Customer Booking Terms & Conditions

There are two ways a trip is booked on this website, depending on the waterway, the vessel type and the date you ask for.

1. Booked at a live fare (most water taxi transfers). Where a published fare exists for your pickup and drop-off, you see the exact all-inclusive total on screen, enter your card at secure checkout and the fare is charged at that point. Your paid job is then dispatched immediately to the licensed operators servicing that waterway.
2. Booked by request and quote (charters, water limousines, and any run without a published fare). You send the trip details, we ask the licensed operators servicing that waterway to price it, and we email and text you their all-inclusive total, rounded to whole dollars. No card details are required to send a request, and declining a quote — or not responding — costs you nothing. The booking is only confirmed once payment (or the required deposit) is processed.

Paying a published fare creates a paid booking, which is then offered to every licensed operator servicing that waterway. A vessel is committed once the first operator accepts. If every operator declines, or none accepts within the response window, the full payment is refunded immediately to the original card.

When you pay a published fare, the paid booking is offered straight away to every licensed operator servicing that waterway. Operators have up to two (2) hours to accept or decline, and the first operator to accept is assigned your job.

• The fare is charged in full at checkout. Your payment secures the live fare shown on screen and the card is saved for authorised extras under these terms.
• If an operator accepts, your booking and skipper are confirmed and you receive your confirmation, QR boarding pass and updates by email and text.
• If every operator declines, or no operator accepts within two hours, the booking is cancelled and the full amount is refunded immediately to the original card. No fee is retained by us. We email and text you the refund amount together with a refund reference number issued by our payment provider, so the refund can be traced with your bank.
• If an operator accepts and is later unable to complete your job, you are refunded in full: guest checkouts back to the card used at checkout (banks typically show the money back within 3–5 business days), account holders as instant wallet credit which you can cash out to your original card at any time from the Wallet page.
• We email you the moment a booking is automatically closed and refunded, so you are never left waiting at a wharf for a vessel that was never accepted.

Card refunds are initiated immediately by us; your bank controls when the credit becomes visible on your statement.

You are notified by email and, where you have given a mobile number, by text message at every stage of your booking. We will never leave you without an answer:

• Booking received and paid — immediately after checkout, confirming your route, time, passenger count and the amount paid.
• Skipper accepted — as soon as an operator accepts, with the pickup wharf, departure time, boarding pass and, closer to departure, a live tracking link.
• An operator passes on the job — we tell you that the booking is still live with the other operators on that waterway, so silence is never left to interpretation.
• No operator available — we tell you that the booking has been cancelled and refunded in full, including the refund amount and the refund reference number.
• Cancellations, time changes and completion — each is confirmed in writing.

Operators are likewise notified at every stage: when a paid job is offered, when another operator has claimed it, when a customer cancels, and when a job is completed. Text messages are sent from an unmonitored number and cannot receive replies; all correspondence should go to support@watertaxisaustralia.com.au or through your account.

Payment is processed securely through our payment provider (Stripe). Where a live fare is shown on screen, submitting the booking authorises us to charge the nominated card for that fare. Where your trip is quoted by an operator, you are only asked for card details when you accept the quote, and accepting it authorises us to charge the quoted amount.

Water taxi and water limousine transfers are charged in full at booking or at the time you accept the quote. Charter boat bookings are confirmed on a 25% deposit, with the balance due fourteen (14) days before the trip. For charter balances and any post-trip amounts we retain your card on file.

If you would rather not enter card details on your phone, you can complete payment from your customer portal instead. If a scheduled charter balance or post-trip charge fails (declined card, insufficient funds, etc.) we will email you and retry daily. If the card is still not chargeable by the time of pickup, the booking will be cancelled and the skipper released.

By booking, or by accepting a quote, you authorise Water Taxis Australia to charge the nominated card for the fare and for any additional fees that accrue under these terms — including waiting time, additional passengers, on-the-day amendments, cancellation fees, or damage to a vessel.

