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--- Australia - the wide brown (deadly) land (http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=2784)
Posted by Madilayn on 15-01-2010 at 06:43:
Australia - the wide brown (deadly) land
This was one of the articles in the Brisbane newspaper "The Courier Mail" today.
Promise - not EVERYTHING in Australia will kill you. Some will make you wish you were dead instead!
SJ - hope this makes you homesick! (working on a theory - if she gets homesick enough, she will pack up her boys and move back here).
Dangerous animals keep tourists at bay
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"When I'm old, I don't want them to say of me, "She's so charming." I want them to say, "Be careful, I think she's armed." -G. Stoddart
Posted by green on 15-01-2010 at 07:33:
Oh, good Lord! Madilyn, that is priceless!
It brought back the memory of a friend of mine (American) telling me about his trip down under to participate in one of the shared military training exercises they do in the Outback.
The lecture on the proper decorum required by the personnel lasted 10 minutes. The rest of the 3 hour session was devoted to what critters and creatures were deadly - just in the area they would be training in. The guy actually ran out of time so he left them with 'If it moves and it's not human, kill it before it kills you.'
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Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
Posted by Ebonyswanne on 15-01-2010 at 08:06:
Well you know Maddy you are Queenslander and that place is crawling with the worst of them waiting to jump on unsuspecting tourists! Crocodiles and few usavoury jelly fish floating around...and then throw in a shark or two...along with a red belly black snake, king browns....
Although we do have few sharks along the coast of NSW just waiting to munch on a few tourists....and of course Blue bottles on the beaches!!!
The only real one at the moment I'm having trouble with are red back spiders in the backyard and two toddlers and want to play with em...sigh!! My kids LOVE Bindy the jungle girl!!!! My 2yr old drew a black snake the other day after watching Bindy....
That was good article, thanks for sharing!
Green; "ROTFL!!!! One of our friends used to train with US troops that were sent out here in the outback bases, and I recall him mentioning the same kinda thing when they were about to head out...generally that was his advice at times too...
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Posted by Madilayn on 15-01-2010 at 10:06:
Ahh Queensland. Yes, we do have more critters that'll kill ya than anywhere else in Australia.
Fair's fair though - we DO post warnings about Irukanji Jellyfish, Marine Stingers and Crocs. Not our fault tourists think that we're joking!
Important note for American and German tourists - when the sign says "Do not swim here" it means it. Usually because there are very large saltwater crocs there. Why American and German? Well, statistically they seem to be the ones who ignore the signs!
At the moment in Queensland, however, we are having most problems with Sudanese migrants who can't swim thinking that they can swim in dangerous water. In the last month, we have had 3 drownings - one in a flooded creek and two others swimming outside the flags.
The really sad thing about the beach drownings is that their friends said tht they knew to swim between the flags, but chose not to.
Just goes to prove - you can't save people from themselves!
Of course, if you want to read more about just how confusing Australia is (and how dangerous), try this article: Australia: The Confusing Country
Many people think that this was written by Douglas Adams, but it was written by a contributor to the HG2G website
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"When I'm old, I don't want them to say of me, "She's so charming." I want them to say, "Be careful, I think she's armed." -G. Stoddart
Posted by green on 15-01-2010 at 10:56:
I've read that one before and still I love it! It does have more than a touch of truth in it...
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Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
Posted by lborgia88 on 15-01-2010 at 12:34:
These are great, Madilayn! Oddly enough, I'd still like to visit Australia though.
I've also heard that it's a bad idea in Australia to flip down the windshield visor in your car while you're driving, lest you cause some nasty creature to fall into your lap. Is that true?
Posted by green on 15-01-2010 at 13:21:
It is, LB. But it's the same as checking the toilet seat before sitting on it, or pulling back the sheets of your bed before getting in. You either do it or you don't. I must admit I just flip the visor down without thinking about it and in the 20 or so years that I've been driving I've never had something nasty drop into my lap.
I do check the toilet seat though. And pull back the sheets. And turn my clothes inside out before washing them so I have to turn them the right way round before putting them on. And flick the towel before using it. And bang my shoes before putting them on.
No, I don't have a complusive disorder - I'm just an Australian! 
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Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-01-2010 at 15:01:
Wow, I'm amazed we survived our trip to Australia! We stayed along the East coast, though.
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Posted by gatchamarie on 15-01-2010 at 18:49:
Having have read all this I'm asking myself if my enthusiasm to visit Australia is apt to change! I have an uncle who lives at Melbourne but I don't think he had ever encountered such problems in the past decades! I might ask for his advice before I make plans for a possible future visit!
