Our friendly staff look forward to assisting with your enquiry.
The vehicle and pedestrian ferry links Raymond Island to Paynesville.
After hours contact for emergency services personnel only:
0418 517 959
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Fares
Fares are paid when boarding. Payment by eftpos only.
Prices are return fares. Effective from 1 July 2024
- Annual pass: $320 for car or motorcycle; $590 for bus or truck
- Pedestrians, including bicycles and mobility scooters: Free
- Motorbike: $7
- Car/Van/Ute: $14
- Car/Van/Ute towing trailer or caravan: $22
- Truck/Bus: $22
- Truck/Bus towing trailer: $43
- Vehicle over 20T GVM: $32
- Vehicle over 20T GVM towing trailer: $61
- Hazardous material: $42
- Hazardous material with trailer: $81
- After hours call out service: $290
- Trip Card 10-trip pass (for the price of 9 trips): available for all vehicle types except hazardous chemical
Annual passes can be purchased from our Bairnsdale or Paynesville service centres.
If you have any questions about the Raymond Island Ferry passes, please contact our Customer Service Centre on (03) 5153 9500.
To set up a payment account contact our Finance Department on (03) 5153 9500.
Bylaws for ferry travel
We have some specific General Local Laws for passengers on the Raymond Island Ferry.
You must not travel on the ferry without paying the fee, unless you hold a current Raymond Island Ferry Pass (which must be attached to the driver’s side of your vehicle windscreen).
You must also must comply with any reasonable direction of the ferry operator. The maximum penalty for fare avoidance or failure to comply with operator directions is 5 penalty units.
An authorised officer may serve this infringement notice (Schedule 7 to the Local Law) as an alternative to prosecution.
Timetable
The Raymond Island Ferry leaves from:
- Paynesville – The Esplanade, near the intersection of Victoria Street
- Raymond Island – northern end of Fourth Avenue
Timetable
Christmas holiday departures
The following service changes apply during the Christmas holiday period:
Christmas Eve
Last service departs 1.15 am Christmas Day
Christmas Day
Train service departs 5.20 am
Services then operate from 7.00 am to 11.40 am continuous
No ferry service between 12.00 pm and 2.00 pm
Services resume at 2.00 pm with the last service leaving at 11.15 pm
New Year's Eve
Last service departs 1.15 am 1 January
What happens if I need the ferry outside timetabled hours?
If you miss the last service or need the ferry out of hours it attracts a significant fee. You will need to contact the ferry on 0418 517 959 and pay the afterhours service fee. Emergency services can access Raymond Island 24 hours a day.
The ferry left before its scheduled time – why?
This situation can occur for a variety of reasons including:
- In an emergency, the ferry will operate under with the requirements of the emergency services and will not take other passengers.
- During peak demand, the ferry may not be able to keep to its timetable and the service may appear to leave early, or the ferry may be full.
Service Charter - questions and answers
How long is the ferry ride?
The crossing takes about four minutes.
What happens if public transport is running late and I miss the last ferry?
Call the ferry on 0418 517 959 when leaving Bairnsdale. The ferry will meet you at the Paynesville terminal. This is a one-way service from Paynesville to Raymond Island. Normal fees apply.
Is there a charge for pedestrians to use the ferry?
No, pedestrians travel for free.
Has the cost to paying users increased?
Yes, an increase in price to some of the fares have been applied in line with Council's annual adopted Fees and Charges. Prices are reflected at the top of this page under the Fares tab.
Emergency Services
Emergency Services travel free and take precedence when responding to any emergency event.
Service Charter
Read the Raymond Island Service Charter
Service Outages - questions and answers
Scheduled outages - we have one scheduled outage where the ferry is taken out of the water for three weeks. This outage is every two to three years and is usually in October.
Unscheduled outages - we cannot give advance notice of unplanned outages.
During outages we put the following arrangements in place:
Pedestrians
Pedestrians are able to use a free water taxi, which leaves from:
- Paynesville – the jetty to the south of the terminal.
- Raymond Island – the jetty to the north of the terminal.
Vehicles
A vehicle barge is available during extended ferry outages.
Private vehicles are only allowed to use the barge in exceptional circumstances. Requests can be made directly to the ferry operator on mobile 0437 748 736.
The vehicle barge is used for:
- Emergency vehicles. They have priority access.
- Commercial vehicles. Priority is given to providers such as electricity, water, gas and phone, and garbage collection.
- Tradespeople and other commercial service providers to undertake their regular business.
The barge operates from:
- Paynesville – the Esplanade boat ramp next to the Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club (about 400m south of the terminal).
- Raymond Island – the Raymond Island boat ramp (about 150m south of the terminal).
If the ferry breaks down, residents will be allowed to take their vehicle off Raymond Island.
General questions
Do I have to stay in my vehicle on the ferry?
Drivers are not allowed to leave their vehicles unless told to by the ferry operator.
What are the general rules of the ferry’s use?
- Bicycles, scooters and skateboards are not to be ridden while on board.
- The consumption of alcohol is not permitted.
- No smoking. This includes in vehicles.
- Inappropriate language or behaviour towards a crew member or passenger will not be tolerated.
Under maritime law, master/s of the vessel operating are responsible for ensuring passenger and vessel safety and accordingly are empowered to exercise absolute discretion on vessel operations which, in some situations, may result in the following arrangements being varied or temporarily suspended.
Why are there sometimes restrictions on trucks and other vehicles accessing the ferry?
Certain vehicles can have trouble accessing the ferry when water levels become too high or low.
Truck and long-vehicle drivers should check with the ferry operator on 0437 748 736 to ensure there are no restrictions in place. This should be done before collecting your load.
This approach is strongly recommended as the ferry driver will know you are coming.
Can I get notified of ferry updates?
A group of Raymond Island volunteers run an SMS service that you can subscribe to for an annual fee.
The service lets you know about unscheduled outages and service updates, it does not give reasons or offer advice.
To find out more, email or speak to the ferry driver.
Council is not involved in the information service. Although, on occasions, we may request a particular message. The timing and content of messages is controlled by the volunteers.
Can I take my dog on the ferry?
Yes, if they are on a lead and you keep them under control.
How do I raise concerns about the ferry service?
First speak to the ferry operator. If you have further concerns or the issue cannot be resolved by the ferry driver you can contact us.