Shy wonder tops the bill
Tablelands creek our platypus playground
YOU could call it our freakiest looking native animal — but it is also the cutest.
When scientists first examined the platypus, they thought someone was having them on, collating bits and pieces from a duck, an otter and a beaver together in a kind of cuddly franken-creature.
Yes, the platypus is a oneof-a-kind critter that is best viewed in its natural habitat, only inhabiting a small proportion of the Australian continent.
And you can see that habitat right here in the Far North, on the Atherton Tableland.
Peterson Creek at Yungaburra is the best place in the region to see platypuses swimming and diving.
The creek, located on the Atherton side of the village on the Gillies Highway, has a purpose-built platypus viewing area.
The best times to view these amazing creatures is at morning and dusk, however it is worthwhile stopping for a look at any time of the day.
Be warned, however, you need to be patient and very silent while watching for platypuses. Look for air bubbles rising to the surface of the water, which often show when there is a platypus on the bottom of the creek, burrowing through the mud in search of its crustacean and worm prey.
Take a pair of binoculars in case a platypus surfaces near the opposite bank, and of course, your camera if you get lucky and spy one.
For more information about the best times and places to view a platypus, head into the Yungaburra Visitor Centre where they receive and pass on regular reports.