Planned closure: SeaLink says the Moggill ferry will be out of service for maintenance from Saturday 7 November to Sunday 6 December 2026. Outside that month, this three-minute cable crossing links Moggill Road in Brisbane with Moggill Ferry Road in Riverview, Ipswich, for $2 a car.
Operating hours from SeaLink's Moggill timetable page and closure notice (posted 12 August 2026), read on 15 October 2026 SeaLink Moggill – Ferry timetable · 2026-10-15
Well upstream of the CityCat network, out beyond Kenmore and Bellbowrie, the Brisbane River swings around Moggill and becomes the boundary between two cities. On the eastern bank Moggill Road ends at the water in Brisbane City; on the western bank Moggill Ferry Road climbs out of Riverview, a suburb of Ipswich, towards the motorway. Linking the two ends is a cable ferry that carries cars and walk-on passengers across in about three minutes.
Brisbane City Council's heritage records say a ferry has joined the Brisbane and Ipswich sides at Moggill since the 1870s, although its exact landing has moved over the years. The state transport department is responsible for the crossing today and SeaLink, part of Kelsian, runs it; the business came with SeaLink's 2015 purchase of Transit Systems' marine operations, which also included the Bay Islands services.
The most important fact for anyone planning a trip this spring is a date. From 7 November to 6 December 2026 the crossing shuts for planned maintenance. After that it returns to its usual daylight pattern, closing on Good Friday and Christmas Day and whenever the river floods.
Walkers and cyclists cross free, and so do police, fire, ambulance and SES vehicles on active duty. Everything with an engine pays, and there are no pensioner or concession discounts; government vehicles pay the full fare too. The multi-trip cards bring a car crossing down to about $1.69.
| Passenger car | $ 2 |
| Trailer, on top of the car fare | $ 1 |
| Motorbike | $ 1 |
| Multi-trip, passenger car (12 trips) | $ 20.30 |
| Multi-trip, trailer or motorbike (10 trips) | $ 10.30 |
| Rigid vehicle, empty | $ 8.80 |
| Rigid vehicle, loaded | $ 16.80 |
| Vehicle and trailer combination, empty | $ 16.80 |
| Vehicle and trailer combination, loaded | $ 32.50 |
| Passengers, pedestrians and bicycles | Free |
| Emergency service vehicles on active duty | Free |
SeaLink Moggill fare table read on 15 October 2026 (no effective date printed) SeaLink Moggill – Moggill Ferry fares · 2026-10-15
The Moggill Reach is tidal, swinging from about 0.2 m at low water to 2.5 m at high, and the river here also carries everything released upstream. Brisbane City Council's severe-weather material states plainly that the ferry stops during flood events, and in 2022 the transport minister acknowledged the disruption residents face when floods or dam releases cut the crossing. That year a parliamentary petition asked for a bridge above the highest flood level; another, with 613 signatures, was tabled on 13 October 2026, this time blaming breakdowns and maintenance closures. The department's answer in 2022 was that no bridge is planned. A road corridor for a future crossing north of the ferry, the Moggill Pocket Arterial Road, has been protected since the 1970s, but in 2017 the state said there was no money to plan or build it.
SeaLink's south-east Queensland arm runs this little crossing alongside much bigger ones in Moreton Bay: the Bay Islands barges and passenger boats that serve Russell Island from Weinam Creek, and the Toondah Harbour car ferries to North Stradbroke. Further downstream, inside the city, river travel is a different system altogether, the Translink-fare CityCat. For another chain-hauled car ferry in the state, but on a far busier tourist road, see the Daintree crossing.
On the Brisbane side the ferry is simply where Moggill Road meets the water, beside the Moggill Ferry Reserve with its car park, shelter and fishing platform. Brisbane City Council warns that the reserve and the platform go under in even low-level floods, so a wet week can close the approach before it closes the boat. The last sailing of the day leaves from this bank.
From the Ipswich Motorway side, Moggill Ferry Road runs east through Riverview for well under a kilometre before dropping to the ramp. The first crossing every morning starts here at 6.00am. Both concrete ramps get noticeably steep near low tide, so drive on slowly and wait for the deckhand's signal.
At night or in the early morning, switch off your headlights in the queue so the master can see the ramp while landing. Once on board, stay in the car with the handbrake on and the engine off.
Near low tide, semi-trailers, long caravans, coaches and anything with a low rear overhang may not be able to load. SeaLink suggests checking local tide times and crossing closer to high water.
A dog needs a lead, or must stay shut inside the vehicle. Cyclists should walk their bikes on and off after the cars have moved.
Portable containers must meet AS 2906 and hold no more than 25 litres; the master can refuse anything else, such as old drums.
Nobody books and nothing is timetabled, which suits the commuters who use the ferry as a short cut between the western suburbs and Ipswich. SeaLink's south-east Queensland team, reachable on 07 3488 5300, posts closures on the ferry status page; the August 2026 notice of the November maintenance month is the latest entry there.
From Saturday 7 November to Sunday 6 December 2026, according to SeaLink's status notice posted on 12 August. Plan another route for that period.
5.50pm from the Moggill side. The same early finish applies on Sundays and public holidays; on weekdays the last trip leaves Moggill at 6.20pm. Every day starts with a 6.00am trip from Riverview.
$2.00 for the car plus $1.00 for the trailer, as long as the combination is under 4.5 tonnes GVM. Heavier combinations pay $16.80 empty or $32.50 loaded.
Yes, and it costs nothing. Wait until the vehicles have finished loading, then walk your bike on; the shore ramps are steep, and the crew will help if you need it.
No. Brisbane City Council states that the ferry stops operating during flood events, and dam releases upstream have also cut the crossing in the past. The reserve on the Moggill bank floods even at low levels.
No. SeaLink offers no concession or pensioner fares here, and government vehicles pay full price. Regular drivers save with the 12-trip car card at $20.30.
Not on current plans. The state's transport department said in 2022 that it has no plan for a bridge; a future arterial road corridor north of the ferry is protected but has no funding.