The vehicle and pedestrian ferry links Raymond Island to Paynesville.
The Raymond Island Ferry is contracted to a private operator.
Wear a face mask on the ferry
When travelling on public transport you must wear a fitted face mask covering your nose and mouth.
There are exemptions for children under 12 years, and people who have breathing difficulties or physical conditions that make it difficult to wear a face mask.
There are currently no plans to display.
Please check back soon.
Fares and Tickets
Prices effective from 1 July 2021
- Pedestrians, including bicycles and mobility scooters: Free
- Motorbike: $6
- Car/Van/Ute: $13
- Car/Van/Ute towing trailer or caravan: $20
- Truck/Bus: $20
- Truck/Bus towing trailer: $38
- Vehicle over 20T GVM: $29
- Vehicle over 20T GVM towing trailer: $56
- Hazardous material: $39
- Hazardous material with trailer: $75
- After hours call out service: $270
All tickets, excluding annual passes, can be purchased from the ferry driver when boarding.
Annual passes can be purchased from our Bairnsdale or Paynesville service centres.
Timetable
The Raymond Island Ferry leaves from the ferry terminals in Paynesville and Raymond Island.
- Paynesville – The Esplanade (near the intersection of Victoria Street)
- Raymond Island – Fourth Avenue (near the intersection of Seventh Parade)
Timetable
Christmas holiday departures
The following service changes apply during the Christmas holiday period:
Christmas Eve
Last service departs 1.00 am Christmas Day
Christmas Day
Train service departs 5.20 am
Services then operate from 6.20 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 11.00 pm
New Year's Eve
Last service departs 1.00 am 1 January
Questions and Answers - Timetable and Service Charter
How long is the ferry ride?
The crossing takes about 4 minutes.
What happens if public transport services are running late and I miss the last ferry?
Call the ferry on 0418 517 959 when departing Bairnsdale. The ferry will meet patrons at the Paynesville terminal. This service is a one-way service from Paynesville to Raymond Island. Normal patron and vehicle fees apply.
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 after hours service fee to access the ferry. 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 not operate to its timetable; it will operate in accordance with the requirements of the emergency services and will not take other vehicles or passengers.
- During peak demand the ferry may not be able to keep to its timetable and the service may appear to leave early.
- During peak periods the ferry may leave early as it is full.
Service Charter
Read the Raymond Island Service Charter
Tickets and Annual Passes
How do I renew my annual pass?
All renewal notices were posted out the end of July, you are required to complete the renewal and either send back via the pre-paid envelop or drop into the Paynesville Service Centre or Bairnsdale Corporate Centre to collect your pass. If you haven't received your renewal by 20 August, please contact us to re-issue you with the renewal notice.
If you have any queries with relation to the annual ferry renewals, please contact our Customer Service Centre on 5153 9500.
Are annual passes transferable between vehicles?
Yes by completing a Change of Vehicle Application Form.
I own a house on Raymond Island, do I have to pay for a pass?
Raymond Island homeowners receive two free annual passes. Extra passes can be purchased if required.
How do I show my annual pass?
Annual ferry passes must be stuck to the bottom right corner of the vehicle’s windscreen so it can be easily seen by the ferry driver. If you don't display your pass, you will need to pay the ticket price.
Am I able to set up a payment account?
Yes. Please contact our Finance Department on (03) 5153 9500.
Can I buy a visitor pass for short-term stays on Raymond Island?
We don't offer visitor passes, however we have multi-trip passes. These offer 10 return trips with no expiry period and are available for various vehicle types (car, bus, truck, etc.). The cost of a multi-trip pass is the same as 10 return trips on the ferry.
Questions and Answers - Service Outages
The ferry has an extensive proactive maintenance program that attempts to identify and address problems before they occur.
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. The water taxi leaves from:
- Paynesville – The jetty to the south of the terminal (about 50m via concrete footpath from the terminal).
- Raymond Island – The jetty to the north of the terminal (about 80m via a gravel footpath from 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 0418 517 959.
The vehicle barge is used for:
- Emergency vehicles. They have priority access to the vessel at all times.
- Commercial vehicles. Priority is given to providers such as electricity, water, gas and phone, and garbage collection.
- Tradespeople and other commercial service providers are also able to access Raymond Island to undertake their regular business.
The barge service operates from the following locations:
- Paynesville – the Esplanade boat ramp next to the Gippsland Lakes Yacht Club (about 400m south of the Paynesville terminal).
- Raymond Island – the Raymond Island boat ramp (about 150m south of the Raymond Island terminal).
If the ferry breaks down, residents will be allowed to take their vehicle off Raymond Island to enable them to conduct their daily life.
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.
- Smoking is not permitted. This includes in vehicles.
- Inappropriate language or behaviour towards a crew member or passenger will not be tolerated.
- No jumping or throwing anything from the vessel.
- Passengers must follow all reasonable directions given by crew members.
Under maritime law, the 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?
If the lake water level changes, certain vehicles have trouble accessing the ferry. There is the possibility their undersides could strike the vessel; potentially causing significant damage to both the ferry and the vehicle.
We advise all truck and long vehicle drivers to check with the ferry operator on 0418 517 959 to ensure there are no restrictions in place. This should be done before loading and driving to Paynesville.
This approach is strongly recommended as the ferry driver will then be aware of a truck arriving. The ferry operator will then give instructions to help with boarding the ferry.
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.
Messages are sent at the ferry operator's request.
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.
LED screens at both ferry terminals also provide details of ferry operations.
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.
Who operates the ferry?
The ferry is operated by a private company via a contract with us. Staff operating the ferry or substitute vessels are employees of the contractor.
Who maintains the ferry?
The ferry is maintained by private contractors.