As the future of the Gulf Harbour ferry is still unknown, Fullers360 announced they are adding more services to some routes - except our local one.

In preparation for summer, Fullers360 is introducing an additional 54 sailings to and from Waiheke Island, and a daily service to Rangitoto Island.

For the Waiheke Island trips, ferries will be able to transport between 12,000 and 20,000 passengers across and back in an extra 326 ferry sailings per week.

The news of the additional services, which is said will boost Auckland’s tourism economy, is not sitting well with local commuters.

One commuter says that Auckland Transport plans to add services but cancel a vital service that people need on a daily basis.

“Tindalls Bay and Manly’s population is 14,210 and Waiheke Island has under 10, 000,” says the commuter. “But they get eight times more the number of sailings.”

A new timetable came into effect on October 1 with only four routes to and from Gulf Harbour Marina to the city - two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

These routes have forced commuters to reschedule their travel times or endure longer bus rides to the city. 

Since the timetable changed last weekend, some sailings are still being cancelled with no given reason. 

A replacement bus, called the Ferry Bus Gulf Harbour (FBGH), has replaced the sailings, and can be caught at Manly Plaza Shopping Mall as well as Fanshawe Street in the city.

The alternate bus routes are route 988 to Whangaparāoa Road, then route 982 or 983 to Hibiscus Coast Station then NX1 to Lower Albert Street.

This replacement bus travels twice in the mornings, at 7.15am and 7.30am; and three times in the afternoon: 4.30pm, 5.30pm and 6.30pm.

The bus trip will take an hour and a half (traffic dependent) either way.