Follow the tips in this toolkit under “How to spot a platypus” to choose a strategic location for your survey.
When hosting a group event, choose a location that can cater for more people (e.g. enough parking spaces for more cars) and with an accessible stretch of river long enough that a group of people can station themselves at intervals along it.
If you can, check out the site before settling on it to ensure its suitability for the group and its accessibility.
Choose a time at dawn or dusk to increase your chances of seeing a platypus, or if that’s difficult you can try your luck at a different time of day.