Each year over the June long weekend, the Central Coast comes alive with the vibrant spirit of the Harvest Festival—a celebration of the region’s spectacular hinterland. Locals and visitors alike are invited to explore fresh produce markets, indulge in delicious food tastings, visit working farms, and engage in educational experiences that highlight the richness of the area.

Among the many cherished events during the festival is Platypus Day, hosted by the Environmental Education Team at Woodbury Park Inn, Mardi. Now in its fourth year at this location (and previously held at Glenola Farm in Yarramalong), Platypus Day has become a beloved tradition that blends fun, hands-on activities with meaningful environmental education.

The impetus for a platypus celebration on the Central Coast surfaced way back in 2004. Yarramalong resident Steve Woodley raised his concerns over platypus injury and deaths associated with illegal yabby traps after discovering traps that had drowned five platypuses in Wyong River. A local conservation group called Platypus Awareness and Conservation Team (PACT) was formed with the aim of stopping the accidental drowning of platypuses in yabby traps on the Central Coast. The group aimed to raise community awareness that:

• platypuses live in local creeks and rivers
• platypuses get caught and drown in yabby traps
• it is illegal to use yabby traps where platypuses live.

The work of the Central Coast PACT, and other groups across the state, led to the banning of ‘opera house’ style yabby traps across NSW in 2021. A great outcome for the conservation of platypus and also turtles, cormorants and the rakali (water rat). For more information, see here. 

This year’s Platypus Day attracted over 500 nature enthusiasts to learn more about our state’s faunal emblem! While most of us know a few facts about platypus, many visitors were surprised to learn that platypus fur is biofluorescent, that they hunt with their eyes closed and find their food with electro-receptors in their bill!

Down on the river, keen naturalists scanned the surface for streams of bubbles, the tell-tale sign of diving platypus. The plop of a water dragon diving off a branch and the appearance of a long-necked turtle certainly raised our heart rates! Although we discovered platypus burrows in the bank, the elusive monotremes remained hidden.  

Enjoying the peaceful Wyong River gave us time to ponder some more platypus questions… How do they deal with floods, how do they chew their food without teeth and suckle their young without teats! Do you know? See our answers at the end of the article.

Up in Woodbury Park, after a beautiful welcome to country by Tracey Howie, visitors got hands on with activities and tried some yummy treats:

• Central Coast Council Libraries brought joy to children with the Coast’s favourite platypus, Parker (our friendly mascot), and their mobile library, encouraging exploration and discovery through books.
• The Community Environment Network hosted water bug hunts, helping attendees learn about aquatic invertebrates, also known as platypus food!
• Australian Wildlife Displays captivated audiences with live animal shows.
• Local Land Services provided valuable information to farmers and landholders about sustainable land management and caring for streambanks.
• Grace from Ace Face painting delighted children with nature-themed face art.
• National Parks & Wildlife Service Discovery Rangers delivered extraordinary indigenous art workshops.
• The Lions Club of Wyong kept everyone well-fed with a free sausage sizzle, a hit among attendees.
• The Central Coast Council Waterways team got hands on with water quality activities and a prize-laden chocolate wheel – free plants!
• Council’s Ecologist led regular bird watching walks and discovered more than 30 species!
• Last, but definitely not least, coffee! Piping hot treats were supplied by 2CoffeeGuys.

Platypus Day is more than just an event—it’s a celebration of community, education, and the environment. It’s a chance to come together, learn, and appreciate the unique wildlife and ecosystems that make the Central Coast so special.

Have you ever seen a platypus in the wild?

For a chance to see platypus locally, follow our Eventbrite listings for your opportunity to join a Platy-Project activity this September! Or contribute data from your own sightings. We have partnered with the Australian Conservation Foundation for the last four years to contribute to this important project.

By joining the Platy-Project, you’ll become a citizen scientist, have an incredible time getting out into nature and hopefully experience the magical moment of spotting a platypus! 

Platypus trivia answers: 

• How do platypus deal with floods?
  Depending on the height and volume of floodwaters, platypus may move to burrows higher up the streambank, seek shelter in other refuges and/or feed in slower moving waters above the banks and even farm dams.
• How do platypuses chew their food without teeth? 
  Platypus have grinding pads to crush the invertebrates they feed on. Unpalatable parts of their prey such as wings and heads are moved by the tongue and stored in cheek pouches before being discarded
• How do platypuses suckle their young without teats?
  Female platypus produce milk for their young, but the milk is ejected onto the skin in two milk patches. The young platypuses then suckle from the mothers belly. Orphaned platypus cannot be bottle-fed by wildlife carers but instead are given milk formula on a sponge!

This article was written by Nick Carson and Carlita Dhillon, Environmental Education Officers