Is your legacy that you lived and enjoyed nature, or lived and cared for nature?
Is your legacy that you lived and enjoyed nature, or lived and cared for nature?
“Heart warming, heart-wrenching and ultimately hopeful”
While dealing with a medical issue back in 2020, I found myself spending long stretches of time by the Hobart Rivulet. It was a quiet place to sit, slow down, and take things day by day.
That’s where I started crossing paths with a cheeky female platypus I called Zoom—named for the way she’d slice through the pool and pop up right in front of where I was sitting on the bank.
Sitting by the water for hours at a stretch gave me an unfiltered look at what life is actually like for an urban platypus. But everything changed the day I saw Zoom with rubbish wrapped around her body.
It was a pivotal moment in my life. I realized right then that simply enjoying nature is not the same as caring for nature. I couldn’t just sit on the bank as a spectator anymore; I had to give something back.
The Platypus Guardian—made with the team at WildBear Entertainment for the ABC and PBS Nature—documents that bond, the harsh reality these animals face in an urban stream, and the shift from taking solace in a place to actively fighting to protect it.
Where to Watch
- Australia: Streaming free on ABC iview
- US & International: Streaming on PBS Nature (Season 42) and distributed on international networks
Meet the #ThePlatypusGuardian crew
Photo taken at the ‘World Premiere’ at the State Cinema, Hobart on June 1st, 2023. Left to right: Natasha, Fraser, Pete, Daniel, Anna, Chadden, Finn and Nick.
Beyond the Doco: What’s Happening Now
The documentary covered an intense chapter, but protecting Hobart’s urban platypuses is ongoing work.
- Guided Platypus Walks: A genuine deep dive into the hidden world of the Hobart Rivulet, created for curious minds with a passion for quiet nature. Far more than just spotting wildlife, these intimate, small-group walks are an opportunity to slow right down, learn how to read the water, and step directly onto the stretches of creek featured in the documentary to understand the subtle, complex lives of the platypuses who live right alongside the city. Learn more & book a walk
- Seize it, Snip it, Bin it!: What started out here on the Hobart Rivulet to stop the gut-wrenching entanglements seen in the film has grown into a widespread community awareness campaign. Looped litter—everyday items like hair ties, elastic bands, plastic bottle seals, and face masks—acts like a snare in the water and is lethal to foraging platypuses. The campaign has since been adopted by conservation groups across mainland Australia. Read more about the campaign
- The Next Project: We’re currently producing a short-form documentary titled Becoming Platypus. It follows the parallel lives of two mothers and their two sons from two completely different worlds: urban vs wild nature. It’s an intimate, unscripted look at how environment shapes their survival from day one.
