Duck-Billed Platypuses in the Wild! Atherton Tablelands, Australia

One of our primary missions while caravanning Down Under is to see as much indigenous wildlife as we can. Not in a zoo or sanctuary, but in the wild, whenever possible. We especially want to see animals that are completely different than anything in North America, and Australia is chock full of them. So began our platypus hunt!

Spotting duck-billed platypuses (“turns out that the correct plural for “platypus” is either “platypuses” or just “platypus”and not “platypi”) can take some determination, because they’re pretty shy, and mostly nocturnal to boot.

We did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions to figure out our best shot at finding them. So we were thrilled when our platypus hunt paid off big time! Spotting several of them was especially rewarding after being warned how rare sightings can be. We spoke to a number of people who’ve lived here all their lives and never seen one (although, like many of us, they probably don’t spend their time hunting for elusive local attractions… that’s what tourists do, right?) ;-)

We also drove the “Millaa Millaa Waterfalls Circuit” to see Millaa Millaa Falls, Zillie Falls, and Ellinjaa Falls. Our awesome stop for the night was Malanda Falls Caravan Park, where you can walk right over to the falls, or hang with the cutest baby animals!

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