Standing rule from the department's River Murray ferry status table (no printed timetable) · 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
Department for Infrastructure and Transport (SA)
Map – Morgan Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians | Free |
The crossing costs nothing. The department's status page says the public pays no charge at its River Murray ferries. Kingfisher Ferry Services runs Morgan under a contract from 1 November 2024, and the department states there is no charge for the public.
The Morgan ferry is a cable ferry named Coot (registration 870-005) that crosses the Murray River at the town of Morgan, from High Street to the Morgan Cadell Road landing at North West Bend. It is not the person or the surname people also search for: this is the South Australian crossing, free and open day and night unless a closure is posted.
The department's technical table lists the Coot with space for 12 standard vehicle units and 101 people, a 45.5 tonne mass limit, and a deck 22 metres long by 5.4 metres wide, with a 5 metre width restriction at the landings. Its average traffic is 440 vehicles a day, counted from February 2017. Kingfisher Ferry Services, the same contractor as at Lyrup and Waikerie, has operated Morgan since a new contract started on 1 November 2024.
Morgan has a second job. The department's Morgan Dockyard is where the river ferries are refurbished, and it reports that each boat is due a refit every seven years. In December 2024 it described the Dotterel travelling more than 300 kilometres from Narrung to the dockyard, then spending four months there before returning to Tailem Bend. The same release says the dockyard's slipway and workshop were underwater in the 2022-23 floods.
The ferry itself was off the river for the same flood. The department announced on 5 December 2022 that Morgan and Swan Reach would close at 7 pm on 6 December and stay closed while local flow was above 120 gigalitres a day, naming Cadell ferry and Blanchetown Bridge as the crossings to use. By 23 February 2023 the department's list showed Morgan open but limited to light vehicles, emergency and road safety vehicles and local school buses, because of weight limits on the connecting roads.
Everyday stops are shorter. The department posts planned maintenance closures in its status table, with the day, the hours and the alternative crossings, and the dated notice on this page repeats one while it is current. In 2021, for example, the department announced a programmed stop from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm on 13 October.
- 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. The department states that there is no charge for the public at its River Murray ferries, Morgan included. The department states there is no charge for the public at its River Murray ferries.
Day and night, every day, unless a temporary closure is posted. The department's status table lists any planned closure with its date and hours, and the dated notice at the top of this page shows one while it is current.
The department's table lists the Cadell ferry upstream and Blanchetown Bridge downstream. In the December 2022 closure notice the same two crossings were named.
The Coot carries 12 standard vehicle units and 101 people, up to 45.5 tonnes, on a deck 22 metres long and 5.4 metres wide. The department lists a 5 metre crossing-width restriction at the landings.
The department's table puts the average at 440 vehicles a day, an annual figure counted from February 2017. The table lists 850 for the Mannum downstream ferry, 650 for Waikerie and 380 for Lyrup.
Yes. It closed at 7 pm on Tuesday 6 December 2022, with the department expecting it to stay shut while local flow exceeded 120 GL a day. By 23 February 2023 it was running again for light vehicles, emergency and road safety vehicles and local school buses only.
Kingfisher Ferry Services, on 8540 2197 or 0439 510 259. The department's ferry enquiries line is 0462 069 652, answered 9 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday except public holidays.
Yes: the cable ferry at Morgan on the Murray River, between High Street and Morgan Cadell Road. It is a vehicle ferry run by the South Australian Government's transport department, not a person's name or a service elsewhere.