Operating pattern as published by Transport for NSW, read 15 October 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
Crossing time
~3 min
Operator
Transport for NSW
Map – Lawrence Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Vehicles (no fare charged) | Free |
Transport for NSW's vehicle-ferries page says vehicle ferries are a free service across NSW and lists no fare or booking for Lawrence, so no ticket is sold at the ramp. The pages read do not say how pedestrians or cyclists are handled, so nothing is stated about them.
Transport for NSW runs the Lawrence ferry, a free vehicle crossing of the Clarence River between Lawrence and Woodford Island. The state's vehicle-ferries page places the Lawrence landing at Rutland Street and calls the route part of Tourist Drive 22. The agency's own project page and notices call it the Bluff Point Ferry. Wikipedia, not Transport for NSW, describes it as a cable ferry and says a private operator runs it under contract.
The ferry keeps no timetable. Transport for NSW lists it as operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a 3-minute crossing. The normal vessel takes 24 cars and has a 135-tonne safe load limit. A smaller 18-car ferry, rated at 90 tonnes, steps in only while the larger one is being serviced. Because of that, capacity is the thing that changes here, not opening hours. Vehicles with a long rear overhang can struggle to board at low tide, and the agency has said it is working with the bus operator on school-bus loading at low water.
Servicing is the main interruption. Transport for NSW describes three-yearly major maintenance that keeps the ferry's commercial-vessel certification. In 2022 that work was announced as taking about ten weeks. From September 2025 the 24-car vessel was away for up to twelve weeks, and an 18-car ferry was shipped from Sydney to cover; the notices put the main ferry back by late November 2025. In September 2026 the 24-car ferry was out from 3.30am Friday 11 September until about 2pm on Monday 14 September for ramp work, with the 18-car vessel running around the clock.
If the crossing is shut, the agency points drivers to the Grafton bridge. Wikipedia puts that detour at 67 kilometres. Wikipedia's mention of a shorter detour via the Ulmarra ferry is out of date: Transport for NSW closed that ferry on 10 June 2024. The vehicle-ferries list now includes no other Clarence River crossing.
Check Live Traffic NSW (livetraffic.com or 132 701) before a long drive, and subscribe to the free SMS service on the project page for planned and unplanned disruptions.
- 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
Yes. Transport for NSW describes its vehicle ferries as a free service, and its Lawrence entry lists no fare. You drive on, cross and drive off without buying a ticket. The pages checked do not say how people travelling on foot are handled, so none is promised here.
No printed timetable is published. Transport for NSW lists the ferry as operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you queue at the Rutland Street or Woodford Island ramp and board when directed. The only interruptions on its pages are planned maintenance and works notices.
The crossing takes 3 minutes according to Transport for NSW. The main ferry carries 24 cars with a 135-tonne safe load limit. The second, smaller vessel takes 18 cars at 90 tonnes and is used only while the main ferry is being serviced.
The 18-car ferry. In late 2025 two 18-car ferries ran together while the 24-car vessel was away, and weekday peak hours were reported as 7.30am to 11am and 12pm to 5pm from 24 October. That doubled-up arrangement applied then; it is not a standing pattern.
Transport for NSW tells drivers to use the Grafton bridge. Wikipedia gives that route as 67 kilometres. Its figure for a 38-kilometre detour via Ulmarra no longer applies, because Transport for NSW stopped the Ulmarra ferry on 10 June 2024.
Buses and cane trucks do use it: a November 2025 notice warned of delays loading and unloading them. Transport for NSW's vehicle-ferries page warns that vehicles with a long overhang will have problems boarding at low tide, and the agency says it reduced ramp angles for such vehicles. Ask the agency about a particular heavy load.
The Transport for NSW pages read for this guide give no river-level or flood trigger for closing it, so none is stated. Check Live Traffic NSW for the current status when the Clarence is high or the weather is severe.
Use Live Traffic NSW at livetraffic.com, which the agency names for current status; its information line, 132 701, was the number given in a 2022 maintenance notice. Transport for NSW also runs a free SMS list for planned and unplanned disruptions to Clarence River ferry operations, signed up through the form on its Lawrence project page.