Terms and Conditions

“Operator” refers to Birdon
“Council” refers to Douglas Shire Council

GENERAL

• No responsibility is accepted by Council or the Operator for unforeseen circumstances that may impact the service such as those arising from adverse weather conditions or any situations beyond the control of Council.
• Fares and scheduled days and times of operation are subject to alteration, without prior notice. Council reserves the right to cancel, vary the ferry service in any way, or substitute any ferry or other means of transport without incurring any liability.
• As a passenger, you agree that you will accept the delivery of services at your own risk. Council or the Operator will not be liable for any personal injury, illness or death, loss or damage to any vehicle or cargo, howsoever or whatsoever caused, as a consequence of, or arising indirectly or directly out of the provisions of services not required by law.
• Council or the Operator accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to any vehicle, passenger or cargo being carried arising from on-loading/off-loading whether arising from negligence, malfunction of the vessel or other cause, except to the extent that the exclusion of such liability is prohibited by law.
• The Operator reserves the right to prioritise travel for emergency service vehicles and/or passengers as required.
• When travelling on the Daintree Ferry service, you must follow the instructions given to you by the crew at all times, including but not limited to, a direction to provide a ticket and instruction given during loading and unloading.
• When travelling on the Daintree Ferry you must behave in a way which is respectful of other passengers and employees of the Operator.
• The Operator reserves the right to refuse to carry any person or cargo onboard the vessel or vehicle where the operator deems the person or cargo to behave in an unacceptable manner.
• The Operator reserves the right to refuse to carry any person or cargo onboard the vessel or vehicle where the operator deems that carriage poses a health and safety risk.
• The consumption of alcoholic beverages and non-medically prescribed drugs whilst on the Vessel or within or on the Operator’s premises is strictly prohibited.
• The Operator shall use its best efforts to carry the passenger within a reasonable dispatch period but it shall not be under any liability to the passenger if through any circumstance that departure is delayed.
• The passenger agrees to comply with local, state and/or federal government laws or mandates made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health crises. The Operator reserves the right to refuse passengers access to the premises and/or the Vessel in the event that they fail to comply as aforesaid.
• Passengers are responsible for tickets once purchased. Damaged or illegible tickets that cannot be verified or scanned will be deemed invalid.

TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS

• Animals are allowed on the Daintree River Ferry. To ensure the comfort and safety of passengers and crew, animals must be accompanied and restrained appropriately. The Master of the vessel has the authority to refuse to carry any animal deemed to present a risk to passengers or crew.
• Dogs travelling outside of an enclosed passenger cabin of a vehicle must wear a correctly fitted muzzle and lead. Dogs travelling inside a vehicle should be restrained so that they are unable to reach outside of the vehicle. Animals other than dogs must be restrained in a suitable box, basket, or other container at all times while on board the ferry.

DANGEROUS GOODS

• Daintree River Ferry has a legal obligation to manage the carriage of Dangerous Goods. Please declare all dangerous goods to your crew.
• The expression “dangerous goods” includes, but is not limited to, compressed gases (flammable, non-flammable or poisonous such as camping gas, butane, oxygen, propane, aqualung cylinders), corrosives (such as acids, alkalines, wet cell batteries, mercury and apparatus containing mercury), explosives, munitions, fireworks and flares, flammable liquids and solids (such as lighter or heating fuels and articles easily ignited, radioactive materials, oxidizing materials such as bleaching powder and peroxides, poisons (such as arsenic, cyanides, insecticides and weed killers), infectious substances (such as bacteria and virus cultures), other dangerous goods such as magnetised material, offensive or irritating materials or anything likely to cause damage to the Vessel or inconvenience or injury to any person or thing on board it.
• The operator, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to refuse the passenger and/or their Vehicle access to the Vessel in the event that they have failed to declare dangerous goods in their possession and/or applicable limits are exceeded, any applicable laws or regulations have been breached or if the dangerous goods pose an unacceptable risk to the Vessel, crew, Company employees, passengers, cargo or the environment.

HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES

• The Vessel has a maximum load limit of 175T total. The allowable maximum weight of an HGV vehicle is 150T. The loading/unloading of this type of vehicle, is at the Operator’s discretion. If the tide height and ferry landing conditions are not suitable, the Vehicle shall not be allowed to load.
• All passengers have the responsibility to determine the safe loading and/or unloading of their vehicles, and whether they need to consider the river height at these times, and the angles of ramps and loading lanes.
• The road north of the Daintree Ferry, Cape Tribulation Road, has restrictions on vehicle lengths, heights and other parameters. Further consultation by users of large loads is required. Contact us for more information.

PRICING

• This ticket is valid only for the monetary value paid at the time of purchase. Council reserves the right to amend pricing at any time without providing notice to the passenger. If the fare has increased since the original booking a fee may be payable at the time of travel.
• The ticket is only valid for the vehicle type referred to for the voyage for which it is issued. The operator reserves the right to amend a passenger ticket and the price payable accordingly.

REFUNDS / AMENDMENTS

• Passengers are responsible for tickets once purchased.
• Tickets that are damaged or become illegible for validation or scanning, will be deemed invalid. Tickets purchased online can be downloaded again using the link in the booking confirmation email.
• There are no refunds for lost or damaged tickets or on unused vouchers.
• Refunds may only be provided in a limited number of circumstances, please contact daintreeferry.feedback@birdon.com.au with your refund enquiry.

CONCESSIONAL CARDS

• Council provides concessional travel on the Daintree River Ferry to all persons who fulfil the eligibility criteria, subject to the terms and conditions of the Daintree River Ferry Concessional Travel Policy.
• Council has identified the applicable rates for residents and ratepayers of the Douglas Shire, Wujal and Wujal and Cook Shire bounded by Bloomfield River and Black Mountain turn off.
• Application forms for a concessional travel card are available from Council’s Mossman Administration Building, the Mossman Library, the Port Douglas library kiosk or online.
• Concessional travel cards are valid until April 30th each year, and are available from Council’s Mossman Administration Building, 64-66 Front St, Mossman.
• Ferry access is only permitted to the cardholder. Misuse will result in the card being confiscated for two weeks.

VISITOR TICKETS

• Visitor tickets are only valid for use on the Daintree River Ferry.
• Each visitor ticket covers the holder and any other persons while travelling together and in the same vehicle to a one-way crossing of the river.
• Each visitor ticket will entitle the holder to a concessional crossing of the river in any type of vehicle except buses.
• Visitor tickets must be presented to the Ferry Operator prior to passage.
• Visitor tickets are non-refundable and valid up to 30 April each year.
• Visitor tickets are available to eligible ratepayers owning property north of the Daintree River or an eligible resident living north of the Daintree River but within the Douglas Shire Council boundaries (who is a holder of a current concessional ferry card).
• Each eligible cardholder will be entitled to purchase up to a maximum of 110 (one way) visitor tickets for use during the two-year card validity period.

DOUGLAS CARD

• Douglas Shire Council offers residents from Cardwell to Cooktown, including the Atherton Tablelands, free travel on the Daintree Ferry from November 1 until the end of February annually with a free “Douglas Card”. This includes the following Council areas:
  • Douglas Shire Council
  • Mareeba Shire Council
  • Cairns Regional Council
  • Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council
  • Tablelands Regional Council
  • Cook Shire Council
  • Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council
  • Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council
  • Cassowary Coast Regional Council
• The card also provides discounts to local attractions including two free adult tickets for the Mossman Gorge shuttle bus.
• Use of the Douglas Card is restricted to fare categories Motor Car and Utilities (private use), Pedestrians and Bicycles and Motor Bikes.
• To obtain a free Douglas Card, applicants need to provide photographic identification and additional proof of residency with their application to confirm local status at any one of the above local government areas.
• Cards are not transferable and remain the property of Douglas Shire Council.