Coronavirus restrictions may have closed the bar at the Mole Creek Hotel for eight weeks, but there was no slowing down the activity in the waterway that flows by the pub's back door.
The four platypuses that live in it continued to forage day and night, as they have since Doug Westbrook took over the pub more than 12 years ago.
"We call it 'Platypus Central' because we get them all the time," Mr Westbrook said.
"We're lucky to have them right here in our backyard."
While platypuses are relatively common in Tasmania, their proximity to Mr Westbrook's pub, just 10 metres away, is unusual.
"Apparently it's the closest … platypuses actually live [to a building] in the world," he said.
Unfazed by live music
On the opposite side of the creek, and just as close, is a stage where bands play at an annual music festival.
Thousands of people listen to rock music there until night's end, but Mr Westbrook said the platypuses were nonplussed.
"I think they've got used to having people around," he said.
"They're not really disturbed."
As for people being used to platypuses, Mr Westbrook said many of his camping visitors were not.
"I'm simply amazed that so many [Australians] have never seen a platypus in the wild," he said.
"They get really excited, especially the kids."
Snacking on pub grub
Meanwhile, what seems to excite the platypuses are tidbits from the pub's kitchen.
Small amounts of the shredded ham that tops the pub's pizzas are offered to the animals and other creek residents by Mr Westbook on a daily basis.
"I started off feeding the trout and the eels," he said.
"Then all of a sudden the platypus started to come along."
Geoff Williams from the Australian Platypus Conservancy said that was an "interesting development".
"The platypus needs large amounts of food, and that can be quite tough for them sometimes," he said.
To meet their food requirements, research has shown that platypus spend about 12 hours a day foraging.
"So I guess if somebody does give them a bit of extra food sometimes and they get used to the idea, then … they would start to come in to get food.
"It can be a difficult thing … to get platypuses habituated to food, but Doug has obviously managed it at Mole Creek quite successfully."
Business picking up again
Now that social distancing restrictions are easing business at the pub is bouncing back.
"In the past few weeks we've had a lot of people up from Hobart — bushwalkers — and people coming from Burnie, Devonport, Launceston and Bicheno," Mr Westbrook said.
Whether the platypuses had noticed the scarcity of people during lockdown was hard to say, but Mr Westbrook said he was glad to have them around.
"We're pretty proud of having them here," he said.
"We feel very spoiled."
