Exploring The Mildura RiverFront

If you are on holiday in the Mildura area, then the Riverfront area is an absolute must to visit. You can attend the local Farmers market, a concert at Nawingi place, take Fido for his morning walk (there's a great dog park here), or just grab a coffee and watch the houseboats cruise past on the mighty Murray river.

Murray river waterfront — Photo taken from behind "Bobby & Me" café looking towards the waterpark

Why is the road called Hugh King Drive?

Good question, and one I asked myself when I first saw the name. I assumed (correctly) it was the name of one of the early pioneers, and it turns out he was a riverboat trader in the late 1800s to early 1900s.

One of the paddleboats that he owned was the Ruby. That has been restored and is currently in Wentworth.

A drive from one end to the other: what's down Hugh King Drive?

Let's start at the Cureton Ave (downstream) end, and meander all the way up to the George Chaffey bridge. I have created a Google map with all the places of interest clearly marked. Just click on the map (opens in a new window), and you will be able to read about anything that interests you. Soooo... let's get started.

Map image linked to Google Maps — Map Data © 2021 Google. Just click (or tap) on a purple marker to see details of that entry.

Lock 11, the weir, and the Island

The first point of interest that you will come across, is lock 11, on the left side. Directly opposite is a car park, and it's a quick 1min walk from there to the lock.

If you time your visit for 11am or 2pm, you will probably see the PS Rothbury in the lock. If there are no boats travelling through, then maybe cross over the walkway and explore the tracks around the island. The weir is an easy 5 min walk.

Off Leash Dog Park

This was built by the MRCC a couple of years ago, after consultation with local dog owners. It started as a trial, and due to the overwhelming popularity of the park, there have been numerous upgrades since then.

There are seperate areas for large and small dogs, as well as good seating, shade trees and drinking water for both you and your dog. There are various play spaces, including a sandpit.

The park can be accessed either from Hugh King Drive, or from Cureton Ave, opposite Rio Vista. While the entire length of Hugh King drive is dog friendly, and many people do walk their dogs down here, the park is a good way to introduce Fido to new friends.

Go To The MRCC dog park webpage

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Lawn Tennis Club

The next point of interest, is the Mildura lawn tennis club.

This is one of the top lawn tennis clubs in Australia, and has hosted numerous high level tournaments over the years. There are more than 30 grass courts, and several synthetic courts.

Go To The Lawn Tennis Club Webpage

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Jaycee Park

As we continue down Hugh King drive, you will see the beautifully maintained Jaycee Park. This is the site for the regular Sunraysia Farmers Market. Plenty of shade trees, picnic tables, BBQ facilities, it's a terrific place to bring the family. The little ones will have fun on the slides and kids stuff in the park, Shippys Cafe is right there for mum and dad to grab a coffee.

Shippys cafe at Jaycess Park — Enjoy a coffee at Shippys, right at the front of Jaycee Park

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Shippys Café

Extremely popular with locals and visitors alike, Shippys Café is smack bang in the middle of the waterfront precinct.

Shippys cafe at Jaycee Park — Enjoy a coffee at Shippys, right at the front of Jaycee Park

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Riverfront Art Gallery

Just behind Shippys Cafe, is the Riverfront Art Gallery. This is open 10am -2pm seven days, except for Wednesday. Run by the local artists themselves, it features a large display of their work.

Call in for a chat, and browse the variety of original work on display. Most of it is for sale, and prices are more than reasonable too.

Accommodation onboard the PB Coonawarra

Did you know you can stay aboard an old paddleboat, moored right here in Mildura? That's right, the PB Coonawarra (built 1894) has 16 well appointed and air conditioned cabins, each with their own ensuite. I'm told they are small cabins, but very nice. Good value for $110-$120 a night. That includes a continental breakfast.

You will find the Coonawarra moored just opposite Shippys. Do check out their website (link below) to see pictures and booking information.

Coonawarra website
Phone: 0438 212 223

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Rowing Club and Cafe 1909

Only a few hundred meters down the road, you will see the lovely modern building of the Mildura Rowing club, and Cafe 1909.

The cafe is closed Mon/Tue, and open from 8am the rest of the week. They stay open late on Fri and Sat nights, doing full restaurant meals. Definitely the best river views of any cafe in Mildura. You will need to book a table on those nights.

Cafe 1909 website
Phone: 03 5021 4472

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Mildura Wharf, and River Cruises

thumbnail of PS Melbourne at the Mildura wharf

Our next stop is the historic Mildura wharf. This is part of the Chaffey Trail, and also the departure point for local paddle boat river cruises.

There are signs at the front of the wharf with details of the cruises available, along with contact and booking details. Not all of the cruises are operating at the moment due to covid restrictions, but the twice daily river cruise is still happening, with a reduced service.

We have a page with more information about the Mildura wharf.

Check Out Your River Cruise Options

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Water Play Park

What a great way for the kids to splash around and get wet, in a safe and well maintained environment. A MRCC initiative, the park is a series of ankle deep inter-connecting pools with play equipment, water jets, and pleny of shade and seating for the adults.

The jets turn on automatically, and operate 10am to 5pm, or to 9pm daylight savings hours.

MRCC webpage about the park

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Bobby & Me Café

We come to the last of the 3 cafés in this area... "Bobby & Me". Like Shippys, this is a converted container, with ample seating. Unlike Shippys, they have the space to spread out, so there are tables under trees as well as directly at the front. Very nice.

They have their own website and facebook page too, which I have linked to below.

I have to say, the scent of coffee and bacon when you are walking past is delicious! And they are pet friendly too.

Bobby and Me website
Facebook page

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Nawingi Place (Concert Venue)

This is the last of the attractions down Hugh King Drive. There is a boat ramp a little further down at the end of the road, but that is already covered in our boat ramps page.

One of the best outdoor venues in the district, Nawingi Place is used for headline acts, fastivals, local productions etc. Room for 15,000 patrons, with over 4000 seated.

This will be the venue for the upcoming "Back to Base" festival, with Aussie icon Jessica Mauboy headlining. You can find details of that on our events page.

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Well, that wraps up our stroll down Hugh King Drive. There was a lot to cover, but I hope you found it to be interesting. This area really is the "jewel in the crown" for Mildura, and the plans for redevelopment are continuing. I can't wait to see the next stage.