Miena Dam No. 2 - Historic Engineering Marker #53 Miena, Tasmania, Australia
By
Team MavEtJu on 11-Oct-15. Waypoint GA7571
Cache Details
| Difficulty: | |
| Terrain: | |
| Type: | Virtual |
| Container: | Virtual |
| Coordinates: | S41° 58.799' E146° 43.680' (WGS 84) |
| 55G 477466E 5352410N (UTM) | |
| Elevation: | 1044 m |
| Local Government Area: | Central Highlands |
/146.728,-41.979983,14/400x200?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoiY2F1Z2h0YXR3b3JrIiwiYSI6ImNqa2l4ZzNzMDE5bjgzdm1sZGpuODF1Mm0ifQ.q8YMzVyzDJJlJHHV8EMjwQ)
Description
Miena Dam No. 2 - Historic Engineering Marker #53
The Great Lake is a large natural storage located on Tasmania's central plateau 1000 metres above sea level. The natural outflow from the lake passes down the Shannon River in a southerly direction.
The potential for hydro-electric power generation was recognised by Mault in 1897, and in 1901 he prepared a report for the Tasmanian government suggesting a large reservoir at the Great Lake and a series of dynamos on the Shannon River. A more feasible proposal arose in 1904 when a local land owner pointed out that a diversion of Shannon River into the nearby Ouse River would involve a drop of at least 300 metres.
In 1909 the Complex Ores Company needed electrical power to smelt zinc ores from Broken Hill and the company gained approval to develop the Shannon-Ouse scheme. Construction began in 1910 but the company had difficulty in raising sufficient capital and the government took over the works in progress in 1914. When the first stage was commissioned by the Hydro-Electric Department in 1916, the power station at Waddamana had a capacity of 7MW and the transmission line supplied the City of Hobart.
Releases from the Great Lake were controlled by a small dam (Miena Dam No 1) at the outlet to the Shannon River. The lake itself was quite shallow. In response to demand from the Carbide Works at Electrona and the proposed Electrolytic Zinc Works in Hobart, more water, more storage and more generators were required. By 1923, Liawenee Canal was diverting the upper Ouse River into the Great Lake, the Miena No 2 Dam had enlarged the storage capacity by a factor of four, and the station capacity had been increased to 49MW.
To enlarge the storage, the Department needed a dam 360 metres long and 12 metres high above riverbed level. It was located in a remote area with poor roads. A multiple arch buttress dam was chosen because its slender buttresses and arches required the minimum quantity of concrete. Some cement and other construction materials were landed in the north of the State and transported the last 24 kilometres to the dam site by boat. The men walked in and lived in their own tents. Conditions in winter were freezing with frequent snowfalls. Nevertheless the dam was soundly-constructed and served its purpose well for 45 years.
In 1967 the capacity of the Great Lake was increased again by the construction of a higher rockfill dam immediately downstream of Miena Dam No 2. As a result Miena Dam No. 2 is periodically submerged.
Contents of the plaque:
MIENA DAM No. 2
This multiple arch buttress dam, designed and constructed by the hydro-electric department, was the second longest of its type in the world when completed in 1922. It increased the storage of water in the Great Lake and regulated the flow to the Waddamana power station. The design minimised the amount of concrete required in a remote area with difficult access. Preiodically since 1967 it has been submerged following construction of a higher dam downstream.
DEDICATED BY THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, AUSTRALIA 2001
When logging this virtual, please add a photo of yourself or your GPSr at the plaque.
For more information, please see the nomination PDF at the Heritage Register at the Engineers Australia website: Nomination
Logs
Hi MavEtJu.
Today VK7HCH continued our plundering of caches between home and the northwest of the state.
On Day 1 of the plunderage, your cache was one of those that we found.
We worked our way from Mangalore to Deloraine via the Central Highlands finding caches as we went.
Thanks for placing this virtual for us to find. Unfortunately, the signage at GZ has been removed so the full logging requirements cannot be met at this stage.
Today VK7HCH continued our plundering of caches between home and the northwest of the state.
On Day 1 of the plunderage, your cache was one of those that we found.
We worked our way from Mangalore to Deloraine via the Central Highlands finding caches as we went.
Thanks for placing this virtual for us to find. Unfortunately, the signage at GZ has been removed so the full logging requirements cannot be met at this stage.
