Operating pattern as published by Transport for NSW on 28 September 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 – Sackville Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| All vehicles | Free |
Sackville Ferry is part of the state road network. Transport for NSW's vehicle-ferries page calls these ferries a free service, so cars and other vehicles cross without a fare, ticket or booking. Payment is not taken at the ramp.
Sackville Ferry is a free cable ferry over the Hawkesbury River, and Transport for NSW describes it as connecting the roads that link Windsor and Wisemans Ferry. On one bank the approach is Sackville Road, which brings traffic back through Sackville towards Windsor. On the other it is Sackville Ferry Road, which runs through South Maroota to Wisemans Ferry Road and Cattai Road. The crossing takes 3 minutes and the ferry can carry 15 cars. Wikipedia records it as the farthest upstream of the four cable ferries on the Hawkesbury proper, ahead of Lower Portland, Webbs Creek and Wisemans Ferry, and dates a ferry here to at least 1883.
Transport for NSW lists it as working around the clock. There is no nightly break of the kind published for Webbs Creek; the only regular gap is a monthly maintenance stop on the first Wednesday of the month. Until 31 October 2026 that window runs from 12:45pm to 3:00pm. From 1 November it lengthens to 9:30am to 1:00pm, and the first stop on the new hours is Wednesday 4 November.
October 2026 brings a one-off closure on top of that. Transport for NSW's community notice says the ferry will be shut from 8:30am to 3:30pm on Wednesday 7 October, which is also a first Wednesday, while crews cut out a damaged section of the ferry wharves, fit a replacement plate and weld a new support component. The vehicle-ferries web page prints the hours as 8:30pm to 3:30pm, but the notice says 8:30am. Wet weather, wind, tides or flooding can push the work later.
This crossing has been busy with works all year. Wear bars were fitted to the concrete ramps between 17 and 21 March, when the ferry stopped each evening from 5pm until 1:30am, and line marking on the wharves closed it from 9:30am to 2:30pm on 20 and 21 July. Transport for NSW is also installing mini variable message signs on Sackville Ferry Road at South Maroota and on Sackville Road opposite West Portland Road, so drivers can see the ferry's status before they commit.
When the ferry is out, the Lower Portland Ferry adds about 20 minutes (River Road from the eastern side, West Portland Road from the western side) and the road via Windsor adds about 35. Emergency services can still cross during works, with delays of up to 15 minutes.
- 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 the Sackville page lists no fare or booking. Drivers queue at the ramp and cross when directed.
On the first Wednesday of every month. Until 31 October 2026 the window is 12:45pm to 3:00pm; from 1 November it becomes 9:30am to 1:00pm, starting Wednesday 4 November. The next first Wednesdays are 7 October, 4 November and 2 December.
Yes. Transport for NSW's notice says it will close from 8:30am to 3:30pm on Wednesday 7 October for wharf repairs, and that wet weather, wind, tides or flooding could change the work times. Emergency services can cross with delays of up to 15 minutes.
The crossing takes 3 minutes and Transport for NSW states the ferry can carry 15 cars. Wikipedia gives the river width there as about 290 metres.
Transport for NSW suggests the Lower Portland Ferry, adding about 20 minutes (via River Road from the eastern side or West Portland Road from the western side), or the road through Windsor, adding about 35 minutes (Sackville Road from the west; Sackville Ferry Road, Wisemans Ferry Road and Cattai Road from the east).
Transport for NSW lists it as running 24 hours, 7 days, with no nightly closure; its Webbs Creek ferry, by contrast, has a published 2am to 3am stop every night. The only regular exception at Sackville is the monthly first-Wednesday maintenance window.
Transport for NSW's works notices say wet weather, wind, tides and flooding can delay or stop ferry-crossing work, and it directs drivers to Live Traffic NSW for the current operating status. The pages checked publish no river-level trigger for closing Sackville, so none is given here.
Use Live Traffic NSW (livetraffic.com or 132 701), which Transport for NSW names as the source for up-to-date status. Works notices give a Project Infoline on 1800 684 490 and the address [email protected] for email updates.