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louise beare

Old Man Platypus - found him at last!

Updated: May 5




Travelling to Australia this summer we had a wonderful trip to

far north Queensland with our daughter for a few days.


We started off in Daintree Village enjoying the Daintree National Park and many other places close by. Then travelled onto Yungaburra which is inland and south from Cairns.


One day we decided to find out what made Yungaburra such an interesting place and went off into the bush and following a track alongside a creek we suddenly discovered something that was on my bucket list …….

so I hope you enjoy this viewing of our very own wild platypus sighting.


Even Aussies say they have never seen one - what a privilege for us!


poem read and music composed © Louise Beare 2023 - all rights reserved


 

Here are the words from this poem by Banjo Paterson


Old Man Platypus

by A B (Banjo) Paterson

(taken from a book of Australian Poems)


Far from the trouble and toil of town,

When the reed beds sweep and shiver,

Look at a fragment of velvet brown -

Old Man Platypus drifting down,

Drifting along the river.


And he plays and dives in the river bends

In a style that is most elusive;

With few relations and fewer friends,

For Old Man Platypus descends

From a family most exclusive.


He shares his burrow beneath the bank

With his wife and his son and daughter

At the roots of the reeds and the grasses rank;

And the bubbles show where our hero sank

To its entrance under water.


Safe in their burrow below the falls

They live in a world of wonder,

Where no one visits and no one calls,

They sleep like little brown billiard balls

With their beaks tucked neatly under.


And he talks in a deep unfriendly growl

As he goes on his journey lonely;

For he’s no relation to fish or fowl,

Nor to bird nor beast, nor to horned owl;

In fact, he’s the one and only!

 

As I'm wanting to build a community here of positivity and encouragement.

If you have any suggestions for future videos I would love to hear them......


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