Every fare is set by the operator who would run your job and is based on the pickup and drop-off wharves, the scheduled time, and the number of passengers requested. Fares assume travel inside our standard operating hours of 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM AEST/AEDT.

• Extra passengers: bookings for more than four (4) passengers attract an additional charge of $25 per extra passenger on top of the base fare (and per leg for return trips).
• After-hours surcharge: a flat after-hours surcharge of $120 applies to any trip that departs after 9:00 PM.
• Card processing: a card processing fee of 3% + $0.30 is added at checkout to cover payment gateway costs.
• Public holidays & special events: different fares apply on New Year's Eve, Boxing Day, Australia Day and other public holidays or major events. Contact us for a custom quote on these days.

Fares are calculated on the number of passengers the booking is made and confirmed for, or the number of passengers who actually travel — whichever is greater.

We offer a 15-minute grace period at your scheduled pickup time. Beyond that grace period, a waiting fee of $8.00 per minute applies and is automatically charged to the card you used at booking.

By proceeding with a booking you authorise Water Taxis Australia to charge your card for any waiting time fees that accrue, as reported by the skipper and (where applicable) reviewed by our team. You will receive an email receipt for any waiting time charge.

We cannot guarantee that the vessel will be able to wait if you are running late. If a customer fails to show up within 15 minutes of the confirmed pickup time, the booking may be treated as a no-show and 100% of the quoted fare will be charged.

Every passenger travels free with one standard suitcase plus one cabin or hand bag. Anything beyond that allowance is treated as excess luggage, because oversized items occupy passenger seats and deck space on a water taxi.

Excess luggage means: a large checked suitcase (over 23kg or longer than 75cm), surfboard, golf bag, bicycle, pram, dive gear, esky, or any item that occupies a passenger seat or the aft deck.

Excess luggage is charged at A$30 per oversized item, quoted up front in the booking engine and included in the total you pay at checkout. The fee is passed through to the operator in full. Declare your luggage when booking — if you arrive with undeclared oversized items, the skipper may charge the fee at the wharf or, where the vessel's capacity or safe loading limits do not allow, decline to carry the items.

Dangerous goods, hazardous materials and any load that compromises safe operation of the vessel will not be carried under any circumstances.

Your fare covers the number of passengers named on your booking. If more people arrive at the wharf than you booked and paid for, the skipper will record the additional passengers on the boarding screen when scanning your QR ticket, subject to the vessel's licensed capacity and the skipper's discretion.

By completing a booking you authorise Water Taxis Australia to charge your nominated card off-session, at the time of boarding, for each additional passenger at the published extra-passenger rate for that vessel (shown on the skipper's boarding screen before the charge is made). You will receive an email receipt for any extra-passenger charge.

If the card is declined (or your bank requires you to approve the payment, which cannot be done off-session at the wharf), the skipper's screen shows a "Card declined" notice and they will ask you to settle the extra passengers on the spot — either cash or a card payment on the operator's own terminal. Whichever you choose is recorded against your booking. If you do not pay for the extras, only the passengers you have already paid for will be carried and the remaining passengers must make a separate booking. Any amount left unpaid remains payable and our team will contact you to settle it.

Fewer passengers travelling than booked does not reduce the fare and no refund is payable for unused seats. Boarding may be refused where extra passengers would exceed the vessel's licensed capacity or safety requirements.

You can cancel a booking from the booking confirmation page or from your Trips page. When a refund applies, you can choose to receive it as instant Water Taxis Australia wallet credit (cash out to your card any time from the Wallet page) or as a Stripe refund back to your original card (3–5 business days).

• 2 or more days before pickup: full refund.
• Day before pickup: 50% of the quoted fare is charged; 50% refunded.
• Same day as pickup: 100% of the quoted fare is charged — no refund.
• Once a skipper is en route or dispatched: 100% of the quoted fare is charged.
• No-shows: 100% of the quoted fare is charged.
• New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Boxing Day & NSW public holidays: cancellations within 30 days of these confirmed bookings are charged at 100% of the quoted fare. Refunds are not available for no-shows.

