ACF Eastern Rosellas: Platypus spotting on the Yarra

Platypus spotting on the Yarra

Saturday 19 September, 4.30pm to 6.30pm

Wombat Bend, Templestowe

The Eastern Rosellas community group of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) is once again hosting a platypus spotting event on Saturday the 19 September from 4:30 to 6:30pm at Wombat Bend in Templestowe Lower. Everyone is welcome.

This event is part of the Platy Project, a joint citizen science campaign of the ACF and the University of NSW. The aim of the project is to assist in mapping platypus habitat, over time, across Eastern and Southern Australia.

If you are able to be there on September 19, we’ll guide you to the University of NSW platypus recording site on your phone, and ask you to pick a comfortable and safe spot along the river bank or on the swing bridge, and watch. The platypus is nocturnal, and it starts to forage towards dusk, earlier on cloudy days. They usually dive for about 30 seconds and surface for 10-15 seconds at a time, so you need a bit of patience and persistence to see them. But it is restful to sit quietly by a river at sunset, watching the water and listening to the birds. And it’s a memorable experience if you see a platypus, especially for the first time and especially for the kids.

Please join us in this project if you’re interested and free that day. For more information and to register, please visit https://community.acf.org.au/eastern_rosellas_vic_platy_project_yarra_at_templestowe_2026