2026-27 timetable, effective 1 July 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
~4 min
Frequency
every 20 min
Operator
East Gippsland Shire Council
Map – Raymond Island Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Foot passenger, bicycle or mobility scooter | Free |
| Motorcycle (return) | $9.00 |
| Car, van or ute (return) | $18.00 |
| Car, van or ute with trailer or caravan (return) | $26.00 |
| Truck or bus (return) | $29.00 |
| Truck or bus with trailer (return) | $55.00 |
| Vehicle carrying hazardous material (return) | $65.00 |
Fares below take effect from 1 July 2026 under East Gippsland Shire Council's 2026-27 fee schedule. Foot passengers, cyclists and mobility-scooter users cross free in both directions. Vehicle fares are return (round-trip) fares covering the outbound and return crossing together, paid by EFTPOS only when boarding - there is no cash payment and no online booking. A separate $310 call-out fee applies for after-hours emergency crossings outside the normal timetable; this is a service fee, not a standard crossing fare. All fares in Australian dollars (AUD).
The Raymond Island ferry is a council-run cable ferry that crosses MacMillan Strait on the Gippsland Lakes, linking the town of Paynesville with Raymond Island in East Gippsland, Victoria. East Gippsland Shire Council operates the vessel directly rather than a private company, running it as a piece of local road infrastructure: it's the only vehicle access to an island of a few hundred permanent residents, so the ferry runs continuously, day and night, every day of the year.
The crossing itself takes about four minutes over a short stretch of water, and departures are frequent rather than timed to a fixed list of clock times: the council's published schedule shows services roughly every 20 minutes for most of the day, stepping up to a near-continuous five-minute service during the weekday commuter peaks in the morning and late afternoon. Late services run past midnight most nights, with Friday and Saturday running latest and Sunday finishing earliest.
Walking on, cycling on, or bringing a mobility scooter costs nothing - pedestrians have always travelled free, and that hasn't changed with the fare rise. What did change, from 1 July 2026, is the return fare for vehicles: $18 for a car, van or ute, $9 for a motorcycle, and higher tiers for trucks, buses and anything towing a trailer or caravan. Fares are collected on board by EFTPOS only - there's no cash option and no online booking, so budget the return fare, which covers both crossings, rather than paying twice.
Raymond Island is best known for its resident koala population, so the ferry carries a steady flow of day-trip traffic on top of the residents and tradespeople who use it constantly. The council closes the service for scheduled maintenance for roughly three to four weeks most years, historically around October - check the council's ferry page for current alerts before planning a visit around that time.
- 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
About four minutes each way across MacMillan Strait, according to East Gippsland Shire Council, which operates the crossing.
Walking, cycling or mobility-scooter crossings are free. Vehicles pay a return fare, from $9 for a motorcycle up to $65 for a hazardous-material vehicle; a car, van or ute is $18 return.
$18 return for a car, van or ute (add $8 for a trailer or caravan, taking it to $26 return), effective from 1 July 2026 under the council's current fee schedule.
About every 20 minutes for most of the day, stepping up to roughly every 5 minutes on weekday mornings (about 7:05-9:05am) and afternoons (about 3:35-6:05pm), per the council's published timetable.
Weekdays the main service starts around 6:20-6:30am and runs to about 11:15pm-12:15am, with later trips Friday nights; weekends start around 7:00-7:10am and Sunday finishes earlier than Saturday.
No. Fares are EFTPOS only, paid on board when boarding; there is no cash option and no online booking or app.
Yes. Bicycles, prams and mobility scooters travel free alongside walk-on passengers; cyclists are required to dismount before boarding.
East Gippsland Shire Council schedules one maintenance outage of roughly three to four weeks most years, historically around October; check the council's Raymond Island ferry page for current alerts before travelling.