Platypus Takeaway

We were quite late leaving Yeppoon, so we headed on straight up the coast to Mackay, rolling in just on dusk. As at Gladstone, the town was just about fully booked out by workers on the mines / shipyards etc, but we finally found a caravan park that had a spare cabin and was reasonably priced.

I'd picked up a virus somewhere, so was drugged and a bit out of sorts, sorry B.
The next morning we headed out west to Eungella National Park. Eungella means land of the clouds, and it certainly was. B was still on driving duties due to my virus drug taking, and the drive was long and curvy, many hair-pin bends and sharp drop-offs.

Eungella consists of Finch Hatton Gorge, where there are many bushwalks, and extends out to Broken River where there be platypuses/platypii. (Both are equally valid and acceptable.)

We headed straight on out to see the platypuses at Broken River first, it being the furtherest most point, with the idea we would work our way back.

And this is what we saw:

You can tell it is a platypus because of the wake. Unfortunately it didn't get much closer, and moved really fast, so no better photos than that, but we did get to see a couple of them.
Much slower moving were the turtles that hung around the viewing platform hoping for some bread:

By then it was lunch time, so we headed back along the winding road to find something reasonably priced for lunch. We came across the unassuming frontage of the 'Platypus Takeaway'. The absolute best burger I've tasted in a long, long time. But no platypii on the menu, not even to takeaway :(

After lunch we headed on back down the mountain, to find a shortish bushwalk or the forst flying - which I was really keenon, but unfortunately in no fit state to participate, still sore from the car accident and virus-ridden :(

We left the main road, following dubious signs in search of a waterfall walk. We found it! But only when we got all the way out to the start of it, did we find the length of it - 2-4 hours, and nothing to see until you get to the end of it. So no time and no point. B was most dissappointed. Note to NQ Tourism - you might want to put this important bit of information in your brochures, especially with long walks.

With afternoon closing in, we left the area, happy to have seen the platypuses at least. Continuing north, we reached the fine town of Ayr well after dark, and had a most excellent meal at one of the many hotels on the main street.