6-Day Mallee Highway Road Trip: Horsham to Mildura
Six days, 700km, the full Mallee Highway — Horsham to Mildura via Sea Lake, Ouyen and Robinvale, with side-trips to Hattah-Kulkyne and the Murray-Sunset National Park. One of the great underrated Australian drives.
| Distance | ~700km one-way |
|---|---|
| Days | 6 |
| Difficulty | Easy; long stretches between fuel |
| Vehicle | Any; long-range tank advisable |
| Best time | April–October (avoid summer heat) |
| Start | Horsham |
| Finish | Mildura |
Day 1 — Horsham to Warracknabeal (50km)
VIC stop, Art Deco walk, dinner at Wheatfields Café. Sleep Warracknabeal.
Day 2 — Warracknabeal to Hopetoun (110km)
Silos: Brim, Sheep Hills, Rosebery. Lunch Hopetoun. Afternoon at Lake Lascelles. Sleep Hopetoun.
Day 3 — Hopetoun to Sea Lake via Patchewollock (170km)
Patchewollock silo + lunch at the Patchewollock Hotel. Drive east to Sea Lake. Sunset Lake Tyrrell. Sleep Sea Lake.
Day 4 — Sea Lake to Ouyen (90km)
North on the Calder via Manangatang. Lunch at Ouyen (the Vanilla Slice Triumph bakery). Afternoon side-trip to Hattah-Kulkyne NP (40km east, lakes and red gums). Sleep Ouyen.
Day 5 — Ouyen to Robinvale (90km)
Optional: morning side-trip to Murray-Sunset NP Pink Lakes (40km west; 2WD-OK in dry weather). Drive east to Robinvale on the Murray. Sleep Robinvale.
Day 6 — Robinvale to Mildura (90km)
Murray River drive. Mildura’s restaurants and waterfront. Pickup point for connections back to Adelaide, Melbourne or Sydney.
Fuel
Top up at Horsham, Warracknabeal, Hopetoun, Sea Lake, Ouyen and Robinvale. Distances between are long.