What are the best things to do in Mildura, Victoria?

The best things to do in Mildura include the Mildura Arts Centre at Rio Vista Historic House, plus the Trentham Estate and Chateau Mildura wineries.

Mildura is one of the biggest cities on the Murray River, and is the regional hub for north-western Victoria. It is also testament to how irrigation can transform a region. Left unattended, the land around Mildura would be mallee – that strange halfway house between true bush and true outback. Instead, it is a wealth of almond plantations, fruit farms and vineyards.

The most interesting things to do in Mildura are all about how this transformation occurred. These historic sites link together on the Chaffey Trail. This is named in honour of the Chaffey Brothers, who brought irrigation plans they’d successfully used in Ontario, then adapted them for Australian conditions around Mildura in 1887.

Things to do in Mildura, Victoria: Chaffey Trail and wineries

The key sites on the Chaffey Trail include the Mildura Station Homestead, a recreation of the first home built in Mildura, and the Rio Vista Historic House. The latter was the Queen Anne-style home of WB Chaffey, and hosts the gallery section of the Mildura Arts Centre.

Another attraction on the Chaffey Trail worth visiting is Chateau Mildura, where the Chaffey Brothers planted their first vineyards in 1888. The small winery is still open, and offers tastings – some of rather unusual varietals. Tours of the site, featuring what’s best described as a lot of historic clutter, also run on request.

For more modern wine-tasting, try the Trentham Estate, just off the Sturt Highway on the New South Wales side of the state border. The wines are decent, but the setting on the banks of the Murray River is spectacular. In central Mildura, the Sunraysia Cellar Door provides another option. It shows off more than 250 wines from 20-plus local wineries. It acts as a combined grand cellar door, wine bar and wine shop.

Things to do in Mildura, Victoria: National Park day trips

But this Victorian city is best as a base for day trips. Hire a car in Mildura, and there are several national parks within an hour or so’s drive. The most important of these is the Mungo National Park. This outback World Heritage site is visually spectacular due to its multi-coloured, layered sand dunes. But its historic importance is the reason to visit. The oldest Aboriginal remains were found at Mungo, completely altering views of how long people have lived in Australia.

Also over the New South Wales border is the Yanga National Park, where the giant Yanga Woolshed is hugely atmospheric. It is now a tribute to the wool industry and the shearers who worked in it, but the wind whistles around it like a thousand ghosts. The Yanga Homestead is worth a visit too, but can be furiously hot in summer – the Mildura weather is pretty harsh in January and February.

Mildura attractions: Murray Sunset National Park and Hattah Lakes

On the Victorian side of the Murray is the Murray Sunset National Park. It’s the biggest national park in Victoria and shows off typical mallee scenery. Red kangaroos and grey kangaroos can be seen together amid the pink lakes. It’s also possible to go camping in the Murray Sunset National Park, although the best camping areas are nearer Ouyen than Mildura.

Directly opposite is the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, where plenty of wildlife gathers around the Hattah Lakes. There are plenty of good Hattah-Kulkyne National Park walking trails, but it’s worth taking a Hattah Lakes day tour to get a better understanding of the nature and ecology.

To see kangaroos closer to the city, the Coomealla Golf Club in Dareton, NSW, is a reliable hang-out.

Mildura is best visited as part of a Murray River road trip after stops in Albury, Echuca and Swan Hill. You can then take in the Coorong, Goolwa, Victor Harbor, the Fleurieu Peninsula and the McLaren Vale wine region on the drive from Mildura to Adelaide.

If you’re coming from Melbourne, however, the Melbourne to Mildura drive will take around six hours.

More inland cities

What is the population of Goulburn, New South Wales?

What is the population of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales?

Can I rent a car in Alice Springs, Northern Territory?

What are the best things to do in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia?

What can I see at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex?