They do caravans here for men. They have a much more macho feel and are built of dirt roads and self sufficiency.

We leave Airlie and head for Eungalla. This reputedaly is the place to see Platapus. I have always wanted to see one ever since I learned about them in 1st year Biology. Unique or almost in lots of ways they are such a silly combination of features. We were taught that when God got round to making them he had run out of bits so just stuck what he had left together.
Eungalla is the place to see them in the wild.
This small town in itself has not a lot to offer.
A General store a school and a small population.
To get to it you start out in the valley and after passing about a dozen signs telling you about steep hills ahead you start the ascent.

 

It had to be as the valley is surrounded on three sides by mountains.

It is about 4kms of steep windy roads and then you suddenly turn another corner and you are in the town.
You get a good sense on the way out to the National Park at Sky Window where you can see down to the valley below.

Apparently this area is a remnant pocket of a once extensive rainforest in this area and this combined with the elevation makes it an ideal place for Platapus.
When we reach the park we have dome brunch and find out that the best time to see the Platapus is early morning or late afternoon.

We chance it but no luck so we decide to take a drive. Basically other than dirt roads back down the mountain on the other side or along the ridges the only other road is the way we came up the mountain. So we chill in the van for a few hours and wait till 4pm. Probably worth factoring this in if you choose to visit.
After 4 we check out different potential viewpoints but are disappointed. It isn’t just us and we all get paranoid that every kid making a noise is stopping them appearing in our heads.

There are three points and though we see languishing? and a ? swimming bye no no of our wee beaked friends.

Finally after walking between three different points we ask the Indian family if they had any luck? They says there are two up at the viewing point. So we go up and yes our perseverance pays off and there they are, Platapus.

 

First you see bubbles then they appear on the surface they stay for a few seconds and dive again only to reappear again a minute later.

The other group of two has a guide and he has had them ducking under banks and sitting dead still for ages. He is surprised and nearly as excited as us that we get such a prolonged show.

After that it is back down the hill and we head for Armstrong Beach.

How could I resist that one.

The journey continues through more sugar cane fields and the cane railways. This is really the main crop right along the coast here. They also have Mangoes, Macademia Nuts and some Bananas further north.