We discovered a secret platypus society in the highlands of Queensland.
We’ve seen many amazing Australian animals in the wild – massive saltwater crocodiles in Kakadu, docile freshies in Windjana, howling dingoes in Litchfield, sleepy koalas in Noosa, mesmerising manta rays and dugongs in Dampier Archipelago, feisty bats in Tunnel Creek, and giant clams in the Great Barrier Reef to name a few – but the cassowary and platypus have been elusive. We tip our hats to the Cassowary who continues to evade us, but we weren’t going to let the opportunity go by to visit a place recognised as the world’s most reliable location for observing platypuses in the wild: Eungella.
We detoured off Highway 1 and traveled through Pioneer Valley before testing Troy’s torque and our nerves, driving the steep and winding climb with hairpin bends to Eungella National Park, where we hoped to spot the elusive platypus. Interestingly, Eungella NP has the longest stretch of sub-tropical rainforest in the southern hemisphere.
On the way, we met a bloke named Barry, who was having a smoko at a lookout towards the top of the mountain. He is a glazier and he and his partner (who works in a bank) have been living and working in Mackay for a year. 4½ years ago they sold up their home on the Gold Coast, and have been on the road with their van ever since, stopping wherever they get work. Barry said he’d been up to Eungella NP five times but hadn’t seen a platypus, so didn’t like our chances.
We pulled in at the Eungella NP carpark to do a reccy. Jan headed off to the kiosk to ask about campsites and our chances of spotting the shy platypus. They couldn’t offer much assistance in the way of the campsites, as it needs to be booked online – and there is no phone service up here – but assured us that the overcast conditions were in our favour when it came to platypus spotting. They told us they would cover for us having parked in the bus bay, while we headed off for a short walk to check out the viewing platform.
WOW!!! Jan spotted a platypus within a few minutes of wandering along the forest pathway. It was so cute and small (around 30cms)! We stopped at the viewing platform and spotted a bright blue kingfisher. We were alone with this beautiful little creature as we took a few snaps and then watched in awe and amazement as several platypuses (platypi?) surfaced then dived into the billabong. Superlatives abounded as we tried to take in how awesome it was to actually see these little creatures in the wild. We felt so privileged to be witnessing this little platypus party and decided then and there that we would stay the night. The clouds moved in, the rainforest was shrouded in mist, light rain was falling and the platypuses were frolicking about so it made sense to find a spot by the river to set up Dora.
We then headed off on one of the well-worn walking trails through the beautiful rainforest, beside the fast-flowing Broken River. Although it was raining, our 3km trek was quite easy through the rainforest as the canopy kept us dry. It was just getting on dusk when we returned to find inquisitive scrub turkeys invading our campsite, along with noisy kookaburras and several other brightly coloured native birds.
Jan wandered over to the cutting beside the campsite to discover a small stream flowing through it, with a little platypus moseying along foraging for his dinner. Amazing. Awesome. Bloody fantastic!
Note: We recently heard from a fellow traveller that Mission Beach is the place to see Cassowaries, as they have become quite accustomed to people at the beach since a recent cyclone devastated their food supplies there. We may call into Mission Beach when we’re next up this way.
Towing Dora, our 2 ½ tonne caravan, back down the steep mountain road the following day was particularly tricky given the heavy fog, consistent rain and hairpin bends.
Recommendations:
- Try to time your visit to Eungella NP when it is overcast and drizzly to maximise your chances of seeing a platypus in the wild. Platypus are shy creatures that avoid bright sunny days.
- If you’re towing a large van in the wet, consider leaving it at one of the sites in Pioneer Valley (Pinnacle Hotel Caravan Park or Finch Hatton Show Grounds). You can then take a day trip to Broken River at Eungella NP and drive the car without the van up and down the treacherous twisting mountain road.
Travelled 184 kms today and Troy Touareg drank 15.8 litres/100kms
Travel Australia 