The Daintree Ferry is still in operation this morning. We will continue to monitor the river levels at the Daintree Village gauge throughout the day.
More rain is expected today; however, the river still remains below Minor Flood levels.
The current storm system has weakened and is stalled offshore in the Coral Sea.
At this stage, there are no expected disruptions to ferry services.
We will continue to closely monitor rainfall over the coming days, including any flood warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology and levels at the Daintree Village Flood Gauge.
We are currently tracking a possible weather event that may cross parts of Far North Queensland.
We are closely monitoring the system and all warnings issued by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). You can view the latest BOM updates here.
Subject to weather conditions, we also monitor the Daintree Village river gauge to assess safe operating conditions.
Please note that ferry closures are linked to weather and river levels, which can change quickly. There may be occasions where the ferry is required to close without warning.
At this stage, there are no service impacts.
We will continue monitoring conditions and will review the situation again on Sunday. Further updates will be shared here as they become available. Thank you for your understanding.
The Daintree River Ferry is now back in operation.
A huge thank you to everyone for their patience, understanding and support while the works were carried out.
For the latest ferry updates, please visit the Douglas Shire Council Updates and Advice page.
Douglas Shire Council has outlined the next steps required to restore full operations of the Daintree Ferry, with several key repair activities now underway or nearing completion.
Assessments of the ferry’s damage are largely complete and we are now well into the process of ordering parts and replacing the components that need attention.
Council is now preparing to request a temporary operating permit from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). This permit would allow the ferry to be used for essential services only — including clearing debris from the riverbed and transporting machinery associated with installing the new anchor point on the northern bank — but will not allow the transport of passengers.
The final stages of the repair process will include a full sea trial and systems test, followed by a request to lift the restricted‑use permit so normal scheduled services can resume.
At this stage the ferry is not expected to be operational as a ferry service for at least another 14 days.
Important to note - any wet weather will slow operations.
At this stage, we expect the ferry to remain out of service for at least the next 14 days. A full damage assessment cannot begin until the ferry is back on the southern ramp. Once that has occurred, we will have a better understanding of the damage and will be able to provide a further timeframe for repairs.
Due to flooding caused by intense rainfall from Tropical Low 29U, the Daintree River Ferry came loose from its moorings overnight. A recovery mission will begin at first light when conditions are safe. We will provide further updates when available.
The Daintree Ferry is operating again. We thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.
The Daintree Ferry is currently out of operation due to maintenance issues. It will remain closed until necessary repairs are completed. Please plan your travel accordingly and check for updates before heading to the ferry.