are busiest then; our school holidays guide has the dates.
- Driving further afield? If you'd rather a beach you can reach by sealed road, our Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast guide covers the drive north.
Sources
- SeaLink South East Queensland (ferry operator): Ferry Timetables for North Stradbroke Island (read 23 October 2026)
- Minjerribah Camping: Getting to Minjerribah (read 23 October 2026)
- Minjerribah Camping: 4WD Vehicle Access Permits (read 23 October 2026)
- Minjerribah Camping: Frequently Asked Questions (read 23 October 2026)
- Queensland Government — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: About Naree Budjong Djara National Park (read 23 October 2026)
- Translink (Queensland Government): Bus network improvements help Minjerribah community stay connected (read 23 October 2026)
Written by the Rentzy team at Rentzy Car Rentals. Rentzy prices, fees and rules in this guide come from our published terms and update with them; rules set by others (roads, tolls, licences, transport) are from the official pages above, as read on the dates shown. Something out of date? Tell us.
