Photographer Paula Markey was one of the many visitors enjoying the river near Englishs Bridge during the holidays, to get a glimpse platypuses and water rats putting on a show.

She said the creatures were feeding along the banks of the Campaspe.

“One platypus was very cheeky and floated and swam along the surface, allowing me to take photos," Ms Markey said.

"He or she was watching me and seemed quite relaxed about it all, diving, then coming up to the surface a few times.

“I was very excited to get photos and I plan to return to try to get more in the near future.

“Hopefully they will still be living there.

“The water rats were chasing each other along the banks, intent on mating in the water, so I was able to get a couple of photos.”

Sightings have been rare since floods ravaged the area in 2010-11.

But despite their notorious shyness, more and more visitors, and locals, are reporting platypus sightings to the North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA).

Environmental water manager Andrew Sharpe said the health of the Campaspe River was vital for the near-threatened species.

“The Millennium Drought and the 2010-11 floods hit the Victorian platypus population hard,” he said.

“We have been working since then to help their numbers grow, by releasing water down the river at the right time of year and creating conditions that promote the growth of their food source and encourage them to breed and travel to other areas of the river, and to other rivers.

“At the moment we have a fantastic, and important, platypus population in the Campaspe. 

"In 2013 it was predicted there were fewer than 25 platypuses in the Murray River downstream of Echuca. 

“Our river flows provide the right conditions for the platypus population to increase, and for the juveniles to disperse into the Murray. 

"To have a healthy platypus population requires large-scale thinking and large-scale catchment management processes.”