Mildura - Top 10 Things to Do

Mildura Top 10 Things to Do ~ Victoria

Mildura is a vibrant regional City in north-west Victoria on the banks of the Murray River.  It is located approximately 542 kilometres north-west of Melbourne and enjoys more than 300 sunny days a year.

Mildura is a great destination to visit with paddlesteamer cruises on the Murray River, historic landmarks and quirky attractions.

Cruise on the Murray River

Step back in time with a cruise aboard a historic paddle boat on the Murray River. There are several different cruises available.

The PS Melbourne is one of the last operating steam-driven paddle boats and has been cruising the majestic Murray River for over a century.

The PV Rothbury was built in 1881 and underwent restoration in 1968, during which its steam engine was replaced with a diesel engine. 

A highlight of the 2-hour cruises is travelling through Lock 11, a fascinating engineering marvel. You will see the lock’s operation as the boat is gently lowered to the downstream level and raised again on the return. 

This unique experience gives you a rare glimpse into the river’s water management system.

Mildura Holden Museum

The Mildura Holden Museum is located at 58 West Road, Buronga, 3 kilometres from Mildura. It is a privately owned collection of more than 30 immaculately restored Holden Vehicles that is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm.

It began as one man's passion and love for Holden cars and is the legacy of Mr Ron Morello. The museum showcases Holden vehicles, starting from the first model made, through to the current models.

Wandering through the museum is a nostalgic trip through Australia’s motoring history, and the walls are lined with interesting facts and information about Holdens.

There is also a cafe and gift shop with lots of interesting Holden Memorabilia.

Discover Street Art

Wander through town and discover bold, colourful murals by local and international artists.

From laneways to buildings, the street art tells stories of the region’s culture, heritage, and natural environment, and offers fantastic photo opportunities.

The iconic Mildura Mural was designed by Travis Price and is a celebration of the region's industry and tourism.

Visit Rio Vista Historic House

Rio Vista Historic House is Mildura’s most important heritage building and is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm.

It is a beautifully preserved Queen Anne Style mansion that was built in 1890 by William Benjamin (W.B.) Chaffey, one of the key founders of Australia’s first irrigation colony. 

Chaffey played a vital role in transforming Mildura from dry scrubland into a thriving agricultural hub by introducing large-scale irrigation to the region. His vision and engineering expertise laid the foundations for Mildura’s success as a major fruit-growing district.

Rio Vista House has been restored to its original condition, and you can explore rooms filled with original features such as Italian marble fireplaces, stained glass windows, pressed metal ceilings, intricate timber joinery, and beautifully tiled floors. 

Rio Vista offers a fascinating insight into the life of one of Mildura’s most influential pioneers.

Wander along the Mildura Riverfront

The Mildura Riverfront is located on the banks of the Murray River and a short walk from the City Centre.

There are lovely walking paths, picnic areas and several cafes to stop and enjoy a coffee while you watch the birds and boats on the river.

As you wander along the riverfront precinct, you can discover significant Indigenous cultural and historical elements.

Discover Orange World

Just five minutes from Mildura, we discovered Orange World. Orange World is a 50-acre working citrus property where you can hop on a tractor tour to learn all about growing oranges, mandarins and avocados. 

It is open daily from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm, and has a cafe and gift shop, where you can purchase fruit and other local produce. Tractor Tours run daily at 10.30 am, 11.30 am and 2.30 pm. The tour begins with an information session about the property and the citrus industry.

Mildura is a significant citrus-growing region, particularly known for its oranges. You then climb aboard the tractor for a tour of the property with more interesting facts along the way.

The Murray Valley region, which includes Mildura, is the second-largest citrus growing area in Australia, with 21% of the nation's citrus produced here. 

Mildura's climate and fertile land, particularly along the Murray River, provide ideal conditions for growing oranges. We also got to see the oranges being sorted and graded.

Australian Inland Botanic Gardens

A 10-minute drive across the Murray River from Mildura, in Buronga, is the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens.

They are open 8.30 am to 4.00 pm weekdays and 10.00 am to 4.00 pm on Weekends. Entry to the gardens is free, but a gold coin donation is appreciated.

These expansive gardens are home to native and exotic plants from arid zones across the world.  The highlight for me was seeing the Sturt Desert Peas in flower when we visited in July.

You can wander around the gardens yourself, or if you visit on a Saturday, you can take a tractor train tour for $10 per person. The rose garden has over 1,600 varieties of roses and lovely places to sit and enjoy this area.

Mildura Arts Centre & Sculpture Park

The Mildura Arts Centre features exhibitions of Contemporary and Indigenous art, live performances, and community events. 

These exhibitions from local artists, touring artists and featured collections focus on the interesting and the diverse. 

The Mildura Arts Centre is open daily from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

You can also wander around the grounds and see the sixteen sculptures in the Mildura Arts Centre Sculpture Park.

The Chaffey Trail

The Chaffey Trail has 12 different sites in and around Mildura. The Chaffeys arrived in Mildura in the late 1880s and transformed this dry corner of northwest Victoria into a thriving irrigation colony, laying the foundation for what would become one of Australia's most productive horticultural regions.

"We’ve already visited the beautiful Rio Vista House and seen Lock 11, which are both part of the Chaffey Trail. Next, we visited the Mildura Homestead, which is a recreation of the first home built in Mildura around 1847.

We wandered around the homestead, outbuildings, the woolshed and the rose garden. It was here that the Chaffey brothers' vision for the irrigation colony evolved.

The Mildura Club was built in 1919 and was a hub for the town’s early leaders and visiting dignitaries. WB Chaffey was the longest-running President of the Mildura Club. The Mildura Grand Hotel was originally called the Coffee Palace and was one of the Chaffey brothers’ early projects.

Wine Tasting at Local Wineries

Mildura is in the heart of the Murray‑Darling wine region, this vast region produces over 50% of Australia’s wine grapes.

The main varieties grown are Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet, and there are several cellar doors you can visit for tastings.