Daintree River Ferry

The Daintree Ferry

The Daintree River Ferry is a cable ferry across the Daintree River in Queensland, Australia. The ferry is situated some 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Port Douglas, and gives access to the northern section of the Daintree National Park and to Cape Tribulation. The ferry provides the only sealed road access to this area.^[1]

The ferry carries a maximum of 40 vehicles, and takes about 5 minutes to cross the river. It operates from 6am until midnight, seven days a week. The ferry is operated by a commercial contractor on behalf of the Cairns Regional Council, as successor to the Douglas Shire Council. A toll is charged for the crossing.^[1][2]

At busy times, for example during school holidays, some delays can occur waiting to cross the ferry. The construction of a bridge has been discussed, but has been rejected because it would increase the number of tourists and threaten the ecosystem of the Daintree Rainforest. The ferry was replaced in 2006, replacing the previous ferry which carried a maximum of 16 vehicles. This has substantially reduced any delays in making the crossing.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "The Daintree River". Daintree Rainforest. http://www.daintreerainforest.com/river.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
2. ^ "The Daintree River Ferry Report". Queensland Ombudsman. http://www.ombudsman.qld.gov.au/Portals/0/docs/Publications/Inv_reports/Daintree_River_Ferry_Report_web.pdf. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
3. ^ "Current Events in the Daintree Rainforest". Daintree Rainforest. http://www.daintreerainforest.com/events.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 

Coordinates: 16°15′35″S 145°23′54″E / 16.259854°S 145.398195°E / -16.259854; 145.398195