Madilayn, as regards to immigrants, here at Malta we have the same problem! At the moment we are getting literally invaded as they try to reach Sicily. My DH always tells me that it is because of ignorance that their mortality rate by drowning is so high. But, it's also because of the vessels they are obliged to use which are not so adequate in rough waters.
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Posted by Ebonyswanne on 15-01-2010 at 23:54:
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Last summer I casually flipped down my windshield visor and staring medirectly in the face was a HUGE Huntsman spider. Honestly I think the person beside me and behind me nust have thought some crazy woman was driving the car when I freaked out trying to get rid of the thing and being a Swan flapping around about a spider...and they're not even dangerous, just huge.
Gatchamarie; Don't worry you just have to be aware thats all not to play with the widllife, they don't make good pets!
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by green on 16-01-2010 at 00:45:
Yeah, thanks for posting that Ebony. Huntsmen are the only spider I don't deal well with looking at - they look back, and they have more eyes than I do!
Gatchamarie, inspite of this discussion thread Australia is quite safe - if you respect the wildlife! The southern areas are the least infested, so if you were to visit your uncle in Melbourne you shouldn't encounter too much. Just beware of spiders, don't go near snakes, swim between the flags at the beaches, listen out for shark warnings, don't touch that pretty little octopus that is turning neon blue, wear thongs in the water, watch out for wasps (but you would already know about them, wouldn't you?) and if there is a sign saying don't do something - do NOT, under any circumstances, ignore it!
And for all my fellow Aussies out there, you will notice I didn't attach a warning about drop bears. 
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Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
Posted by Transmute Jun on 16-01-2010 at 01:33:
WOw, that's some spider, Ebony! 
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Posted by Ebonyswanne on 16-01-2010 at 02:02:
I haven't seen a huntsman for a while, but I think thats because my cat chases them. Its the red back spiders that have been the problem of late. They aren't so good and its the reason I haven't got a sandpit for the girls to play in. They love hide under things like ledges, and in boots. Under pot plants. I check the cubbyhouse everyday before the kids can play in there just incase.
__________________
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by green on 16-01-2010 at 02:07:
And that is not an overly large specimen either, TJ.
I've been bitten by the ordinary black house spiders (which are nasty) a couple of times and while Huntsmen aren't poisonous, I would rather see eight of the black ones than one of these sitting on the wall...
And the sprays just don't kill them - it's a magazine, telephone book or cricket bat job....
__________________
Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
Posted by green on 16-01-2010 at 02:10:
Ebony, I haven't seen a redback in a while (not including SA's cricket team, of course, oh my, aren't we getting thrashed? sob). We've been having problems with the whitetails... Summer certainly brings out the wildlife, doesn't it?
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Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
Posted by Becky Rock on 16-01-2010 at 02:50:
Here in the States we have Brown Recluse spiders. They're small but pack a wollop. The bite area can ulcerate and cause blood poisoning. And Black Widows.
I was bitten by a Brown while living in Germany. It had gotten in my bed and bit me on the right leg below my knee while I slept.
Got bitten again last summer down at the In-Law's in Georgia in the same way but on the back of my left thigh. Wasn't fun and have the scars to prove it.
I've always wanted to visit Australia, dangerous animals or not!
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Posted by Madilayn on 16-01-2010 at 02:54:
You all know that there are plenty of us Gatchamaniacs around the country and you are welcome to visit!
Re Huntsmen & spider deaths - a friend of mine (big boofy sufer dude) has a massive spider phobia - he uses baygon plus a lighter and tries flameing them to death! It is rather spectacular 
Ahh cricket. We're flogging the Pakistani's at the moment in the tests - and Queensland seems to be flogging everybody in the Big Bash!
If we win tonight's match then the final will be in Brissy
__________________
"When I'm old, I don't want them to say of me, "She's so charming." I want them to say, "Be careful, I think she's armed." -G. Stoddart
Posted by green on 16-01-2010 at 03:45:
Becky, they've found Brown Recluses here too...
Yes, Madilyn, we know you lot are flogging the rest of us! 
It's alright, AFL will start up soon and we'll see what happens then, shall we? Lol 
__________________
Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
Posted by lborgia88 on 16-01-2010 at 05:59:
I'm realizing now what a comparatively safe childhood I had in Nova Scotia! No poisonous snakes, no poisonous (or unusually large) spiders -heck, there isn't even poison ivy. Nothing in the lakes or ocean any worse than leeches, or jellyfish that can make your skin sting a little bit for about 10 minutes.
Posted by green on 16-01-2010 at 07:05:
Yeah, we have jellyfish too....
And yep, it can kill ya....
__________________
Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
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