Tinaroo Falls Dam

Completed in 1958, Sunwater’s Tinaroo Falls Dam is one of the few reminders of a once-thriving tobacco industry. At a cost of $12 million, its primary purpose was to ensure continuity of water supply to a crop that brought great wealth to the Atherton Tableland. From 2008 to 2013, $24.7 million was invested in the Tinaroo Falls Dam Improvement Project. This included installation of active crest anchors, a dam crest wave wall, downstream protection works and raising the saddle dam.

Lake Tinaroo is a popular location for many recreation activities, including swimming, boating, water sports and camping. Thanks to fish-stocking efforts, the lake has become a destination for recreational anglers due to the extraordinary size of its resident barramundi. The lake continues to provide water supply to the same farms that now produce a wide variety of crops including fruit and vegetables, sugar cane and coffee.

The dam also has an important role in generating hydroelectricity locally.

Saturday 28 Oct 2023
Post-conference Technical Tour
0700 - 0900 Departure from Cairns Convention Centre
0900 - 1100 Site inspection of Tinaroo Falls Dam hosted by Sunwater, including morning refreshments
1100 - 1130 Coach travel
1130 - 1300 Howe Farming, tour of avocado and banana packing sheds and Okey Creek Dam
1300 - 1330 Coach travel
1330 - 1415 Lunch at Mareeba
1415 - 1500 Coach travel to Kuranda
1510 For those returning to Cairns via rail, leave coach at Kuranda station
1530 Train departure
1725 Train arrives at Cairns Station - only a 10-15 minute walk back to the Cairns Convention Centre /your hotel.
1500 For those returning to Cairns via coach, travel to Holloways Beach
1530 Afternoon refreshments and a beach/esplanade stroll at your leisure
1630 Coach departure for Cairns
1700 Coach drop off if required at Cairns Airport
1730 Coach return to Cairns Convention Centre
Ticket prices, for delegates and guests, 3 options:
  • Coach, round trip $150
  • Coach, Gold Class train return * $225 (25 seats only, first in best dressed)
  • Coach, Royale Class train return ^ $200

*Gold Class

  • Dedicated attendant service
  • Individual seating, lounge-style chairs
  • Ambient, historical carriage décor
  • Kuranda Scenic Railway gift pack including Kuranda Scenic Railway badge, pen and postcard
  • Souvenir trip guide
  • Stop and disembark at Din Din (Barron Falls) station, with stunning views of Din Din (Barron Falls)
  • Afternoon Tea featuring a selection of Queensland and local Tablelands produce such as Gallo Dairyland Cheese, Skybury Coffee, Wondaree Macadamias, Tropical Sorbets, freshly baked muffins, quality Australian white and red wines and Great Northern Brewing Company Super Crisp Lager
  • Welcome drinks served onboard the train, 20 minutes prior to departure, when boarding at Kuranda Station
  • Food and beverage service ends at Freshwater Station, 20 minutes before arrival at Cairns Station

^Royale Class

  • Souvenir trip guide available
  • Seating in refurbished Heritage carriages
  • Ambient, historical carriage décor
  • Audio commentary
  • Stop and disembark at Barron Falls station, with stunning views of Din Din (Barron Falls)
  • Chilled refresher towel, in summer months
  • Filtered water available in each carriage
  • Served by our Guest Service Attendants
  • Australian sparkling wine, orange juice, locally grown macadamia nuts and souvenir postcard.
Date: Sunday 10 November (both run concurrently)
Departure: Departure time: 8:00 am. Return to Adelaide: by 6:00 pm
Inclusions: Transportation, site visits, lunch, morning and afternoon refreshments
Additional Information: Full itineraries, including winery visits, will be provided in early June.
Cost: $180 per person
South Para Dam is a 45 GL earthen embankment dam 45m high located on the South Para River, 35 km north of Adelaide. The storage was constructed between 1950 and 1958 and provides a balancing water storage for the northern suburbs of Adelaide. It is one of South Australia's largest Water Supply Dams. A dam safety upgrade of the storage was completed in 2012. The upgrade included raising the embankment crest level to include a concrete parapet wall, provision of piping protection by means of an internal filter layer from crest level to the top berm,and increasing the flood capacity by raising the spillway crest whilst still maintaining a 10m wide central slot of the original ogee. Public. In recent years South Para reservoir has been opened up for recreational use.

Barossa Dam is a 4.5 GL arch concrete dam 36m high located on Yettie Creek, 38 km north of Adelaide. The storage was constructed in 1902 and provides a stable storage to supply the Barossa Water Treatment Plant and the northern suburbs of Adelaide. The dam is an interesting piece of infrastructure with an elaborate history and unique outlet works. The dam is also known as the "Whispering Wall" due to its fascinating acoustic properties.

North Para Dam is a 30 m high roller compacted gravity concrete dam located on the North Para River, 42 km north of Adelaide. The storage was constructed in 2007 and provides flood mitigation for the downstream urban centre of Gawler. The dam is an example of a recently constructed concrete gravity dam, with interesting outlet and energy dissipation components. The design of the dam is also a result of increased understanding in hydrology, and protection of communities along watercourses.
Myponga Dam is a 28 GL 49m high concrete arch dam located on the Myponga River, 55 km south of Adelaide. The storage was constructed in 1962 and provides raw water storage for the southern Fleurieu Peninsula. The dam is an interesting piece of community infrastructure, with a public access road over the crest, and recently established recreational public access for the reservoir. The dam has also recently undergone infrastructure works, including raising the dam crest with a 1m concrete upstream parapet wall, the installation of a dedicated scour dissipator and refurbishment of radial spillway gates.

Mundoo and Tauwitchere Barrages are part of the barrage system used to manage operation of the lower lakes at the Murray mouth. The barrages including embarkments are 800m and 3600m long respectively and constructed in 1940. The barrages are key to the sustainable operation of the lower sections of the Murray River, and provide a unique perspective in the range of dams infrastructure, and their ability to provide value to the community, environment and wider Murray system. Tauwitchere Barrage has almost completed an ongoing program of replacement of precast concrete deck units and pier beam replacement.