Operating status read 6 October 2026 (department page last 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
Little Ferry Services
Map – Wellington Ferry (SA)
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| All vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians | Free |
Crossing is free of charge for everyone. The department's status page says the public pays nothing at any of its River Murray ferries, and the state funds Little Ferry Services to run Wellington. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport states there is no charge for the public at its River Murray ferries.
Wellington Ferry carries vehicles across the Murray River at Wellington, South Australia, where Ferry Road runs down to a landing on each bank. It has nothing to do with the New Zealand city of the same name: this is the free, state-run Murray River crossing.
The vessel is the Heron, registered 870-006. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport lists it with space for 12 standard vehicle units and 101 people, a mass limit of 45.5 tonnes, and a deck 30 metres long and 5.35 metres wide. That is a bigger boat than the 8-unit ferries at Narrung and Tailem Bend, and it needs to be: the department's table gives Wellington an average of 500 vehicles a day, an annual average counted from February 2017, which is the third-highest of its 12 ferries after Mannum downstream (850) and Waikerie (650).
Little Ferry Services operates it under a contract that began on 1 November 2024, one of the up to ten-year agreements the state announced alongside more than $110 million of funding to keep all twelve ferries free and running 24 hours a day. The status page repeats the standing rule: no charge, no closing time, unless a temporary closure is posted. On 6 October 2026 it listed Wellington as currently operational with no closure notice.
Wellington's ferry has a long record. The Rural City of Murray Bridge's tourism page says that by 1839 the town was one of the most important settlements on the river because the ferry made it the only place where traffic could cross the Murray. The department's own notices show how closures usually happen now: a four-hour cable-replacement stop from 10am to 2pm on 27 October 2021, with Tailem Bend named as the alternative. A recent long outage was the 2022-23 flood. Ferry Road at Wellington East was closed at noon on 28 December 2022 because of rising water, which shut the ferry to the public, and both reopened at 9am on 25 February 2023, with Ferry Road limited to light vehicles at first.
If Wellington is closed, the status page lists Tailem Bend upstream as the alternative and names nothing downstream. On board, the 10 km/h speed limit applies on the ramp and deck, and emergency vehicles showing beacons or sirens go first.
- 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
No. This page covers the Wellington Ferry on the Murray River in South Australia, with the Tailem Bend ferry named upstream as its alternative. It is a free, state-run vehicle ferry and has no link to the New Zealand city's services.
Yes. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport says there is no charge for the public at its River Murray ferries. Little Ferry Services operates the crossing under a state contract.
Day and night, with no timetable, unless a temporary closure is posted on the department's status page. On 6 October 2026 that page listed Wellington as currently operational.
The Heron takes 12 standard vehicle units and 101 people, up to 45.5 tonnes. Its deck is 30 metres long and 5.35 metres wide, and the department lists a 5 metre crossing width restriction at the landings.
The department's table puts average traffic at 500 vehicles a day, counted from February 2017. Only Mannum downstream (850) and Waikerie (650) are busier, so Wellington ranks third of the department's 12 ferries.
The department's status page names the Tailem Bend ferry upstream. It lists nothing downstream of Wellington.
Yes. Ferry Road at Wellington East closed at noon on 28 December 2022 because of rising water, and with it the ferry. It reopened at 9am on 25 February 2023, with Ferry Road limited to light vehicles at first, along with Swan Reach.
Little Ferry Services, on 08 8542 1155 or 0429 879 389. The department's ferry enquiries line is 0462 069 652, open 9am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday except public holidays.