Unfortunately the requirements can not be fully met, this is as close as I can get. There currently is no signage at GZ
Travelling to the south today via the lakes, and whilst we have stopped here on previous occasions it did not include logging this significant engineering feature. Spotted some people on the dam wall loitering in a specific location, and knowing what we know, upgraded their description from "people" to "cachers" 
Stopped here for some GC caches and grabbed the marker at the same time. Great views!
A day trip up to the Lakes to find (and refind) some caches, a great day out, some easy and some harder finds.
Straight after parkrun this morning i meet gooseandegg at our normal coffee shop and after a few minutes chat the goose loaded his gear in the 4WD and we were off heading North for the day.
We almost made it to our futhest target cache without stopping but called for some GCA caches along the way, after grabbing some stunning views from a new budgie cache we headed to the last one and started on our drive back after a short detour.
The cache of the day was a out of the blue surprise showing me a location i had no idea of and a feature i didnt know existed in Tasmainia or Australia.
It was dark and 9:40 before I got home, almost 11 hours and 460km made for a good caching trip.
Straight after parkrun this morning i meet gooseandegg at our normal coffee shop and after a few minutes chat the goose loaded his gear in the 4WD and we were off heading North for the day.
We almost made it to our futhest target cache without stopping but called for some GCA caches along the way, after grabbing some stunning views from a new budgie cache we headed to the last one and started on our drive back after a short detour.
The cache of the day was a out of the blue surprise showing me a location i had no idea of and a feature i didnt know existed in Tasmainia or Australia.
It was dark and 9:40 before I got home, almost 11 hours and 460km made for a good caching trip.
Rated: for Overall Experience
A bonus cache whilst in the area & a beautiful day for it. TFTC!
Cheers,
The Hancock Clan
Cheers,
The Hancock Clan
Wow, very windy today, only had my phone so you get a photo of me. I really must remember to bring my GPSr with all the time.
Hello and TFTC.
Called in here to grab a couple of caches, including this one.
Found with AlbyDangles on Day One of the 'Bust leg of our "Kempsey or Bust" tour.
Pic attached.
Cheers, EPs
Called in here to grab a couple of caches, including this one.
Found with AlbyDangles on Day One of the 'Bust leg of our "Kempsey or Bust" tour.
Pic attached.
Cheers, EPs
Rated: for Overall Experience
Stopped to get this one today.Of the many times I have passed through here I had never thought to take a photo of the marker. TFTC
Out and about with the Rafas caching, A day that had it all Rain Hail Snow and Shine all four seasons in one day. It was cold enough to lower the temp. of the motor while going up to Bothwell and warm enough driving from Perth to home to put us all to sleep. a great day caching on an old road thats worth traveling on. lots of GCA caches to find, TFTC TNLN log dry.
A couple of weeks ago, RLD4963 and I were returning back to Hobart from Burnie along the Highland Lakes road and I mentioned that there were heaps of GCA caches along the road. At the time we didn't stop to look for any as we needed to get back home to pick up the GeoGSP from his doggy pet resort.
When the Blitz game was published, we decided that a drive along this road would certainly be helpful for us, so we picked a day and off we went - this time we had the GeoGSP with us. The weather wasn't terrible, we certainly had lots of blue sky, but also a few periods of overcast weather, and even a few short periods of light snow, and the occasional shower - but it was never cold, so all in all, we had a great day as we made our way, looking from caches between the Melton Mowbray turnoff and Deloraine. It was a big day, leaving at 7am in the morning and turning back in to the driveway 12 hours later, but we had heaps of stops and breaks to have a bite to eat, we even found a dog park in Deloraine for the GeoGSP to really get out and stretch his legs after sitting in the car.
This was a nice little place to stop and take the required photo.
When the Blitz game was published, we decided that a drive along this road would certainly be helpful for us, so we picked a day and off we went - this time we had the GeoGSP with us. The weather wasn't terrible, we certainly had lots of blue sky, but also a few periods of overcast weather, and even a few short periods of light snow, and the occasional shower - but it was never cold, so all in all, we had a great day as we made our way, looking from caches between the Melton Mowbray turnoff and Deloraine. It was a big day, leaving at 7am in the morning and turning back in to the driveway 12 hours later, but we had heaps of stops and breaks to have a bite to eat, we even found a dog park in Deloraine for the GeoGSP to really get out and stretch his legs after sitting in the car.
This was a nice little place to stop and take the required photo.
