I’ve been noticing a few signs lately.
Not the mystical kind you see when three Brahminy kites fly overhead (although those are nice too). I mean the kind bolted to the side of the ferry.
The big Translink logo now sitting on the side of the Amity Trader passenger ferry is one of them.
Another is the little black machine at the front of the ferry where passengers will soon tap their Go Card or bank card when boarding.
Officially it’s called a Smart Ticketing validator. Around here it’s probably just known as “that tap-and-go thingie on the ferry.”
Either way, it’s a pretty clear signal that the mainland systems are slowly washing up on Coochie’s shores.
You can see the transition happening piece by piece.
A couple of years ago, fuel and gas were no longer permitted on the passenger ferry. That meant jerry cans and gas bottles had to shift to the barge or make the trip over in someone’s trusty tinny.
Then last summer (or the summer before) came the change many beachgoers noticed immediately. Those giant beach trolleys that resemble mobile caravans of umbrellas, eskies and inflatable flamingos were no longer allowed on the ferry. They now travel on the barge instead, with a $10 freight fee one way.
At the same time, some fares have actually gone down.
Passenger ferry fares dropped from up to $6.50 per trip to 50 cents, bringing Coochie into line with Queensland’s public transport fares. Meanwhile, at the beginning of March, the barge fare moved to $2 per trip.
That’s where it’s worth pausing for a moment and saying a genuine thank you to Steve and the team at Amity Trader.
From what I can see from this end of the jetty and after a bit of digging around, it appears that both the passenger ferry and the barge were included in the Queensland Government’s 50-cent fare trial over the past period, which helped keep travel between Victoria Point and Coochie incredibly affordable for residents and visitors.
Now, I want to be clear here. I don’t have official confirmation on all the mechanics behind it, so this is just how it appears from the outside looking in.
The passenger ferry operates under contract with Translink, so it sits within the Queensland public transport network. The barge, on the other hand, is privately owned and operated by Amity Trader, which means it doesn’t operate within that same public transport structure in quite the same way.
So while the fares we see might sometimes look similar, the way the two services are funded and managed behind the scenes may be quite different.
What we do know is that keeping the barge running reliably every single day, moving people, vehicles, freight, beach trolleys, bikes, eskies, groceries and the occasional “how on earth did that fit on there?” load across the bay, is no small undertaking. And it’s something most of us on Coochie rely on far more than we probably stop to think about.
Last week I wrote about the broader services Amity Trader provides in response to a Redland Bayside News article that focused mainly on fare increases.
And yes, the pressure on island living is real. Prices rise, logistics get complicated, and Woolworths now adds an extra $20 island service fee on top of delivery charges.
But stepping back for a moment, we still have it pretty darn good.
This week I did a bit more digging and reached out to Amity Trader with a few questions that had been floating around the island. Things like whether bikes, e-bikes or skateboards will have barge fees, and what options exist for residents who ride over but return after the barge has stopped running.
And then there was the mysterious mention of muzzled dogs that briefly flashed through the Facebook newsfeed before disappearing into the internet abyss.
Amity Trader responded that they’re currently in the middle of a transition, reviewing their pricing and conditions of carriage.
Which, when you think about it, makes perfect sense.
Any time systems change, especially when government transport networks and private services intersect, there’s going to be a period where things are still being figured out.
Some of the confusion we’ve seen recently around fares came from new policies still being written and implemented, which understandably caused a bit of island angst along the way.
But I suspect there’s a lot of paddling happening beneath the surface. Like that classic duck analogy… calm on top, legs going like the clappers underneath. While the ferry and barge chug steadily between Victoria Point and Coochie, I can imagine the team behind the scenes working hard to settle the details so everyone knows exactly where they stand.
Amity Trader hopes to have the new terms and conditions finalised by the end of the month, and I’ll keep an eye on things so we can share updates as they emerge.
In the meantime, perhaps it’s worth taking a breath and imagining what island life would look like without these services.
Suddenly the occasional change in trolley policy doesn’t feel quite so dramatic.
So for now, Coochie… maybe we take a collective exhale, let the systems settle, and trust that the ferries & barges will keep doing what they’ve always done, getting us there and back again safely.
Here’s to smooth sailing and calm seas in our little slice of paradise.