All cancellations are effective only once you receive a cancellation confirmation from our system or our team.

If you need to change the departure time of a confirmed booking, contact us at least 45 minutes before the scheduled pickup. Late notification may attract waiting time fees of $8.00 per minute.

We will do our best to accommodate changes to pickup or drop-off locations, but amendments are subject to the existing schedule and the availability of operators. If a requested change cannot be accommodated and the booking is cancelled, the cancellation policy above applies.

If we need to cancel a service because of dangerous weather conditions or a vessel breakdown, a full refund will be issued and Water Taxis Australia will not be liable for any losses incurred by the customer. Where possible we will arrange a replacement vessel.

Smoking is not permitted on any vessel at any time. Passengers who are intoxicated, unruly or under the influence of illicit drugs may be refused passage and, where necessary, referred to police. Any trip cut short or cancelled due to such conduct, or any safety issue not caused by Water Taxis Australia, will be charged at 100% of the quoted fare.

All decisions regarding safety — including vessel speed, course, wharf selection, vessel-to-vessel transfers and passenger numbers — are at the skipper's sole discretion and are final.

Our vessels are designed primarily to carry passengers. Each passenger may bring the equivalent of one small backpack. Additional or oversized items may attract an extra charge and must be discussed before booking. Items such as large suitcases, construction equipment, ladders, furniture or other large objects may not be suitable for transfer and may be refused at the skipper's discretion.

Not all wharves in our service areas are suitable for every passenger. Our vessels do not have boarding ramps, and the step between wharf and vessel can range from 30 cm to 100 cm. If you or any guest has mobility restrictions, please let us know before confirming the booking so we can recommend a suitable pickup point.

Any damage to a vessel or its equipment caused by a passenger will be charged to the booking holder's nominated credit card.

Bookings for transfers to or from another vessel are accepted on the understanding that a firm quote cannot be offered in advance. Final pricing depends on the location of the other vessel at the time of pickup or drop-off. Waiting time fees apply if the other vessel or the passenger causes the transfer to be delayed.

To the extent permitted by law, Water Taxis Australia is not liable for any death, loss, damage or injury to any person or property that occurs and is attributable to or associated with:

• failure to follow a reasonable direction given by the skipper or crew;
• failure to comply with these terms or with any posted warning signs;
• unreasonable or unsafe behaviour;
• wilful misuse of vessel equipment or facilities;
• intoxication or use of prohibited drugs.

Where consumer law and other laws permit us to exclude liability, we will not be liable for loss or damage to luggage, property or personal belongings. The passenger releases Water Taxis Australia, its operators, crew and personnel from any claim and liability so incurred, except in the case of wilful misconduct or reckless disregard.

Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any guarantee, right or remedy that you have under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Water Taxis Australia lists independent waterfront restaurants, pubs, hotels and clubs ("venues") that a licensed water taxi can reach, and lets you request a table at those venues. We are a booking channel only. We do not own, operate, cater for or control any venue, and we are not a party to the dining contract between you and the venue. Your meal, drinks, service and everything that happens at the table is provided by the venue on the venue's own terms.

A table request is a request, not a confirmed reservation. When you submit a table request we send it to the venue for acceptance. Your table exists only once the venue confirms it and we send you a written confirmation by email and/or SMS. Venue confirmation is subject to availability and is at the venue's sole discretion.

No charge for the table request. We do not charge you, and we do not take any deposit, for requesting or confirming a table. Where a venue requires a deposit, a card pre-authorisation, a signed function form or a prepayment (commonly for larger groups, private dining, exclusive hire or peak dates), that arrangement is made directly between you and the venue and is held and refunded by the venue, not by us.

