Operating status read 28 September 2026 (Department table updated 17 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
Operator
Department for Infrastructure and Transport (SA), operated by Little Ferry Services
Map – Swan Reach Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| All vehicles and pedestrians | Free |
There is nothing to pay at Swan Reach: the Department's status page says the public is not charged for its ferry services, and the state government funds the operator's contract. Cars, trucks within the vessel limits, cyclists and people on foot all cross for nothing, and no card reader or ticket window exists at the ramp.
The Swan Reach ferry carries road traffic over the Murray River between Victoria Street in the town of Swan Reach and the Stott Highway landing on the opposite bank. The highway is the reason this crossing matters. According to Wikipedia it runs 144 km from Angaston in the Barossa Valley, through Sedan and Swan Reach, to Pyap in the Riverland, and at Swan Reach the river interrupts it, so a cable ferry does the job of a bridge. Wikipedia also records that until 2008 the road was known as Swan Reach Road and that it was renamed for Tom Stott, a farmer and state member of parliament for the country it passes through.
The vessel is the Swan, listed by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport with room for 12 standard-car units and 101 people, a vehicle mass limit of 42.5 tonnes, a roadway 30 metres long and 5.48 metres between kerbs, and a 5-metre width restriction at the ramps. The Department's traffic count, taken in February 2017, averaged about 290 vehicles a day. The contract crew is Little Ferry Services, the same company that runs the Cadell, Narrung, Purnong, Walker Flat and Wellington crossings. Nobody pays to cross, and there is neither a ticket nor a booking system: you queue at the ramp and the operator waves you on.
Water is what stops it. During the 2022-23 flood the Department announced that the Swan Reach ferry would close from 7pm on 6 December 2022 and stay shut while flow at the site was above 120 gigalitres a day. It reopened at 9am on Saturday 25 February 2023, roughly eleven weeks later, with speed restrictions on the Stott Highway approach. When the ferry is closed, the Department's table points drivers to Blanchetown Bridge upstream and the Walker Flat ferry downstream, with Murray Bridge beyond that.
Boarding rules are printed on the sa.gov.au page for ferry users: 10 km/h on the ramp and deck, wait for the operator's signal, handbrake on once in position, and parking lights only after dark so the operator is not blinded. Pedestrians wait at the top of the barrier until directed on. Emergency vehicles showing beacons or sirens are given priority to board.
- 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 for Infrastructure and Transport states that there is no charge for the public to use its River Murray ferries, and Swan Reach has no ticket office, fare or booking.
Yes. The Department says each River Murray ferry is staffed round the clock, every day, unless a temporary closure is posted in its status table. On 28 September 2026 the table (updated 17 September) showed Swan Reach as currently operational with nothing listed under closures or restrictions.
The vessel Swan is listed for 12 standard-car units and 101 people, with a 42.5-tonne mass limit per vehicle combination, a 30-metre roadway, 5.48 metres between kerbs and a 5-metre width restriction at the ramps.
It closed at 7pm on 6 December 2022 and the Department reopened it at 9am on Saturday 25 February 2023, about 81 days. The 2022 notice said it would stay closed while flow at the site exceeded 120 GL/day.
The Department's table lists Blanchetown Bridge upstream and the Walker Flat ferry downstream. In the 2022 flood notice it also named Murray Bridge as a downstream option.
The Stott Highway, which runs from Angaston in the Barossa Valley through Sedan to Swan Reach and on to Pyap. The ferry is the river link on that highway; the town-side landing is on Victoria Street.
The operator, Little Ferry Services, lists 08 8542 1133 and 0448 107 831 for Swan Reach. The Department's ferry enquiries line is 0462 069 652, answered 9:00am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday except public holidays.
Yes. The ferry rules include a section for pedestrians, who wait at the top of the barrier until the operator directs them on and stay in the pedestrian area during the crossing.