Magnolia Place, Mildura review: Modern attitudes

Justine Costigan discovers a Victorian retreat with 21st-century appeal.

Is great accommodation more important after a long journey?

Or will anywhere that allows you to simply wash, rest and relax do just as well? Usually I'd say a hot shower and clean bed are all you need to reboot the system but after a six-hour drive from Melbourne to Mildura complete with stiff limbs, sticky fingers, tired eyes and grumpy children, the value of really good accommodation suddenly comes into focus.

Why? Because a little discomfort makes you appreciate luxury all the more. When we drive up to Magnolia Place after a day on the road, even the children are excited when they see the restored Victorian cottage. The pretty front garden planted with rosemary, bearded irises and birds of paradise; a porch with a teak bench and cushions for a morning cup of tea in the sun; and a carefully maintained original exterior of wood and plaster, stained glass windows and fretwork are inviting.

Inside, more lovely surprises. Three bedrooms, one with a sparkling white tiled en suite and a four-poster king-sized bed, another bathroom with spa bath, two living areas, a modern kitchen and a large covered deck set in a brick-paved cottage garden say blissful comfort and relaxation to our tired minds and bodies.

A mix of old and new, the house has many original features, including pressed-metal ceilings in the kitchen and an intact front parlour and entry way, but the owners have opened up the rest of the house. What must have once been a series of small rooms separated by doors is now an open space that makes it easy to move from room to room. While original details remain, most of the house now feels contemporary. Much of the furniture has a Balinese flavour and these simple, sturdy wooden pieces work surprisingly well. Decorations and artworks continue the stylish Asian theme.

Great cotton bedlinen and thick fluffy towels, spotless bathrooms, good-quality kitchenware, plates and cutlery and near new appliances give the cottage a five-star-hotel feel.

We also like the large LCD TV, DVD player and stacks of recent home and garden, travel and fashion magazines. And the shaded rear deck, the full width of the house, would be the perfect place to eat and lounge in summer.

Magnolia Place is only a few blocks from the centre of Mildura and the river, so there's no need to get back in the car to go out for coffee or dinner or to catch a ride on Mildura's resident paddlesteamer, the PS Melbourne.