If you ask us to arrange a water taxi with your table request, the two bookings are linked. The water taxi job is held and not dispatched to operators until the venue confirms your table. Once the table is confirmed, the job is released and normal booking terms above apply — including payment in full at checkout and a full card refund if the selected operator declines.

If the venue declines or does not respond in time, we will notify you by email and SMS, the linked water taxi booking will not proceed, and no amount is charged for either the table or the boat. You are free to request another time, date or venue.

Arrival timing is estimated so that you are dropped off before your seating time. Water transport is weather-, tide- and traffic-dependent and arrival times are not guaranteed. We are not liable for a missed, shortened or forfeited table, or for any venue late-arrival or no-show fee, where a vessel is delayed for reasons outside our control. If you are running late, contact the venue on the number in your confirmation.

We only publish venues where a licensed operator services the relevant waterway. Some venues are accessible by water during daylight hours only and have published service windows (for example 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM). Requests outside a venue's water-access service window cannot be accepted.

Each venue sets its own booking conditions and they vary by venue, day, time and group size. The venue's terms prevail in respect of your table. The conditions below are standard across the waterfront venues we list and you should assume they apply unless the venue tells you otherwise:

• Seating times: most reservations are a two (2) hour seating from your booked time, and lunch or dinner services have fixed finish times under the venue's liquor licence.
• Grace period: tables are typically held for about fifteen (15) minutes. Many venues will not seat a party until all guests are present, and packages or set services are not extended for late arrivals.
• Group bookings: groups (often seven or more, sometimes ten or more) are usually required to dine from a set, banquet or pre-selected menu, and may be subject to a minimum spend that depends on the date, time and area booked.
• Final numbers: venues generally require final guest numbers 24–72 hours beforehand and charge on the confirmed number or the number who actually attend, whichever is greater.
• Surcharges & service charges: Sunday surcharges (commonly 10–12.5%), public holiday surcharges (commonly 15%), card/merchant surcharges, and discretionary service charges or gratuities on larger groups are added to your bill by the venue.
• Cakeage, BYO and split bills: BYO cake attracts a per-person or per-cake cakeage fee at most venues; most waterfront venues are fully licensed and do not permit BYO alcohol; many venues limit how many ways a bill can be split.
• Dietary requirements & allergies: tell us in your table request and we pass it to the venue. Venues will endeavour to accommodate requirements but cannot guarantee an allergen-free kitchen. Guests with severe allergies must also inform venue staff on the day.
• Children, prams and accessibility: children remain the responsibility of their parent or guardian. Highchairs, prams and accessible seating are limited at many waterfront venues and must be requested when booking.
• Dress code, conduct and refusal of service: smart-casual dress codes are common. Venues may refuse entry or service in accordance with Australian liquor and consumer laws, including to intoxicated or unruly guests. A refusal of entry or service by a venue does not entitle you to a refund of a water taxi fare already charged under the terms above.
• Payment at the venue: all food, beverage, cakeage, surcharge and additional charges are settled directly with the venue on the day. Venues do not invoice after the event unless separately agreed.

To change or cancel a confirmed table, use the link in your confirmation or email support@watertaxisaustralia.com.au. We will pass the change or cancellation to the venue, but the venue's cancellation policy applies to the table.

• Standard tables: venues generally require at least 48 hours' notice. Late cancellations and no-shows may attract a per-person fee charged by the venue to the card it holds (commonly A$20–A$50 per person).
• Group, private dining and function bookings: deposits are usually non-refundable inside the venue's notice period, and cancellation fees typically scale from full deposit refund with more than 14 days' notice, to partial forfeiture at 7–14 days, to 100% forfeiture inside 7 days.
• Exclusive hire: holding fees and pre-authorisations are set by the venue and are commonly forfeited entirely inside 7 days of the event.
• Written notice: most venues only accept cancellations in writing.

Cancelling a table does not automatically cancel your water taxi once the boat has been confirmed. If you no longer need the boat, cancel it separately — the water taxi cancellation and refund terms above will apply to that booking on its own.

