MyNoosaHeads
The Noosa Ferry at the Sofitel wharf — the river ferry is the easiest waterborne transport between Noosa Heads and Noosaville.

The Noosa Ferry at the Sofitel wharf — the river ferry is the easiest waterborne transport between Noosa Heads and Noosaville.

Photo: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

MSQ bar crossings + Noosa Council ramps

Boats & watercraft

Crossing the Noosa River bar is a forecast-driven decision. Hire options and public ramp maps live below; the BOM forecast and MSQ bulletin sit in the sidebar.

MSQ + Noosa Coast Guard — every crossing, every time.

Editorial body

Crossing the bar

The Noosa River bar is a trained entrance — it has been dredged and maintained, but it remains shallow and subject to swell, and conditions vary hour to hour. Always check the MSQ Noosa bar report and listen to the Noosa Coast Guard broadcast (VHF channel 16 or 67) before attempting a crossing. Marine Safety Queensland’s general guidance is to cross on an incoming tide when conditions allow. We do not publish a recommended crossing window — defer to MSQ.

If you don’t know the bar, go with a local operator for the first crossing. The VMR Noosa volunteers (channel 16) and Noosa Coast Guard are the live sources. Crossings are discouraged when MSQ has flagged a closed-bar condition, on a heavy swell, or in southerly conditions; defer to the MSQ bulletin for the current threshold.

Noosa Heads township and the river mouth — the bar opens south-east of the headland.
Noosa Heads township and the river mouth — the bar opens south-east of the headland.Photo: dronepicr / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Public ramps

Noosa Council maintains public ramps at Tewantin (the main one), Noosaville, and a smaller one at Boreen Point. Tewantin is the deepest and the only one with a hardstand; the others are sand ramps that dry out at low tide. All three have trailer parking; the Tewantin car park fills on weekends during the holiday period.

Stand-up paddleboarder on the bay — the paddle craft most commonly hired in Noosa.
Stand-up paddleboarder on the bay — the paddle craft most commonly hired in Noosa.Photo: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Hire options

Houseboats hire from Tewantin and the Noosaville precinct. Self-skippered pontoons hire from Noosaville for the day. Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards hire from Noosaville, Main Beach, and a few of the quiet corners of the river.

Hire prices are operator-set and change seasonally. We don’t run a comparison engine — link out to the operators below and book direct.

  • Multi-day houseboat operators — Tewantin base; most rent Sat–Sat in school holidays.
  • Noosa Ferry — scheduled ferry Noosa Heads ↔ Noosaville ↔ Tewantin.
  • Kayak and stand-up paddleboard hire — Noosaville foreshore, walk-up bookings.
The Boardwalk along Main Beach — where most river-bound tour boats stage.
The Boardwalk along Main Beach — where most river-bound tour boats stage.Photo: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Safety equipment

Queensland recreational boats must carry the equipment specified by Transport and Main Roads — lifejackets for everyone on board, a bailer or bilge pump, an anchor with chain and line, a torch or flares, a fire extinguisher on powered vessels, and an EPIRB or PLB for offshore boats. The full schedule is on the TMR site.

The Noosa River at low tide, viewed from the headland.
The Noosa River at low tide, viewed from the headland.Photo: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0