Thanks Team MavEtJu for bringing us to another spot we wouldn’t have travelled off the highway to see. We are loving the variations in scenery.
Muggle Hubby took the photo with my iPad which is also my GPS
Muggle Hubby took the photo with my iPad which is also my GPS
Rated: for Overall Experience
Had a day off work, and decided to do a geocaching trip with Geo Kid E through the central highlands. Mainly to find caches for the latest event, Journey or Destination
Games
Journey or Destination
Game Period: 01-Dec-2018 00:00:00 to 31-Jan-2019 23:59:59 AEST
It is sometimes said [citation needed] that the game of geocaching is not about the destination it is about the journey. This game is about the choices you make in the experience of the journey or the destination.
On your entry to the game you will be asked to create a playing field with a number of ground tiles. Your playing field is a grid 20 x 20 ground tiles making a total number of 400 possible steps you can take on your journey or destination. You choose whether you want to find and follow the path or whether you wanted to meander around. A playing field is unique to each player so there is no benefit in teaming up to beat the system through brute force.
For each qualifying geocache that you hide or find during the game period you will be offered the opportunity to click on a ground tile and reveal what lies beneath. There are a number of different ground tiles that will be revealed when you click on your playing field. It should be noted that there are no punishments for clicking a tile but there will not always be the reward you were hoping for as you reveal each tile.
Dirt. The ground beneath the ground tile is just plain old brown dirt.
Dirt with some points. The ground beneath the tile is brown dirt but it has some points associated with it.
Concrete. The ground beneath is part of the pathway that will lead you on your way to your destination but has no point value.
Start. A concrete ground tile that has a blue map marker.
Destination. A ground tile that has a green map marker.
Meandering around and avoiding the path will accumulate points that will be used to place on you the ladder of wanderers. The more you stay off the path the higher the number of points you will accumulate and it will be your journey that will be the determining factor in whether you place into a prize winning position. You are free to select any ground tile to click on; they do not need to be next to each other.
Trying to find the path may mean you strike out on the dirt until you eventually come across the path and as a geocacher who can't say that this isn't a tried and true method. Once you find the path however will you try and follow the path as it changes direction around your playing field? Do you go North, South, East or West to try and find the next concrete tile along the path? If you head one way are you heading towards the start or towards the destination? When you do happen upon the destination tile then you will automatically be in a winning position.
At any point you are free to change from the journey to the destination and vice versa but you won't be able to regenerate your playing field. You are also free to keep playing as long as you have qualifying geocaches, accumulating more and more dirt tile points and placing you higher and higher on the ladder.
Qualifying geocaches fall into two categories. Finds and Hides.
A qualifying find is a geocache that meets the following criteria:
The geocache is listed at Geocaching Australia
The geocache has a hidden date prior to the game commencing
The geocache was logged by you on the Geocaching Australia website during the game period
The geocache was physically found by you during the game period
The geocache is not owned by you unless it is a moveable geocache
The geocache has not previously been found by you during the game period
The geocache is one of the following types:
Burke and Wills
Moveable (you will qualify only once for a find on a moveable geocache)
Traditional
TrigPoint
Augmented Reality
Beacon
Gadget
Multi-cache
Night Cache
Podcache
Reverse
Unknown or Mystery
A qualifying hide is a geocache that meets the following criteria:
The geocache is listed at Geocaching Australia
The geocache has a hidden date after the game has commenced
The geocache was published on the Geocaching Australia website during the game period
The geocache has a container size of regular or larger (Note: A regular geocache has a volume of 1 litre or more)
The geocache is one of the following types:
Moveable
Traditional
Augmented Reality
Beacon
Gadget
Multi-cache
Night Cache
Podcache
Reverse
Unknown or Mystery
The game tracking mechanism relies upon your honesty when logging geocaches as found or hidden.
The games administrators will undertake verification of a statistically significant number of logs.
Players who continually log inaccurate information will be disqualified from the game. The game administrators decision is final.
The game administrators will subtract qualifying hide or find geocaches from your tally if they are found to be not genuine.
The game administrators reserve the right to provide clarifications to the rules at any point during the game.
Don't forget to claim your limited time game trophies, if your qualify, while the game is in progress. Once the game completes the ability to claim your trophies is lost for ever.
