One of our absolutely biggest goals when visiting Tasmania, was to see wild platypuses. Perhaps the weirdest animal in existence today, at least we think so. A platypus is a unique, semi-aquatic mammal native to eastern Australia, including Tasmania, it is found in freshwater rivers, lakes, and streams. It’s best known for its unusual mix of features that seem to come from different animals. It has a Bill and webbed feet like a duck, tail like a beaver, body and fur like an otter, lays eggs, despite being a mammal (one of only five species of monotremes). Males have venomous spurs on their hind legs — rare among mammals. Platypuses are excellent swimmers; they hunt underwater using electroreception to detect prey (like insects, worms, and small crustaceans), they Spend most of the time alone and is active mainly at night. The platypus is such an odd creature that early European scientists thought it was a hoax when first encountered in the late 1700s.

Where did we go to see Platypuses?

First we tried our luck in Latrobe in northern Tasmania, they claim to be the «Platypus capital of the world». We drove down to the Warrawee Forest reserve and the Mersey River and parked here just south of the split in the road of Shale rd and Old Deloraine rd at dusk. After much waiting we saw one platypus in the distance, and not much more to our disappointment. It was still cool to have seen a wild platypus but slightly underwhelming even though the scenery along the river was nice. 

Platypus?

Our next and really exciting encounter was purely by chance and luck. We had moved further south to explore the southern tip of Tasmania and we stopped in a very small town called Geeveston for supplies at the local supermarket. At the parking lot we saw signs to «platypus walk» and even though it was daytime and little chance for a spotting, we took a walk along the Kermandie river on the platypus walk. Very nice walk but no platypuses as expected. 

Platypus!

After checking in at the Kermandie hotel just up the road, we asked the lady that ran the hotel (she also was the reception, bottle shop, barkeeper, waiter and hospitality manager) if they had any platypuses hiding in the bushes. «Oh, of course we have, just go up to the platypus walk on the river, plenty of platypuses there!» 

We could not believe what we heard, and after a dinner at the hotel we drove back to Geeveston and the platypus walk. 

And boy did it deliver! After just a few minutes the first platypus appeared in the small river, just a few metres from where we stood. Foraging on the river floor and coming up for air and to eat whatever it had caught for dinner. It was an awesome experience seeing this stranger creature up close. After half an hour just watching and following the platypus, we got word of even more animals just up the river under the bridge, and sure enought, another platypus!

Further up the river we saw even more of these enigmatic creatures, while talking to other platypus spotters who told us that the day before they had observed a whole family of platypuses playing in the water among the rocks. 

What an experience! The platypus walk in Geeveston delivered in spades, it was a priviledge observing one of the weirdest animals on the planet up close, life goal achieved!