Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip: Best stops, distance & time

Melbourne to Swan Hill drive: Bendigo to Bridgewater on Loddon

If you choose to bypass Bendigo on the A790, you’ll rejoin the Calder Highway in Marong.

Continue north-west to Bridgewater on Loddon, where you can go wine-tasting at the Water Wheel Vineyards or go fishing at Chinamans Hole.

Either way, Bridgewater on Loddon is where you say goodbye to the Calder Highway. Head north along the Bridgewater-Serpentine Road, which follows the Loddon River north to the forgettable village of Serpentine.

Loddon Valley Highway to Kerang

Here, you keep going north along the Loddon Valley Highway, and it’s all defiantly rural. The route passes through Bears Lagoon and Jarklin on the way to Durham Ox, where there’s a fishing platform on Serpentine Creek.

But barring a couple of nature reserves that aren’t really set up for tourism, there’s nothing worth stopping for on the Bendigo to Swan Hill leg of the Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip until you reach Kerang.

Here, you can take in the views from the Lester Smith Lookout Tower – the town’s former water tower – or learn about local history in the Kerang Historical Museum.

Melbourne to Swan Hill road trip: Kerang to Swan Hill

Leaving Kerang on the Murray Valley Highway, you’ll go through an extensive system of lakes. Of these, Middle Reedy Lake is famous for its ibis rookery.

Lake Charm is popular for watersports and has a caravan park, while Kangaroo Lake has a sunset lookout.

Perhaps the most interesting of these lakes, however, is Lake Boga. At this almost circular lake, you can go swimming, waterskiing and kayaking. You can hire the kayaks from the Lake Boga caravan park.

Meanwhile, the lakeside Flying Boat Museum looks at the role Catalina flying boats played in World War II.

From Lake Boga, it’s a 15 minute drive into Swan Hill. Things to do in Swan Hill include visiting the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement open air museum and going for a cruise on the PS Pyap paddlesteamer.

Find the best Swan Hill accommodation

The best Swan Hill accommodation choices are:

For families – with a pool and water park: Big4 Swan Hill holiday park.
For a solid, cheap motel – with a pool and great reviews: Murray River Motel.
For central location and convenience: Jane Eliza Motor Inn.