We found some of these caches a little disappointing as they seemed placed only for the SOTN event and did not take advantage of some nearby great places. Some caches though were great and placed with a real reason and certainly were worth the visit
TFTC
Games
Journey or Destination
Game Period: 01-Dec-2018 00:00:00 to 31-Jan-2019 23:59:59 AEST
It is sometimes said [citation needed] that the game of geocaching is not about the destination it is about the journey. This game is about the choices you make in the experience of the journey or the destination.
On your entry to the game you will be asked to create a playing field with a number of ground tiles. Your playing field is a grid 20 x 20 ground tiles making a total number of 400 possible steps you can take on your journey or destination. You choose whether you want to find and follow the path or whether you wanted to meander around. A playing field is unique to each player so there is no benefit in teaming up to beat the system through brute force.
For each qualifying geocache that you hide or find during the game period you will be offered the opportunity to click on a ground tile and reveal what lies beneath. There are a number of different ground tiles that will be revealed when you click on your playing field. It should be noted that there are no punishments for clicking a tile but there will not always be the reward you were hoping for as you reveal each tile.
Dirt. The ground beneath the ground tile is just plain old brown dirt.
Dirt with some points. The ground beneath the tile is brown dirt but it has some points associated with it.
Concrete. The ground beneath is part of the pathway that will lead you on your way to your destination but has no point value.
Start. A concrete ground tile that has a blue map marker.
Destination. A ground tile that has a green map marker.
Meandering around and avoiding the path will accumulate points that will be used to place on you the ladder of wanderers. The more you stay off the path the higher the number of points you will accumulate and it will be your journey that will be the determining factor in whether you place into a prize winning position. You are free to select any ground tile to click on; they do not need to be next to each other.
Trying to find the path may mean you strike out on the dirt until you eventually come across the path and as a geocacher who can't say that this isn't a tried and true method. Once you find the path however will you try and follow the path as it changes direction around your playing field? Do you go North, South, East or West to try and find the next concrete tile along the path? If you head one way are you heading towards the start or towards the destination? When you do happen upon the destination tile then you will automatically be in a winning position.
At any point you are free to change from the journey to the destination and vice versa but you won't be able to regenerate your playing field. You are also free to keep playing as long as you have qualifying geocaches, accumulating more and more dirt tile points and placing you higher and higher on the ladder.
Qualifying geocaches fall into two categories. Finds and Hides.
A qualifying find is a geocache that meets the following criteria:
The geocache is listed at Geocaching Australia
The geocache has a hidden date prior to the game commencing
The geocache was logged by you on the Geocaching Australia website during the game period
The geocache was physically found by you during the game period
The geocache is not owned by you unless it is a moveable geocache
The geocache has not previously been found by you during the game period
The geocache is one of the following types:
Burke and Wills
Moveable (you will qualify only once for a find on a moveable geocache)
Traditional
TrigPoint
Augmented Reality
Beacon
Gadget
Multi-cache
Night Cache
Podcache
Reverse
Unknown or Mystery
A qualifying hide is a geocache that meets the following criteria:
The geocache is listed at Geocaching Australia
The geocache has a hidden date after the game has commenced
The geocache was published on the Geocaching Australia website during the game period
The geocache has a container size of regular or larger (Note: A regular geocache has a volume of 1 litre or more)
The geocache is one of the following types:
Moveable
Traditional
Augmented Reality
Beacon
Gadget
Multi-cache
Night Cache
Podcache
Reverse
Unknown or Mystery
The game tracking mechanism relies upon your honesty when logging geocaches as found or hidden.
The games administrators will undertake verification of a statistically significant number of logs.
Players who continually log inaccurate information will be disqualified from the game. The game administrators decision is final.
The game administrators will subtract qualifying hide or find geocaches from your tally if they are found to be not genuine.
The game administrators reserve the right to provide clarifications to the rules at any point during the game.
Don't forget to claim your limited time game trophies, if your qualify, while the game is in progress. Once the game completes the ability to claim your trophies is lost for ever.
We found some of these caches a little disappointing as they seemed placed only for the SOTN event and did not take advantage of some nearby great places. Some caches though were great and placed with a real reason and certainly were worth the visit
TFTC
.We arrived at our accommodation early in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day exploring the area (what there is of it). Interesting to learn about the 3 dams and their roles in hydro-electric production. It's a complex system which we followed through on the next day by visiting the Waddamana power station museum and the Poatina village.
Took the required photos during a recent trip to the area to visit the inlaws fishing shack, TFTC
Team MavEtJu thank you for the cache.
