NPARC hours: 7am to 6pm daily to 31 October 2026, then the off-season line (8am to 5pm daily) from 1 November, loaded to 31 December 2026 · Services shown by frequency — exact times from the operator. · Representative services only — check the operator for today's full timetable
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Operator
Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council
Map – Jardine River Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Pedestrian | Free |
| Bicycle | $40.00 |
| Motorbike | $80.00 |
| Single vehicle (car) | $160.00 |
| Vehicle with trailer or van | $250.00 |
| Oversized vehicle with trailer or van | $275.00 |
| Tour bus, 10 tonne or less | $300.00 |
| Tour bus, over 10 tonne | $400.00 |
| Other vehicle, 10 tonne or less | $300.00 |
| Other vehicle, over 10 tonne | $400.00 |
| Road train (over 10 tonne) | $1,200.00 |
| NPA resident concession — car only | $10.00 |
| NPA resident concession — motorbike | $5.00 |
| Camping per night, Jardine Ferry Campground (13yrs & over) | $15.00 |
| Camping per night, Jardine Ferry Campground (under 13yrs) | $10.00 |
Fees are from NPARC's 'Public Notice: 2025 Jardine River Ferry Fees' (Council Resolution C8.2-26112024), effective 1 January 2025. NPARC's page still links that notice as 'Current Fees and Charges' and no newer notice was found when last checked. NPARC's notice does not say whether the fee covers one crossing or the round trip. NPARC does not say whether a fare covers one crossing or the return trip, so ask at the roadhouse before you pay. Payment is by EFTPOS on site. NPARC also links online payment pages for tickets and camping through TryBooking, but the ticket page's booking window showed as expired when last checked, so do not count on prepaying. 'NPA Residents' rates are a concession for residents of the Northern Peninsula Area shires only, not for visitors. Camping at the Jardine River Ferry Campground is billed separately, per person per night. All fares in Australian dollars (AUD).
The Jardine River Ferry is a council-run vehicle punt operated by the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC), and it carries vehicles across the Jardine River on the Peninsula Developmental Road and Bamaga Road route to the tip of Cape York. Travellers heading north to Bamaga, Injinoo, Seisia, New Mapoon or Punsand Bay all funnel through this one crossing.
NPARC publishes opening hours rather than departure times. The tourism season runs from 1 May to 31 October 2026, with the ferry open 7am to 6pm daily. From 1 November, NPARC's page lists the off-season hours as 8am to 5pm daily under a '2026 Off-season' heading, although an older paragraph on the same page says Monday to Friday only; the council's page does not settle that, so phone the roadhouse on (07) 4069 1369 if a weekend crossing matters. Outside opening hours the council says it cannot run the ferry, citing fatigue, night driving and wildlife, and the Jardine River Campsite is the fallback. The punt shuttles on demand rather than to a grid, so there is nothing to book to a specific minute. In the busy May to October period NPARC asks every vehicle to arrive by 4pm, and notes that crew sometimes break between noon and 1pm.
Fees are set by council resolution. The notice effective 1 January 2025, which NPARC still links as its current fee schedule, gives $160 for a single car, $80 for a motorbike and $40 for a bicycle, with heavier vehicles, trailers, buses and road trains paying more. Payment is by EFTPOS on site. Camping at the adjoining Jardine River Ferry Campground is charged separately, per person per night.
Fuel is not currently sold at the ferry service station; the next fuel to the north is about 50 km away at Injinoo, Seisia or Bamaga. The Queensland wet season generally runs from November to April and can cut the approach roads, so check Main Roads Queensland or RACQ (1300 130 595) for road conditions before you travel.
- Arrive at the terminal a few minutes before departure; vehicle boarding usually closes earlier.
- Check the operator's service alerts before travelling — weather, tides and river levels affect services.
- Confirm accepted payment methods and whether a booking is required for vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
NPARC lists 7am to 6pm daily from 1 May to 31 October 2026. From 1 November it lists 8am to 5pm daily under a '2026 Off-season' heading, while an older paragraph on the same page says Monday to Friday only, so phone (07) 4069 1369 to confirm weekends.
NPARC's fee notice effective 1 January 2025 lists $160 for a single car, $80 for a motorbike, $40 for a bicycle, and no charge for pedestrians. Heavier vehicles, trailers, tour buses and road trains pay more, up to $1,200 for a road train. The notice does not state whether that covers one crossing or the return trip, so check at the roadhouse before paying.
No. The Jardine Ferry has no fixed departure grid — it is a punt that shuttles back and forth on demand throughout opening hours whenever vehicles are waiting on either bank, so there is nothing to check ahead of time beyond the daily opening and closing hours.
NPARC states tickets are payable by EFTPOS only at the ferry. Its page also links online payment pages for the ferry ticket and for camping through TryBooking, but the ticket page's booking window showed as expired when last checked, so confirm with the roadhouse before relying on prepaying.
No. NPARC states fuel is not currently available at the Jardine Ferry service station. The nearest fuel is about 50km north, at Injinoo, Seisia or Bamaga.
NPARC lists off-season hours of 8am to 5pm from 1 November and publishes no wet-season closure dates, so the page does not say the ferry stops. The wet season, generally November to April, can flood or cut roads on either side of the crossing, so check Main Roads Queensland or call RACQ on 1300 130 595 before you travel.
It's on Bamaga Road (also signed as the Northern Bypass Road) in Injinoo, on the Peninsula Developmental Road route to Bamaga and the tip of Cape York, roughly 40km south of Bamaga.
NPARC's fee notice lists only the crossing fee and a separate campground charge, and says nothing about a land-access permit. Tourism and 4WD-touring sources have described the ferry fee as also covering the Injinoo Aboriginal land access permit, consistently and over several years, but no NPARC or Traditional Owner page confirms that. If you plan to camp or travel beyond the crossing, ask NPARC or the relevant Traditional Owner corporation directly rather than assuming the ferry fee covers it.