The Wymah Ferry is a cable ferry

Cable ferry

A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....

 across the upper reach of Lake Hume

Lake Hume

Lake Hume is an artificial lake in Australia formed by the Hume Weir east of Albury-Wodonga on the Murray River just downstream of its junction with the Mitta River. The small towns of Tallangatta, Bonegilla and Bellbridge are located on the shores of Lake Hume...

, on the Murray River

Murray River

The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...

 and on the border between the Australian

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 states of New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 and Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

. The ferry crosses from of the community of Wymah

Wymah, New South Wales

Wymah is a rural community in the south east part of the Riverina very close to the border of Victoria, Australia. It is situated by road, about south from Bowna and west from Talmalmo. Wymah is situated on the Wymah River Road accessible from Bowna. At the 2006 census, Wymah had a population of...

 on the New South Wales side of the river, to Granya, and is approximately 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) east of Albury

Albury, New South Wales

Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...

.

The ferry is controlled by the New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services

Roads and Maritime Services

Roads and Maritime Services is an agency of the New South Wales Government responsible for building and maintaining road infrastructure and managing the day-to-day compliance and safety for roads and waterways....

, but is jointly funded by both states. It operates seven days a week, and is free of tolls. From September to April, the ferry operates on demand from 0600 to 2100, and from 0700 to 2000 for the rest of the year, with several breaks during the day. If the ferry is not in operation, the alternatives are an 85 kilometres (52.8 mi) detour downstream via the Bethanga Bridge and Albury, or a 120 kilometres (74.6 mi) detour upstream via Jingellic

Jingellic, New South Wales

Jingellic is a small town that straddles the boundaries of the Greater Hume Shire and Tumbarumba Shire Local Government Areas in southern New South Wales, Australia...

.

The ferry route probably dates back to the 19th century. When the Hume Dam was completed in 1936, the range of the ferry had to be increased in order to cross the raised and widened water level of Lake Hume.

The current ferry boat is constructed principally of wood, and was built in 1946. The hull is 10.7 metres (35.1 ft) long and 5.1 metres (16.7 ft) wide, with 4.95 metres (16.2 ft) long landing ramps at each end. The engine house is cantilevered approximately 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) out to the side. Because of the variation in the water level in Lake Hume, the ferry operates between floating landing stages which are attached to each bank. The position of the landing stages is adjusted by hand winch to suit the level of the water.

The Wymah Ferry is one of only two cable ferries to cross the section of the Murray River between New South Wales and Victoria, the other being the Speewa Ferry

Speewa Ferry

The Speewa Ferry is a cable ferry across the Murray River on the border between the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. The ferry is located in the community of Speewa, Victoria, approximately north of Swan Hill, off the road between Swan Hill and Nyah.The ferry is controlled by New...

 nearly 500 kilometres (310.7 mi) downstream. However there are another 11 such ferries further downstream, on the South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

section of the river.

External links

• RTA vehicle ferry operation information - includes timetable.
• RTA heritage information on Wymah Ferry