• Birdwatching Tours

• Platypus Tours

• Platypus Facts  

• Rare Wildlife

Bird watching tours

Head off on a self-guided tour with a pair of binoculars to see how many kinds of birds you can find and tick on the list provided. You can expect to see some amazing species including Jabirus, Sea Eagles, Osprey, Kookaburras, Kingfishers and waterbirds galore.

Tarzali Lakes Fact:

There are over 132 recorded bird species at Tarzali Lakes

Platypus Tour

Platypus Viewing:

Tarzali Lakes has an abundance of these iconic Australian animals, which are very rarely seen due to there extremely shy nature.

The park offers theonly 'No see, No fee' guaranteed sightings of platypus in tropical North Queensland .

While you may have to be patent and quiet, sightings are always very worthwhile. Use of binoculars and great free colour fact sheet and postcard provided.

Tour Fees:

Guaranteed sightings or no charge!

Adults $10

Children $5

Family $25 (2 adults + 2 children)

Use of binoculars and great free colour fact sheet and postcard provided.

*Prices are correct at time of publication but may be subject to change.

Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) Facts

What does it eat?
A meat-eater, platypus eats small water animals such as insect larvae, freshwater shrimps, and crayfish.
The platypus is usually active at dawn and dusk; it relies on its sensitive bill to find food.

INTERESTING FACT #1!
When foraging on the bottom, platypus swim with their eyes, ears and nostrils closed, using their electro-sensitive bill to locate and probe for food. This finely tuned electro-perception and sense of touch allows platypus to find and capture their prey.

INTERESTING FACT #2!
The platypus is one of only two Mammals which lay eggs and is probably the most ancient and unusual mammal on earth.

What does it look like?
Smaller than most people think, males are usually about 50cm long and weigh about 1.5kg. Females are smaller, usually about 40cm long and weighing 1kg. 

Breeding:
(In Queensland, platypus mate in August) After mating, the female eats a lot of food and builds a nesting burrow. Much larger than an ordinary burrow, the nursing burrow can be up to 20m long. She blocks herself into the burrow with dirt to protect herself from floodwater and predators. Blocking the burrow also helps to keep the nesting chamber at an even temperature and humidity for incubation.

After laying two sticky, soft-shelled eggs, the female curls up to incubate the eggs by holding them to her belly with her tail. Incubation takes about one to two weeks.

Tiny young are born naked, blind and with undeveloped limbs. After birth, the baby drags itself to its mother’s belly, where it suckles on mammary patches where milk oozes onto the skin. The young stay in the burrow for weaning, while the mother leaves to forage. At four months, the young venture out of the burrow and are fully grown by the time they’re one year old.

Behaviour:
Platypus are solitary animals that only come together to mate. They are shy and wary, usually venturing out only in the early morning and evening  Platypus forage for food for about 12-13 hours every day and can consume up to half their own body weight a day. They dive for between 20-40 seconds during foraging. They perform about 80 dives per hour.  

Did you know?
The Platypus is the only Australian mammal known to be venomous. Mature Adult males have a pointed spur (about 15mm long) located just above the heel of each hind leg, which can be used to inject poison. This poison is not considered life threatening, however spurring triggers severe pains
The platypus is wholly protected throughout Australia.

Rare Wildlife

Tarzali Lakes is an accredited Wildlife Reserve and there is an abundance of local wildlife to find such as:

• rare Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroos
• Possums
• Echidnas
• much more...