2026 tourism/dry season (1 May – 31 Oct 2026): open 7am–6pm daily · 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 — still the schedule NPARC links as 'Current Fees and Charges' as of 15 September 2026; no newer notice was found. NPARC's notice does not say whether the fee covers one crossing or the round trip. Local press and Cape York tour operators consistently describe these same figures as return fares, but that is not stated by NPARC, so treat it as unconfirmed and ask at the roadhouse before you pay. Payment is by EFTPOS on site. NPARC also links an online prepayment form, but its booking window showed as expired when checked on 15 September 2026, 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 vehicular cable punt operated by the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC), and it is the only way to drive across the Jardine River on the Peninsula Developmental Road / Bamaga Road route to the tip of Cape York. Without it, 4WD travellers heading north to Bamaga, Injinoo, Seisia, New Mapoon or Punsand Bay would have to find another crossing entirely, so it is the single choke point for almost all vehicle traffic reaching the top of Cape York Peninsula. As of 15 September 2026, the ferry is in its dry-season 'tourism' hours (1 May–31 October 2026): open 7am to 6pm, daily. From 1 November to 30 April it moves to shorter off-season hours of 8am to 5pm daily, when Queensland's wet season can also cut the approach roads with flooding — check Main Roads Queensland or RACQ (1300 130 595) for road conditions before you travel. NPARC does not publish a fixed departure timetable: the punt shuttles back and forth continuously on demand, whenever vehicles are queued on either bank, so there is nothing to book to a specific minute — just arrive within opening hours, and by 4pm at the latest during the busy May–October season, since queues can be long and the crew will not run the ferry after closing for safety reasons. Fees are set by council resolution: as of the current 2025 notice, a single car pays $160, a motorbike $80, a bicycle $40, and heavier vehicles, trailers, buses and road trains pay more, all payable by EFTPOS at the roadhouse or prepaid online through the council's TryBooking page. Camping at the adjoining Jardine River Ferry Campground is billed separately, per person per night. Fuel is not currently sold at the ferry service station — the nearest bowsers are roughly 50km north at Injinoo, Seisia or Bamaga, so fill up before you reach the crossing.
- 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
As of 15 September 2026 the ferry is in its 2026 tourism/dry-season hours: 7am to 6pm, daily, from 1 May to 31 October 2026. Outside that window (1 November to 30 April) NPARC's page lists shorter off-season hours of 8am to 5pm daily.
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; local press and tour operators describe the same figures as return fares, but NPARC does not confirm it, 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. You can also prepay online through the council's TryBooking page and show your confirmation (printed, emailed or on your phone) to roadhouse staff before boarding.
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.
The ferry itself operates year-round on shorter off-season hours (8am–5pm daily) from November to April, but the wet season can flood or cut the Peninsula Developmental Road on either side of the crossing. 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 today. 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.