The town of Mildura is a little over 4 hours drive from Adelaide and is known for its agriculture, mainly citrus growing, dried fruits and grapes used for wines and as table grapes.

The region which spans the border of Victoria and New South Wales on the Murray River, is called the Sunraysia region, a name which came about from a public competition held in 1919.

The public were invited to describe the dried fruits grown in the area, and sun–raysed was the winning choice which later became Sunraysia to encompass the region in general.

The average winter temperature in the area is a mild 10 degrees Celsius, and summer temperatures average around 24 degrees. There can be some extreme summer days though, where the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius.

With Mildura being situated on the Murray River, it’s also known as a hub for watersports, houseboats for hire, and organised paddle steamer tours for visitors.

A few months ago we spent a couple of days in Mildura and revisited a few favourite places, while discovering some new ones too.

We stayed at the NRMA Riverside Holiday Park which was in a quiet bushland setting not far from the centre of town.  It was a terrific park with entertainment provided on the Saturday night by a local couple, Greg and Julia Evans, who played and sang to the appreciative crowd, huddled around campfires also provided by the park.

Also staying in the park were quite a few serious motorbike enthusiasts, obviously in town for an event. It turned out that event was Australia’s biggest desert race, the Hattah Desert Race. This race happens annually mid-year and attracts more than 600 enduro bike competitors from around Australia. The next event will take place from 5^th – 7^th July 2024.

In the centre of Mildura you can find plenty of places to shop and dine and if you take a look down the alleyways, you’ll find some terrific whole wall murals and artworks. It’s easy to travel on foot and a local art walk trail map will take you to all the murals over a distance of 1.6 kilometres.

A couple of the newer murals are ‘The streets of your town’ by Anita Laurance which features prominent streets, buildings and laneways of Mildura, and ‘Fine and Rare’ painted by artist Adore, which showcases the birds, plants and environment of the region.  

Whilst in town stop in for a meal or a drink at the Working Man’s Club where you can also see a fabulous wallpaper mural of famous musicians. It’s a great conversation piece to see if you can name them all and reminisce over the music.

We have a couple of other favourite venues to visit in the area and they are Fosseys gin distillery in Mildura and Trentham Estate, just a short drive on the New South Wales side of the river at Trentham Cliffs.

Fosseys is a really comfortable venue to enjoy a gin tasting or your favourite gin or whiskey in a cocktail while you enjoy the ambiance on comfy couches. The experience is enhanced with food from their menu which includes platters, toasties and tapas plates to share. The distillery is open Thursdays to Saturdays from 2pm. Try the Desert Lime Gin, my favourite!

Save a visit to Trentham Estate Winery when the weather is fine and you have a couple of hours to spare. The setting of the winery is just the beginning of what’s to love here. On a mild and sunny day you can sit comfortably outdoors and enjoy beautiful wines and platters overlooking the river.

There is an onsite restaurant too if you’re after something even a bit more special with a seasonal menu using local ingredients and flavours of the region.

They produce an extensive range of wines which you can taste or you can buy a glass or bottle to enjoy outdoors as you watch the river go by. Make sure to look for their mystery boxes of wine where you can pick up a variety of remaining vintage wines in a mixed case for a very good price. You can’t be disappointed with a 6 pack of excellent wines for $60. Trentham Estate Winery is open 7 days from 10am to 5pm.

If you’re visiting the region, try timing it to be there for the Red Cliffs Country Market which is held on the 1^st Sunday of every month. The entire town is open for business with all the shops and cafes waiting to welcome visitors as well as market stalls set up along footpaths and spreading into the central Barclay Square.

The list of items to buy is practically endless with more than 120 stalls offering crafts, food, produce, plants and lots of homemade cakes and condiments, clothing and more for sale, with something to tempt everyone in the family. It’s a huge market but when it gets too overwhelming, you can rest a while in the square at the tables and chairs provided, surrounded by food trucks and delectable aromas.

The market is on from 9am to 1pm along Indi Avenue, Ilex Street and Barclay Square, and it’s a great morning out, giving you a good walk while supporting small local businesses.

Enjoy a visit to the Sunraysia region

Glenys