Department for Infrastructure and Transport status table for the 12 River Murray ferries, last updated 12.36 pm on 20 October 2026; read on 21 October 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
Little Ferry Services (for the Department for Infrastructure and Transport, SA)
Map – Walker Flat Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Vehicles and pedestrians | Free |
The department's status page says there is no charge for the public to use the ferry service. Mid Murray Council's tourism page also lists Walker Flat among its free ferries. No ticket is sold and no booking is needed.
Walker Flat is one of twelve Murray crossings that the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport lists on a single status table, and it sits between Swan Reach upstream and Purnong downstream. The Walker Flat row, last updated at 12.36 pm on 20 October 2026, read 'currently operational' with nothing in the temporary closures column. Those two neighbours are also the detours the table names if this ferry stops.
The vessel is the Rosella, numbered 879-027 in the department's technical table. That table gives it room for 67 people and eight car-sized units, a vehicle mass limit of 42.5 tonnes, a deck 22.8 metres long and 5.48 metres wide, and a 5 metre crossing width restriction at the landings. The average count, taken since February 2017 and printed on a page marked correct as of 31 July 2025, is 280 vehicles a day. By our reading of that table it is the ninth busiest of the twelve crossings, well behind Mannum's downstream ferry at 850 and well ahead of Purnong at 80.
There is no timetable. The department says the ferries operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week unless a temporary closure is in place, and that nobody is charged to use them. The operator listed for Walker Flat is Little Ferry Services, the same contractor the table names for Cadell, Narrung, Purnong, Swan Reach and Wellington. OpenStreetMap shows the two landings only about 200 metres apart, both on Angas Valley Road, one labelled Walker Flat and the other Forster in the Nildottie area; no official page says which side of the river each sits on.
The boarding rules the department publishes are short. Keep to 10 km/h on the ramp and deck, wait until the operator signals before driving on, put the handbrake on once in place, and use parking lights only after dark. Pedestrians wait at the top of the barrier until directed, and emergency vehicles showing beacons or sirens go first.
What actually stops the ferry is maintenance or the river. The department says AHD river levels are used to help assess when closures occur, so the status table is the page to check before a long drive, particularly in a high-flow season.
- 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 says there is no charge for the public to use its River Murray ferries, and Mid Murray Council lists Walker Flat among its free ferries. There is no ticket office, no card reader and no booking, so you simply queue at the ramp.
The department's page says the ferry operates 24 hours per day, 7 days a week unless a temporary closure is in place. No departure times are published, so it crosses when vehicles or walkers are waiting. After dark, drivers are asked to use parking lights only.
On 21 October 2026 the department's table, last updated at 12.36 pm on 20 October, listed Walker Flat as currently operational with no temporary closure. The table changes without notice, so open the status page before you set out.
The department's technical table gives the Rosella a vehicle mass limit of 42.5 tonnes, room for eight car-sized units and 67 people, and a deck 22.8 metres long and 5.48 metres wide. It also lists a 5 metre crossing width restriction associated with the landings. Those figures were marked correct as of 31 July 2025.
The department's table names the Swan Reach ferry upstream and the Purnong ferry downstream as the alternative crossings for Walker Flat.
The department lists Little Ferry Services as the operator for Walker Flat, on 8542 1144 or 0417 273 491. For general ferry enquiries the department's line is 0462 069 652, staffed 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday, except public holidays.
The department's rules for ferry users include a pedestrian section: wait at the top of the barrier until the operator directs you to board, stay in the pedestrian area during the crossing, and stay there until the operator says it is safe to leave. The page does not mention bicycles.
No official page gives a crossing time. OpenStreetMap places the two landings about 200 metres apart, so the crossing is short, but that distance is our measurement from map coordinates and not a department figure.