PLATYPUS HUNTING...

Since moving to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland, I've become obsessed with finding platypus in the wild.  Well, in the urban really as all these photos and have been taken in Obi Obi Creek which winds around Maleny. I had never seen one before even in a zoo so I was thrilled to realise I could see them within walking distance of my new house. 

Unless I can find some way of getting into the creek with a waterproof camera I'll have to be content with snaps taken from above, either from the many viewing platforms thoughtfully provided by Council or from a handy bridge. 

The direction of the light and the time of day makes a big difference to the quality of the photos of course. I've had all my sightings around 4pm. 

One of the first photos I took of my favourite subject, when I only had my small camera and the animal was a long way from the viewing platform.   

I couldn't wait to get back there with a camera which has a longer zoom. Nowadays, I'm more inclined to just watch and not worry about getting the perfect shot.

Of course there are other things to see and occasionally I notice them too. This water-hen was obviously checking her lipstick...

Although I have no photographic evidence of platypus here in the quiet waters above the weir, I have seen one disappear just as I arrived, and something further upstream which I suspect was my quarry but was too far away for a decent shot.

I tell people I reckon this rainbow ended (or started) at the weir but maybe the pot of gold is the platypus, which appear to be flourishing despite dire predictions during the  uproar over Woolworths building a store beside the creek a decade ago.  Many locals will tell you the platypus numbers have decreased. I know I've probably only seen three different creatures as the photos were taken at three difference spots on the creek.

PS: I'm told the plural is platypuses not platypi...