Venues may also cancel or move a confirmed table (weather closures on exposed waterfront decks, licence or staffing issues, unforeseen closures). Where that happens we notify you immediately, cancel the linked water taxi at no cost to you, and refund any water taxi fare already charged in full. Beyond that refund, we are not liable for consequential loss.

Menus, prices, room types, indicative "from" nightly rates, opening hours, photographs and specials shown on venue, hotel and stay pages are supplied by that business (through its partner portal) or taken from its own website, and may change without notice. They are indicative only and do not form an offer. Always confirm current pricing, inclusions and availability with the venue or hotel directly.

We list independent waterfront hotels, resorts, lodges, cottages and island stays ("properties") that a licensed water taxi can reach, and we pass your dates to them. We are not a travel agent, tour operator or accommodation booking site. We do not sell, resell, hold, price or guarantee any room, and we are not a party to your accommodation contract. Your stay is supplied by the property on the property's own terms.

A room enquiry is an enquiry, not a reservation. When you send dates through us we forward them to the property. The property replies with its own best direct rate, availability and booking link or instructions. You then book, pay and (where required) leave a deposit or card guarantee directly with the property. Nothing you send us reserves a room, and a room only exists once the property confirms it to you in writing.

Nothing is charged by us for an enquiry, and we add nothing to your rate. We do not mark up, discount or alter the rate a property quotes you. We may receive a referral fee from a participating property for a completed stay; that fee is paid by the property out of its own revenue and never increases the rate you are quoted or pay.

Rates, inclusions and cancellations are the property's. The property's own deposit, payment, change, cancellation, no-show, minimum-night, check-in/check-out, damage, pet, party, age and house-rule policies apply to your stay in full, including any peak-period or event conditions. We cannot waive, vary, refund or enforce them, and we hold no funds for your stay. Direct any change or cancellation to the property, using the contact details in its reply.

Star ratings, room descriptions, facilities, wharf, pontoon and mooring details are provided by the property. Water access can depend on tide, weather, vessel draft and the property's own jetty rules — confirm arrival arrangements with the property before you travel. Some island and remote properties have limited or seasonal water access.

If you ask us to arrange a water taxi to or from a listed property, that water taxi is a separate booking governed by the water taxi terms above — including payment in full at checkout and a full card refund if the selected operator declines. Your boat is not conditional on the property confirming a room unless we tell you otherwise at the time.

If your accommodation falls through, cancel your boat separately. A cancelled, changed or unavailable room does not automatically cancel a confirmed water taxi, and the water taxi cancellation and refund terms above will apply to that booking on its own. Equally, cancelling a water taxi does not cancel your room.

Arrival timing is estimated so that you land before check-in or your booked seating time. Water transport is weather-, tide- and traffic-dependent and arrival times are not guaranteed. We are not liable for a missed check-in, a forfeited room or deposit, a property's late-arrival or no-show fee, or any onward travel cost, where a vessel is delayed for reasons outside our control.

Restaurants, venues, hotels and stays are listed as independent businesses and are not agents, partners or employees of Water Taxis Australia. A listed business can update its own details, photographs, rooms, rates, specials and availability through its partner portal at any time, and can ask to be unlisted at any time — removal requests are only actioned when confirmed by a named person authorised by that business.

Where a business supplies content (photographs, menus, room descriptions, specials), it warrants it has the right to do so, and that content replaces our stock imagery on its listing. We may decline, edit or remove any listing or content, and we only publish a waterfront business where a licensed operator services the relevant waterway.

Water Taxis Australia operates a network of independent skippers and operator partners. These terms extend to and bind any partner or sub-contractor delivering a service on our behalf. Listed restaurants, venues, hotels and stays are independent businesses and are not agents, partners or employees of Water Taxis Australia.

Questions about these terms? Email support@watertaxisaustralia.com.au — replies same day.