Platypus Spotting In Geeveston

I find the Platypus fascinating. They have body parts that look like they belong to other animals- webbed feet and a bill like a duck (which can detect electric pulses like a Swordfish), fur similar to a bear, a pouch like a possum and can lay eggs like a reptile. No wonder why the first settlers thought this was a fake animal.
Our family visited Platypus House at Beauty Point and saw platypus. Unfortunately I could not get a clear video. I learnt heaps about them but I was very keen to see one in their natural habitat.

Geeveston is a small town in the Huon Valley. It has its own Platypus Trail which runs along a large creek bed in the middle of the town. There were no signs of any platypus during the day when we walked along the trail so I wasn’t too hopeful of seeing one.

One night mum and dad decided to go for a stroll (while Grandma looked after us) along the ‘Platypus Trail.‘ They came home very excited as they had seen 8 platypus swimming in the river. Well that was enough for me! I couldn’t wait to see them the next night and to capture footage of this strange animal. We quietly ‘tippy toed’ along the bank, as the sun was setting, and looked for signs of them. The three signs were bubbles, ripples and little splashes on the water’s surface.

We must have got just the right time because before we knew it we saw our first playtpus floating on the surface of the water looking for little mosquitoes and taking a breath after diving for crustaceans and tasty morsels under the water. I was really happy and excited to get footage of these amazing creatures. We spotted at least 6 platypus! It almost didn’t feel real. When I got excited and made a noise they quickly dived under the water and swam away. It was important that everyone was very quiet and stayed still.

People who want to see a platypus in the wild should seriously try the Platypus Trail at Geeveston.