Where to see a platypus near Cairns: Yungaburra platypus viewing

The lookout over the bridge at Peterson Creek is a reliable place to see a platypus in Yungaburra, Queensland. This scenic Atherton Tableland town is one of very few places in Australia where tourists can make regular platypus sightings.

To see a platypus near Cairns, go to the platypus lookout platform next to Peterson Creek in Yungaburra, Queensland. For more detailed information, read on.

Yungaburra, 67km south-west of Cairns, far north Queensland, is arguably the most attractive town in the Atherton Tableland. It was established in 1890, and has 18 heritage-listed buildings – an impressive haul for its size. Many of them have handsome porches covered by corrugated metal awnings.

But it’s worth poking around inside these buildings as well as snooping on them from the exterior. Many contains shops such as the Artistree Gallery, which lures people in with colourful floaty dresses outside before branching off to handmade jewellery, incredible cute ceramics, lots of wooden toys and beautifully-crafted wood carvings.

There is also a smattering of cafés in this Queensland town, and the Yungaburra Markets take place on the fourth Saturday of every month.

Cairns to Yungaburra drive

The Atherton Tableland region has impressive wildlife and nature – check out the Cathedral Fig in Danbulla National Park, spot birds at Lake Eacham, walk to Windin Falls, climb Mount Bartle Frere, swim at Millaa Millaa Falls or hold a koala in Kuranda. The region is easily covered as a day trip in a rental car from Cairns. The Cairns to Yungaburra drive takes around an hour and ten minutes, mainly along the Gillies Range Road from Gordonvale.

But the fertile soils that make the rainforest grow also make plenty of other things grow. As such, the Tableland has become one of Australia’s major food baskets, and it is rightly famed for its produce.

Where to see a platypus in Yungaburra

But once you’ve eaten and looked at the shops, it’s time to track down the town’s main attraction – it’s possible to see a platypus in Yungaburra. Just outside the town, the Peterson Creek walking track leads to a hide-esque lookout platfrom next to the bridge over the aforementioned creek.

platypus habitat at Peterson Creek in Yungaburra, Atherton Tableland — See a platypus in Yungaburra at the end of the Peterson Creek walking track. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions.

From here, little turtles pop their heads up from the water, but they play second fiddle to the platypus. The platypus – originally thought to be a hoax when it was first described in London – is an incredibly elusive creature. People can manage to tick off just about every other Australian animal before they spot a platypus in the wild, but these highland creeks are the sort of places they like to hang out.

Best times for Yungaburra platypus spotting

The best times to spot them are dawn and dusk, when they tend to be more active. At other times of the day, it’s a case of turning up and hoping for the best. More likely, however, you’ll see the indicators of their presence rather than the little monotremes themselves. The holes in the banks are their burrows – and they’re not so shy about building them.

You might also be able to see a platypus at Broken River in the Eungella National Park, further south in Queensland.