How to Get to Russell

The coastal town of Russell is located on a small peninsula across the harbour from Paihia.

If you are staying in Paihia and would like to come to Russell for a day, you can take one of two (winter) or three (summer) passenger ferries operating between Paihia and Russell directly.

To get to Russell by car, the easiest and shortest way would be using the vehicle ferry, which operates between Opua and Okiato. About 45 minutes north of Whangarei (State Highway 1) at Kawakawa, you turn to State Highway 11 towards Opua, Paihia. When you reach Opua, at the top of the hill you make a right turn and head down to the vehicle ferry starting point. From Paihia it is approximately a 7 minutes’ drive to Opua where you then take a left turn at the top of the hill. The ferry crossing will take about 10minutes to Okiato and from there it will be another 10min drive to get to Russell.

For a longer and more scenic journey to Russell, coming from the south, you can also take the Old Russell Road: about 20 minutes north of Whangarei you turn right towards Whakapara. Follow the signs for Oakura, and a long winding but fully sealed coastal road will take you all the way to Russell. Please take your time taking this route, there are plenty of beautiful beaches and places to stop for a break.

The nearest airport is the Bay of Islands Airport located in Kerikeri, approximately a 30 minutes’ drive to Paihia.

PASSENGER FERRY

Operates between Paihia and Russell

There are up to 3 passenger ferries running between Paihia and Russell, depending on the time of year.

In winter: 2 ferries running every 30 minutes – the Bay Belle and the Happy Ferry

In summer: 3 ferries running every 20 minutes – the Bay Belle, the Happy Ferry, and the Blue Ferry

For current departure times please check our Ferry Roster.

Drop offs at Waitangi are available on request on the Bay Belle and Happy Ferry.

Pricing (return tickets)

Adult: from $16 

Child (5-14 years): from $8.00

Child (0-4 years): Free

Family Pass (2 adults, 2 to 3 children): from $36

Bicycle: from $3

VEHICLE FERRY

Operates between Opua and Okiato

The vehicle ferry service operates as a shuttle, departing approximately every 10 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes early morning and late evening. Opua is about 7 minutes’ drive from Paihia, Okiato is about a 10 minutes’ drive from Russell.

Timetable

Opua to Okiato:          First ferry at 6.10 am

                                    Last ferry at 10pm

Okiato to Opua:          First ferry at 6am

                                    Last ferry at 9.50pm

Pricing (prices shown are for one-way travel)

Foot passengers:                     Adult $2.00

                                                Child (5-14 years): $1.00

                                                Child (0-4 years): free

Car/Ute (less than 6 meters): $17.00

Motorcycle: $8.00

Trailers:                                   less than 6 meters: $17.00

                                                6-8 meters: $28.00

                                                8-10 meters: $35.00

                                                10+ meters: $75.00

Vehicles over 6 meters:          6-8 meters: $28.00

                                                8-10 meters: $35.00

                                                10+ meters: $70.00

Campervans/Motorhomes:    2 berth campervan(<6m): $17.00

                                                2 berth toilet/shower campervan (6-8m): $28.00

                                                4 - 6 berth motorhome (8-10m): from $35.00 - $70.00

                                                Car with caravan: from $35.00 to $70.00

Note:

If you are travelling with a large vehicle, truck, bus, trailer, we recommend you travelling 2 hours either side of low tide. A dangerous goods declaration is required for all commercial vehicles. The above prices are estimated costs only, vehicles are charged by length. Staff will confirm the price at boarding.