Operating status confirmed live 22 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)
Map – Waikerie Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| All vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians | Free |
Waikerie is one of 12 River Murray ferry crossings the SA Department for Infrastructure and Transport runs free of charge for the public - cars, motorcycles, cyclists and pedestrians all cross at no cost, with no ticket, booking or EFTPOS terminal on board. Day-to-day operation is contracted out to a local operator, Kingfisher Ferry Services, but the crossing itself is government-funded rather than fare-funded, the same model used at all 12 SA river ferries.
The Waikerie ferry is a free, government-run cable ferry that carries vehicles and pedestrians across the Murray River between Rowe Street on the Waikerie town side and Taylorville Road on the river's north bank, in South Australia's Riverland. Waikerie itself sits on the river's south bank below a line of cliffs that the Sturt Highway follows before dropping into town, and the ferry is the only vehicle link across the river here - there is no bridge. It is one of 12 free River Murray ferry crossings the SA Department for Infrastructure and Transport funds and runs, alongside Cadell, Lyrup and Morgan upstream of Lock 1, and Mannum, Narrung, Purnong, Swan Reach, Tailem Bend, Walker Flat and Wellington further downstream.
The crossing itself is short - well under 200 metres - but it is one of the busiest in the network, averaging around 650 vehicle movements a day, second only to the Mannum ferries. The current vessel, Quail, is one of the network's larger ferries: it carries up to 101 people and 12 standard-vehicle units at a time, with a 42.5-tonne mass limit that Waikerie alone extends to 62.5 tonnes for permitted B-double combinations, provided the ferry is running from its normal low-level landing rather than the high-flow ramp.
That second, high-flow landing exists because the Murray can force the ferry out of its usual position: during the November 2022 flood, the Department had to move Waikerie's ferry to a higher ramp once river depth passed about 9.2 to 9.6 metres, with a short full closure while the vessel was relocated and initially restricted running once it reopened. Like the rest of the SA network, Waikerie runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no fixed timetable - vehicles simply queue at whichever ramp they arrive at, and the ferry comes across on demand, free of charge, with no booking and no ticket. If it is ever out of action, the Department's live status page points travellers to the Kingston-on-Murray bridge upstream or the Cadell ferry downstream as the nearest alternative crossings.
- 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. Like all 12 River Murray ferries the SA Department for Infrastructure and Transport runs, Waikerie is free for cars, motorcycles, cyclists and pedestrians - there is no ticket, fare or booking.
It runs continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, unless a temporary closure is in place. There is no printed timetable - the ferry crosses on demand whenever vehicles or people are waiting at either ramp.
No. Just drive to the ramp on either bank and the ferry, currently the vessel Quail, comes across to collect you.
Up to 12 standard-vehicle units and 101 people per crossing, with a normal vehicle mass limit of 42.5 tonnes.
Yes, with a permit, B-double combinations up to 62.5 tonnes can cross at Waikerie's normal low-level landing - a higher limit than most other SA river ferries allow. That permit does not apply when the ferry is running from its high-flow landing.
It can. When the Murray runs high the Department may have to move the ferry to a separate high-flow ramp, which involves a short full closure during the changeover and initially restricted, single-lane running once it reopens. Check the Department's live operational-status page before travelling if the river is running high.
The Department's status page lists the Kingston-on-Murray road bridge upstream, or the Cadell ferry downstream, as the nearest alternative Murray River crossings.
It crosses the Murray River between Rowe Street on the Waikerie town (south) side and Taylorville Road on the north bank, just below the Sturt Highway as it climbs the cliffs into Waikerie.