Stradbroke Ferries

Still riding on my Straddie weekend high. In our 2 years in Brisbane we have been to Straddie at least 7 times and the ferry is always very efficient and painless, compared to some other ferry experiences. You drive up to the gate, they greet you by name (if you have an online booking), Park the car in line, grab a coffee at the café in Cleveland ferry station, the ferry pulls up, cars come off, we drive on, 45 mins and we drive off. It is like clockwork. If you need more coffee, maybe an icecream — both ferries have a café upstairs and plenty of seating to sit back and enjoy the fresh seabreeze or air-​conditioned ride in Moreton bay. Seating area, café and even bathrooms are clean and well-​maintained.
The best part is everyone is super friendly because most weekenders are either just starting or just coming off a few days at some of the most beautiful beaches in the Brisbane area.
Book online, you save a few bucks and you are guaranteed a spot with your reservation.

I have a real soft spot for Straddie Ferries. I caught the water taxi to schoolies in 1995 and took the car ferry to my honeymoon in November 2011 plus myriad trips in between.
It’s a big car ferrry, it smells like grease, you climb up the ladder for the view and the breeze.
Also, when we were last on, the guy was navigating us into a tight spot and he motioned us on to a handrail which punched out my tail light cover. I rang when I got home, they told me to get a quote and they’d cover it. I was pretty shocked to find out I had to replace the whole tail light at $ 450 for a broken bit of plastic, however I emailed the receipt to Straddie Ferries and they had the cash in my account in a few days. Great service, lovely people.

Stradbroke Ferries is the only company at Cleveland that runs both a water taxi and a car ferry (barge) service to Straddie. You can apply to become a ‘Frequent Floater’ on the barge and earn discounts, so the $ 120-​odd dollar return fare for a car full of people or gear will be discounted.
On the water taxi, a return adult fare will cost you under $ 20 and there are trips from basically 6am — 6pm; a bit earlier during the week and a bit later on the weekend; check the timetables. You definitely need to book for the car barge, but not to walk on as a foot pasenger on the water taxi or the barge. Most Strad. Ferries barges have a café, but the water taxis don’t. The trip from Cleveland to Dunwich on Straddie takes from 45 minutes to an hour and is very relaxing.