Explore Yarrawonga

Yarrawonga ~ Victoria

Yarrawonga is a vibrant holiday town on the banks of Lake Mulwala in north-east Victoria. It is located 280 kilometres from Melbourne. 

Yarrawonga is known for its sunshine, water sports, and relaxed country atmosphere. It also has interesting heritage buildings, great cafes and outdoor recreational areas.

During our stay, we wandered around Yarrawonga’s Town Centre and Foreshore and enjoyed a delicious morning tea overlooking Lake Mulwala. We explored the Yarrawonga Weir, saw a free laser light show at the Mulwala Ski Club and visited Squires Winery.

Yarrawonga Town Centre

Yarrawonga was proclaimed a town in 1874, and its main thoroughfare, Belmore Street,  is lined with grand Victorian and Federation-era hotels, shopfronts and verandahs.

There is a great selection of cafes, restaurants, hotels, boutiques and specialty shops to browse in.

In Rotary Park on Belmore Street, you can see a mural that commemorates the site of the old outdoor open-air cinema, known as “The Grove”.

The Yarrawonga Post & Telegraph Office was built in 1904 and now houses a lawyer's office.

The Yarrawonga Shire Hall, with its tall clock tower, is a prominent building on Belmore Street, and it was built in 1930.

Yarrawonga Foreshore & Lake Mulwala

The Yarrawonga Foreshore is a lovely grassy recreational area located on the edge of Lake Mulwala. There are walking tracks, playgrounds, BBQs, picnic tables and public toilets.

There is also a 50-metre swimming pool area on the edge of the lake, which is popular for swimming laps in the warmer months. Near the swimming pool is a Splash Park that is open daily from November to April.

You can also take a cruise on Lake Mulwala on the PS Cumberoona. The PS Cumberoona is a traditional side-wheeler paddlesteamer that is 

25.2 metres long.

It is dual-powered by a sophisticated diesel-electric system and 1906 Buffalo Pitt steam reciprocal engines. The PS Cumberoona offers scenic cruises across the lake and lunch and sunset cruises.

Max’s by the Lake

Max’s on the Lake is a lovely cafe near the Yarrawonga Mulwala Bridge.

It is open daily for breakfast and lunch, and has great coffee and homemade cakes. We enjoyed morning tea sitting outside overlooking Lake Mulwala.

You can also see the old Customs House, which was built in 1892.

Yarrawonga Mulwala Bridge

The current Yarrawonga–Mulwala Bridge, which replaced an earlier wooden bridge, was completed in 1924 to connect the twin towns across the Murray River. 

At the time, two state governments and two local councils were involved in its planning.

The original plan of a bridge straight across the Murray River was changed when the Belmore Street traders lobbied the Victorian Government, as they didn’t want traffic bypassing the commercial heart of town. This resulted in the distinctive curve that you can see in the bridge’s current design.

There was also some miscommunication between contractors about the height of the pylons, which resulted in the dip in the bridge on the Yarrawonga side.

Yarrawonga Weir

The next stop was the Yarrawonga Weir, where there are interesting information boards about the construction of the weir, as well as the reptiles, frogs, and fish in the Murray River.

The Yarrawonga Weir was constructed between 1935 and 1939 as part of the Murray River irrigation scheme, designed to regulate water flow and support farming across northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. 

Its completion created Lake Mulwala, a vast reservoir that not only supplies water for agriculture but also became a popular destination for fishing, boating, and recreation. 

Mulwala Water Ski Club Laser Light Show

In the evening, we headed to the Mulwala Water Ski Club to see their free Laser Light and Sound show.

In Autumn, Winter & Spring, it is on every Wednesday and Saturday night on dark. In the Summer, it is also on Friday nights.

The laser light show is on the Ski Club’s grassed foreshore of Lake Mulwala, near the Malibu Deck. It's a great place to sit back, relax and enjoy the laser lights reflecting on the water and listen to the accompanying popular song mix.

Squires Winery

Squires Winery is located on the banks of the Ovens River at Esmond, approximately 22 kilometres from Yarrawonga. It has a Cellar Door and Restaurant and is open from Thursday to Sunday for wine tastings and lunch