Ferrying Back to the Future: Lake Macquarie sees return of ferries to its waters

But that is about to change, with the launch of a hop-on, hop-off ferry service on the lake, aimed at tourists and residents.

The Lake Mac Ferry is to be trialled for six months as part of an agreement between local operator Lake Macquarie Cruises and Lake Macquarie City Council.

The ferry can carry up to 120 passengers. It will be stopping at Speers Point, Booragul, Toronto, Wangi Wangi and Belmont.

"I think this is an absolute game-changer for the city, and for tourism, being able to move people freely and more quickly around the lake," said Bianca Gilmore, the council's Cultural Engagement, Marketing and Tourism Coordinator.

"Instead of having to drive to these destinations, they can get across the lake in 10, 15 minutes."

The travel time from Toronto to Belmont on the ferry is about 15 minutes. That is about half the time it takes in a car. The run from Speers Point to Wangi Wangi will take about 30 minutes. The entire journey, with stops at the five hubs, would take less than an hour, according to Ms Gilmore.

General Manager of Lake Macquarie Cruises, Peter Hanrahan, said the company had been operating cruises on the waterway for the past three years. During that time, he said, he had heard "a lot of talk about the lack of connectivity on the lake, particularly for tourism and events".

"This is something totally different to what we've done in the past," said Mr Hanrahan of the new service, which would initially be operating on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Lake Macquarie mayor Kay Fraser is delighted about the ferry service.

"I regularly get asked about a ferry on the lake, and it's something I'm passionate about," Cr Fraser said. "The lake is our centrepiece, our jewel, and people need to be able to get from one location to another and enjoy it.

"Having a beautiful waterway and not being able to get access from one side of the lake to the other, it doesn't make sense."

The ferry stops were chosen partly because they were tourist destinations, but also because of practical considerations, such as suitable wharves and deep enough water for the ferry, which draws 1.25 metres.

As a result, Warners Bay could not be included on the route.

"Warners Bay is really shallow," said Peter Hanrahan. "And there's no suitable wharf to tie up to."

Councillor Fraser said she was "very disappointed" the ferry could not stop at Warners Bay, given it was one of the lake's major recreation and tourist hubs.

"We should talk to the state government about what we can do to make that another stop," Cr Fraser said, referring to state authorities having jurisdiction over the lake's waters and bed.

While the three-day-a-week service officially begins on January 1, the ferry will be operating on December 12 to transport passengers to and from the Lake Mac Carols by Candlelight event at Speers Point Park.

"It will be a boon for the carols," said Cr Fraser. "If you live in Belmont or Wangi Wangi, you can go straight to the carols, be straight there."

Bianca Gilmore said the service, including the ferry's timetable, would be shaped according to demand.

"We're looking at what works and what doesn't," said Ms Gilmore.

"I'm absolutely thrilled we can offer this to tourists and residents, especially at our peak period."

The adult fares vary from $5 for the five-minute journey across the water from Booragul to Speers Point to a day pass for $30. A one-way ticket between any two stops on a run is $13 for adults, and a same-day return pass is $26. There is also a family day pass, for two adults and two passengers under 18, for $80.

A ferry service on Lake Macquarie marks a return to the past. In the late 1800s and through the early and mid 1900s, before the domination of the motor vehicle, the lake was an aquatic highway, with ferries regularly transporting people across the water.

One of the skippers on the new vessel, Jane Oakey, has a connection to the history of lake ferries. Her grandfather-in-law was Lake Macquarie identity Lin Hurt, who established a ferry service after World War Two.

"He would have loved to have seen a ferry service start up again," said Mrs Oakey, who was honoured to be following Mr Hurt's wake on the lake. "It's special."

In its long-term strategy paper, Imagine Lake Mac, published in 2019, the council considered the possibility of ferries being part of the future: "There is ... opportunity for exploring the potential benefits of working with other levels of government to provide a ferry service on the lake. A ferry network would provide direct, convenient connections across the lake."

Imagine Lake Mac had a map indicating a "potential ferry network" incorporating Warners Bay, Toronto, Belmont, Swansea and the Morisset area.

Councillor Fraser believed that with its population of 209,000 and growing, and with a lake at its heart, the city should have a regular ferry service.

The mayor predicted this new service moved the city towards that aim, believing the ferry would be a success and its running times would expand.

"I think there will be an opportunity to grow to seven days a week," the mayor said of the service.

"It will invigorate our lake, activate our foreshore, and bring more business to our communities.

"I think people will be pleased to see the ferry."

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