I spent a little while looking for this one before I spotted it in an obvious spot.
The GPS had the cords 33m out I'm surprised no one has mentioned this.
I found it at S41° 58.799' E146° 43.680'
Thank you for the series.
Found at 2:42:58 PM
TFTC
I spent a little while looking for this one before I spotted it in an obvious spot.
The GPS had the cords 33m out I'm surprised no one has mentioned this.
I found it at S41° 58.799' E146° 43.680'
Thank you for the series.
Found at 2:42:58 PM
TFTC
Found this marker whilst up in the highlands checking out the low water levels in the lakes and dams.
Rated: for Overall Experience
After finding the two physical caches, we finished with the photo by the plaque.
All three dams visible today!
Thanks.
All three dams visible today!
Thanks.
Nice and warm in Miena today but we hope the rain starts soon as the water in the dams is very low. Had fish and chips for lunch at the 'pub' and then ventured down to claim two nearby caches. We are enjoying this series very much. TFTV
Rated: for Overall Experience
Back in Tassie and finding caches that have been published whilst we have been away. Water very low all 3 dams were visible. TFTC
Rated: for Overall Experience
Out and about in the area and found another marker in the series. TFTV
Rated: for Overall Experience
Found it while travelling to south from Cowrie Point.
will download photo when I get home Geelong
Thanks for bring me here
will download photo when I get home Geelong
Thanks for bring me here
Rated: for Overall Experience
We decided on a family drive in perfect weather. Leaving around 0930, we went up through the midlands and turned off at Oatlands (we chose this road rather than the one at Tunbridge because the egg had not driven this road before) to head through to Interlaken, then onto Great Lake and Miena, continuing on the Marlborough Road to Bronte Park and then home via Tarraleah followed by a well earned pub meal at Ouse. We arrived home at 2215 after a wonderful day.
We had our lunch here in the sunshine, kept cool by the breeze. We found the marker as we headed to Beamont Memorial. Another one in the series ticked of. TFTC
We had our lunch here in the sunshine, kept cool by the breeze. We found the marker as we headed to Beamont Memorial. Another one in the series ticked of. TFTC
Rated: for Overall Experience
Today we did a loop of part of the Central Highlands. Our last visit for the day was at Miena at 19:35. We moved rather quickly as light snow showers greeted us on arrival. Two of the three dams at this site were visible today. The first is submerged and is a little to the north of the second, whilst the third is the rock and earth dam to the south. The most impressive, however, is the multiple concrete arch dam fro which the engineering marker has been awarded. A photo with two images has been added to the Gallery - the wider angle view shows the top of the concrete arch dam with the rock and earth dam behind. We found that the marker was approximately 35m from the published coordinates. The marker is located at S41 58.800 E146 33.680. Thanks Team MavEtJu for the cache.
After lunch at the hotel we detoured from our next destination Bronte Park to grab the required photo here. Not only was all of the old concrete dam visible but parts of the original one as well. Such a low water level just coming out of winter isn't good. Thanks.
After lunch at the hotel we detoured from our next destination Bronte Park to grab the required photo here. Not only was all of the old concrete dam visible but parts of the original one as well. Such a low water level just coming out of winter isn't good. Thanks.
Travelling around Australia and spending a few months in Tasmania.
We have been volunteering our 'talents' at Bronte Park this week and dashing out each day to find 1 cache as there has been much to do. Today we actually had decided to take the day off to visit Waddamana and return for 'work' this evening.
Took a while to find the required info, our GPSr had us 30+ metres away. Shocked But Mr Felix was onto it, having already visited this location about a month ago. Certainly very different to the last time we were here. No snow today!
TFTC
We have been volunteering our 'talents' at Bronte Park this week and dashing out each day to find 1 cache as there has been much to do. Today we actually had decided to take the day off to visit Waddamana and return for 'work' this evening.
Took a while to find the required info, our GPSr had us 30+ metres away. Shocked But Mr Felix was onto it, having already visited this location about a month ago. Certainly very different to the last time we were here. No snow today!
TFTC
Hi MavEtJu
Have been to the Miena Dam many times - sight seeing and trout fishing.
Great area.
TFTC and cheers
OldSaint.
Have been to the Miena Dam many times - sight seeing and trout fishing.
Great area.
TFTC and cheers
OldSaint.
Rated: for Overall Experience
