Sweetwater Fishing Forums
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: takrat on July 10, 2011, 08:30:42 PM
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I may be the only one not to realise this but we found lots of Platypus in the Dumaresq River just last week. I had always been under the impression that there were none west of the Dividing Range.
JD
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I've seen them in a few western rivers in the upland sections... but as in most rivers, they can be shy & elusive at times.
Platypus Distribution Map
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Platypus_area.png/670px-Platypus_area.png)
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Ive actually encountered a fair few out my way in 3 different systems (east of devide)
Steve
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Years ago, at least 20 I was doing the Carnavon Gorge thing out Injune way and the creek running through there was full of em
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Years ago, at least 20 I was doing the Carnavon Gorge thing out Injune way and the creek running through there was full of em
I think the creeks of Carnarvon Gorge split with east / west. Some flow into the Comet River (Fitzroy River catchment) and the southern side feeds down the Maranoa River past Mitchell & into Lake Kajarabie near St George.
Nice country out there.........
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down in Blooooose :-[ country they are quite common west of the divide but as others have said more upland ! Professor David Goldney from Charles Sturt University started studying Platypus in the famous trout stream ( western flowing ) Duckmaloi River many years ago , I believe others are continuing on with the studies now Dave has retired .
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There are plenty in the Murray/Darling down south, so I don't see why they shouldn't be in that system all the way to its head waters.
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Used to see them quite regularly in our pump hole on the Severvn River at Ballandean when I was a kid. Most of the permanent holes had a resident pair.
Cheers Andrew
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My question comes from the NSW Govt barring the use of opera house traps East of the dividing range to prevent playpus getting drowned after attempting a free feed. May have to take that up with someone in Fisheries. After all it's west of the divide where you go to after yabbies, and opera house traps are popular for that.
JD
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Just checked on the NSW DPI website, and the news is that opera house traps are illegal on any public waterway east of the Newell highway. There are moves afoot to have them banned in Queensland as well. Apparently it's not just the Platypus, but some waterbirds and freshwater turtles that are considered at risk.
JD
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I think they have been trying to ban opera house traps in QLD for a fair while now ... just whispers tho.
Steve
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Gents
The push from the Feds and DERM has been to do something. Many suggestions and scenarios have been muted. The mirroring of the NSW regs seems to be the most palatable to the small group of Qld fishers that I have spoken to.
BTW it is not just the platypus deaths that are driving this (there are not many of those...) but other wildlife deaths including water-rats....yes....water-rats ?????
Ah DERMatitis....the disease that just keeps on ...keeping on.
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They do get in ::)
With a little help from their friends :walkplank
Please note the pics are not real, the poor platypus has been placed in trap by unethical wilderness society members.
They eventually admitted to doing this, did not reply to any of my emails though ;D
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Not this cr@p again.
It would be a good idea to advise people that these photos are not genuine and were manufactured by extremists.
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mmmm platypus..they taste just like koala too , yum !! :walkplank