Destination guides > Australia > Victoria > Murray River > Mildura
Mildura
Lying at the heart of the Sunraysia district, Mildura boasts Victoria’s best climate. The sunny climate coupled with irrigation from the Murray makes this one of the best fruit growing, and fruit picking, areas in the Murray region. It is an oasis when compared with the relatively barren land that you pass through en route to Mildura.
Mildura is located at the northwestern corner of Victoria and it is one of the state’s most remote cities. It is closer to Broken Hill in outback New South Wales than it is to Melbourne.
Practical informaton
Mildura Visitors Information & Booking Centre
The Alfred Deakin Centre, 180-190 Deakin Avenue, Mildura
Tel (03) 5018 8380
Website www.visitmildura.com.au
Open Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
INTERNET ACCESS
Mildura Library
The Alfred Deakin Centre, 180-190 Deakin Avenue, Mildura
Tel (03) 5023 5011
Website www.mildura.vic.gov.au/library/
Open Mon 1pm-5pm, Tue-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-2pm, Sun 1pm-5pm
SHOWERS
Many caravan parks will let you use their shower facilities for a small fee. Alternatively there are public showers in the Fire Station Arcade (87 Langtree Avenue, Mildura; open 8.30am-6pm daily).
Coming & going
Although Mildura is remote, by Victorian standards, it is well connected with a surprisingly busy airport plus buses to Adelaide, Sydney and most places in Victoria. The closest train station is in Swan Hill.
AIR
Mildura’s airport is southwest of the city centre and has several flights a day to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Both Rex and Qantas fly here.
BUS & COACH
V/line (tel 13 22 32) coaches go to Albury, Ballarat, Bendigo, Echuca, Melbourne and Swan Hill. CountryLink (tel 13 22 32) coaches go to Hay and Griffith. CountryLink and V/line coaches leave from the old train station on 7th Street.
Greyhound (tel 1300 473 946) coaches stop here en route between Adelaide and Sydney. Greyhound stops at the United service station at the corner of Bentook Avenue and 15th Street.
Local transport
Sunraysia Bus Lines (tel (03) 5023 0274) operate local buses with services as far afield as Merbein and Red Cliffs.
Buses routes 100 and 200 are handy if you’re staying at the hostel in Sunnycliffs. Travellers staying closer to the centre of Mildura will find the bus an easy way to get into the city centre and the Centre Plaza shopping centre.
Hostel accommodation
Astra Backpackers
35 Lemon Avenue, Mildura
Tel (03) 5023 8820
Juicy Grape Backpackers
Calder Highway, Sunnycliffs
Tel (03) 5024 2905
Mildura Central Backpackers
364 Deakin Avenue, Mildura
Tel 0408 353 132
Mildura City Backpackers
50 Lemon Avenue, Mildura
Tel (03) 5022 7922
Mildura International Backpackers
5 Cedar Avenue, Mildura
Tel (03) 5021 0133
Mildura Oasis
230-232 Deakin Avenue, Mildura
Tel (03) 5022 8255
Riverboat Bungalow
27 Chaffey Avenue, Mildura
Tel (03) 5021 5315
Riviera Backpackers Motel
157 7th Street, Mildura
Tel 0408 121303
Stop Over
29 Lemon Street, Mildura
Tel (03) 5021 1980
Sunraysia Holiday Park
Corner Sturt Highway & Walnut Avenue, Mildura South
Tel (03) 5023 1914
Victoria’s Borderline Backpackers
78 7th Street, Mildura
Tel (03) 5023 0671
Zippy Koala
206 8th Street, Mildura
Tel 0447 967 537 (0447 WORKER)
Eating & drinking
Mildura has the usual assortment of fast food places in the city centre, and there is also a McDonalds on Deakin Avenue opposite Mildura Central Backpackers, a few kilometres south of the centre. Hudaks Bakery Cafe (corner 8th Street & Langtree Mall, Mildura) is an award-winning bakery/café with delicious fresh pastries.
There are a few pubs in town. The Sandbar (45 Langtree Avenue, Mildura) is a bit nicer than most and has a beer garden and live music. The Mildura Brewery Pub (20 Langtree Avenue, Mildura) is another good place to drink. The food is a bit overpriced, but it has a good ambience.
Mildura’s supermarkets include a Coles (149 Eighth Street, Mildura) and two Woolworths; one in the city centre (95 Langtree Avenue, Mildura) and another in the Centre Plaza shopping centre (corner 15th Street & Deakin Avenue, Mildura).
Work
Most work in Mildura involves picking grapes as well as stone fruits like apricots and peaches. The grape-picking season runs from mid-Feb to late Mar and the stone fruit harvest is between late Nov and early Apr.
All backpackers’ hostels in Mildura can organise fruit picking work.
Harvest Labour Office
The Harvest Labour Office co-ordinates work on farms around Mildura. It’s a good idea to contact them to check the availability of work before coming up to Mildura.
Corner 10th Street & Deakin Avenue, Mildura
Bus 100, 400, 500
Tel (03) 5022 1797
Website www.madec.edu.au/harvest.html
Open Mon-Fri 7am-7pm
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