COVID-19 updates: Accommodation to reopen in June

We are carrying out a heightened level of cleaning across the island and continue to direct visitors to follow social distancing rules and practice strong hygiene, including around shared public facilities.

If you feel unwell or have any flu-like symptoms, please do not visit the island. Also, consider downloading the Government’s COVIDSafe App. This mobile app helps state and territory officials find and notify close contacts of COVID-19 cases.

Drinking water (15/06/2020): The island’s water bubblers have be turned off. Visitors are advised to bring a bottle with them or to purchase water on the island.

Our houses and apartments will be available for stays from Monday 1 June, while our waterfront campground will be open to campers from Friday 12 June. Until social distancing rules are amended, only members of your immediate household family will be permitted under your accommodation booking.

Further, only a quarter of our existing tents will be available, and we will be enforcing a limit of 100 guests in the campground, to enable people to adhere to social distancing regulations. The capacity of our campground will increase over time, in line with Government restrictions.

View accommodation at Cockatoo Island

The island’s family-friendly cafés, Marina Café and Bar and Societé Overboard, are both trading, as is pop-up bistro Mary's On The Edge. 

• Tours: Our regular tours, including Ghostyard, Overnight Fright, Haunted History and the Audio Tour, are suspended until further notice and we are currently not accepting group bookings.
• Biennale of Sydney: The 22nd Biennale of Sydney: NIRIN exhibition at Cockatoo Island is currently closed. Relevantly, the Dog-Leg and Campground Tunnels have been closed to protect artworks from this exhibition. Due to the NSW Government’s decision to permit galleries to reopen to the public from June, the Cockatoo island exhibition will relaunch for an extended, twelve-week run on Tuesday 16 June. 
• School programs: In line with the NSW Education advice, all school activities across our sites are currently suspended.

Ferry services

The easiest way to get to Cockatoo Island is by Public ferry. The F3 and F8 services operate to Cockatoo Island, departing from Circular Quay and Barangaroo as well as from wharves along Parramatta River. Additional shuttle ferries will run between Barangaroo and Cockatoo Island from 9.45am to 6pm on weekends only.

Reduced capacity

Be aware that ferries currently have capacity restrictions to ensure safe physical distancing between passengers. If a ferry has reached capacity, you will need to wait for the next service with available capacity. If you are visiting on a weekday, avoid travelling during the morning and afternoon peak period. For travel on weekends, be mindful that ferries are typically busiest on weekends, especially Sundays. Consider these factors when planning your trip and allow for extra travel time. For further information, including ferry timetables and COVID-19 travel advice, visit the Transport NSW website.

Woolwich Wharf

Woolwich Wharf will be closed for upgrades from mid-June. Ferry services will relocate to a temporary wharf at Clarkes Point (also known as the Deckhouse Wharf) during this period.

The Harbour Trust has launched online initiatives to help visitors – and the wider Australian community – to stay connected with extraordinary places on Sydney Harbour, including Cockatoo Island. 

• Kids Corner: Updated weekly, Kids Corner features fun activity sheets and project ideas designed to keep kids engaged and happy, whether they’re at home, in the backyard or stretching their legs outside.
• DigiTalks: Running select Wednesdays, DigiTalks is a series of online talks, virtual tours and webinars that offer attendees rich insights about our heritage destinations as well as Sydney Harbour.
• DigiTales: This series of articles, by our team of volunteers, acquaints readers with historical figures synonymous with our heritage places on Sydney Harbour. They also capture the distinctive voices of our passionate and knowledgeable volunteers. Above all else, DigiTales are intended as entertaining yarns. We hope you enjoy them!
• National Reconciliation Week: The Harbour Trust is taking a digital-first approach to National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June) to enable all Australians to safely join us as we celebrate our First Nations community and advocate for a fairer, more inclusive nation. Our program includes a free webinar on Aboriginal trackers (27 May), a DigiTale on Bungaree (coming soon) and a curated selection of music, films and kids activity sheets.