Diamond Harbour Ferry

Diamond Harbour Ferry A ferry has been operating on Lyttelton Harbour since 1888, connecting Diamond Harbour with Lyttelton.
(1)

It's just a short 5 minute walk from the ferry jetty to the small township and ferries depart at least every hour throughout the day. Legend has it that Diamond Harbour was so named because one of the early settlers observed the sun reflecting on the water and thought it looked like a thousand shining diamonds. Whatever the reason, Diamond Harbour remains one of the sunniest and unspoilt destinati

ons on Banks Peninsula and is great for a day trip. Black Cat’s ferry the Black Diamond was launched in May 2001 and was purpose built to operate as the new Diamond Harbour Ferry, replacing the historic Onawe. The introduction of the new vessel has meant the journey time is reduced to around 8 minutes with greater frequency throughout the day.

Update:Please note that the 18:30pm Lyttelton departure is delayed due to traffic. Thank you for your understanding.The ...
07/09/2026

Update:

Please note that the 18:30pm Lyttelton departure is delayed due to traffic.

Thank you for your understanding.

The ferry crew

Hey team,We might be running a little bit behind time today just with shipping movements happening on 2 east, we thank y...
04/09/2026

Hey team,

We might be running a little bit behind time today just with shipping movements happening on 2 east, we thank you in advance for your patience :)

Cheers, the Ferry crew

Kia Ora everyone!RE: STRONG WIND FORECAST FOR FRIDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER Due to predicted strong wind coming through tomorrow ...
03/09/2026

Kia Ora everyone!

RE: STRONG WIND FORECAST FOR FRIDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER

Due to predicted strong wind coming through tomorrow (Friday 4th September), we have buses on standby throughout the day from 9am-9pm.

If we need to cancel any trips, we will update you on here straight away.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The Ferry Crew! ⛴️

Kia Ora folks,Diamond Harbour ferry will be back in service from the 16.50pm run.Thank you for your patience!The ferry t...
23/08/2026

Kia Ora folks,

Diamond Harbour ferry will be back in service from the 16.50pm run.

Thank you for your patience!

The ferry team.

Kia ora everyone,Due to the severe weather conditions, we have made the decision to cancel ferry services for now. Repla...
23/08/2026

Kia ora everyone,

Due to the severe weather conditions, we have made the decision to cancel ferry services for now.

Replacement buses will be operating from Norwich Quay & the bus stop across from the cafe in Diamond Harbour until we are able to resume the ferry service.

First departure: 12:50
Services will then operate as follows:

Lyttelton
1:50
2:50
3:50
4:50

Diamond Harbour
2:02
3:02
4:02
5:02

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please continue to monitor our page for any further updates.

Kia ora folks,There are rough weather conditions predicted for late morning and early afternoon tomorrow which may cause...
22/08/2026

Kia ora folks,

There are rough weather conditions predicted for late morning and early afternoon tomorrow which may cause disruptions to the service.

Please keep an eye on our social media pages and the metro app for updates for Sunday 23rd.

Thank you,

The ferry team.

18/08/2026

Hey everyone,
We are back up and running.
Thank you for your patience!
The Ferry Crew

18/08/2026

Kia Ora folks!
Due to the weather, buses will continue to run 45 minutes past the hour from both Lyttelton and Diamond Harbour until 5pm.
We will continue to keep you updated with any further changes.
Thank you,
The Ferry Crew

Kia ora everyone,The ferry is cancelled until the 4pm run, we will re-assess before then to determine if we can resume s...
17/08/2026

Kia ora everyone,

The ferry is cancelled until the 4pm run, we will re-assess before then to determine if we can resume service.

Replacement buses will be running between Lyttelton and Diamond Harbour on the following schedule:

Departing Lyttelton (Norwich Quay):
- 11:30
- 12:45
- 13:45
- 14:45

Departing Diamond Harbour (Waipapa Avenue):
- 12:30
- 13:45
- 14:45
- 15:45

Stay safe everyone!

Hi everyone,Weather conditions have deteriorated, so we have cancelled the ferry service until 1pm. We will continue to ...
17/08/2026

Hi everyone,

Weather conditions have deteriorated, so we have cancelled the ferry service until 1pm.
We will continue to monitor the weather and update you if conditions improve.

We are organising replacement buses, so please watch this space for the timetables once they have been confirmed.

Thanks,
-Diamond Harbour Ferry Crew

Address

B-Jetty
Lyttelton
8082

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 10pm
Tuesday 6am - 10pm
Wednesday 6am - 10pm
Thursday 6am - 10pm
Friday 6am - 11pm
Saturday 6:30am - 11:30pm
Sunday 7:30am - 9pm

Telephone

+643 3289078

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Diamond Harbour Ferry posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Diamond Harbour Ferry:

Shortcuts

Share

Category