Nelly Bay - Townsville
Ferry to Australia
Nelly Bay - Townsville
Ferry to Australia
See ferry fares and operators from all over the world in one spot, and find the sailing that fits your trip. Booking early is usually the surest way to get a good price and plenty of choice.
Discounts are available with Direct Ferries all year round. If a senior discount applies to your crossing, it's applied for you automatically once the right age bracket is selected in the passenger options.
Students and recent graduates can claim a 5% saving. Register with our partner Student Beans to verify eligibility, then apply your discount code at checkout.
Resident discounts also apply to a number of Spanish and Italian routes — pick the "Residents" option during search and the fare adjusts automatically. Be ready to show proof of address, such as an ID card or residency certificate, at check-in.
Requirements for travel documents change from route to route, so check what's needed ahead of time. A valid passport is usually required for Nelly Bay to Townsville travel, plus any visa or national ID relevant to your nationality. Since the rules depend on your citizenship and destination, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is the place to check for the latest guidance and avoid delays at check-in.
To book, just add your departure port, arrival port and preferred date, and you'll see every fare and sailing on offer. You can also compare alternative routes and times to find your best match.
Look out for early-bird pricing and flexible ticket options, such as upgrades or flexi-fares that let you make changes down the line. Entering accurate details — passenger count, vehicle specs and so on — keeps the process running smoothly.
As soon as your booking is confirmed, a confirmation email will land in your inbox. What happens next with your boarding pass depends on the operator you've booked.
Some operators issue boarding passes right away, while others need you to check in at the port itself. Where it's supported, the Direct Ferries app lets you check in online in advance.
You'll usually find ticket desks close to the ferry terminal. Giving yourself a little extra time before departure means you can collect tickets and check in without any stress.
Bring your confirmation email and valid photo ID, such as a passport or identity card, to check in. Pet owners should have vaccination and insurance documents on hand, and anyone with a resident discount should carry proof of address.
There are a few reasons departures from Nelly Bay to Townsville might not show for your chosen date — a schedule change, sold-out sailings, or a seasonal lull are the most likely. Try another date or check alternative routes through our Route & Port finder.
Booking your Nelly Bay to Townsville ferry well ahead of time generally works in your favour — you'll usually find better fares and a wider choice of departures and cabins.
A few weeks ahead is usually enough notice to catch the best offers, though fares can still fluctuate with the season and remaining space.
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Hidden in a niche between rugged, tree-topped hills is Nelly Bay, a small port town found on Magnetic Island just a few miles north from the coast of Queensland, Australia. The island, named after the disruptive magnetic effect the area inflicted on the compass of Captain Cook during an 18th Century expedition, is an oasis of unspoiled wildlife. Over half of the mountainous isle is protected by a national park that plays host to swathes of Eucalypt woodland and the population of Koala Bears that live therein. The famed Great Barrier Reef lies a short way off the northern coast too and coral reefs hug the shoreline – the perfect location for keen divers. The port of Nelly Bay is a gateway for travellers wanting to reach Australia. Passenger ships regularly leave the south-eastern tip of the isle to Townsville on the mainland, a city considered the unofficial capital of North Queensland by locals. Ferries sail the narrow strip of the Pacific multiple times per day, a service provided by either Sealink or Fantasea. The ferry terminal is relatively small and sits at one end of a marina that juts into a sheltered section of the turquoise sea. Beachside apartments line the surrounding coastline, offering views over the pristine golden sands of the nearby beach. Due to the size of the island, getting to the port is easy regardless of where you are staying. A road route curves along the eastern coast, around the national park, connecting all of the urban settlements from Horseshoe Bay in the north to Picnic Bay in the south. A bus route regularly traverses this stretch of the island, with one stop arriving directly at the port.
