Coringa · AU

Paradise Dam

Paradise Dam is a sprawling freshwater lake on Queensland's Burnett River, roughly 80 kilometres south-west of Bundaberg, named after a gold-mining town that now rests beneath its waters. Built in 2005, the dam impounds the river to create a recreational playground where boating, water-skiing, fishing, kayaking, and free riverside camping all unfold against a backdrop of rolling countryside and wide open sky. The lake draws its unusual name from the township of Paradise, a gold-mining settlement from the late 1800s that was abandoned in the early 1900s and ultimately inundated when the dam was completed. Today the submerged town adds a layer of intrigue to an already picturesque setting, and information boards at the upper day-use area tell the story.