OK - Tell me the truth about Spiders in OZ

[mochuck]

I saw this in the Sydney Morning Herald today and thought I would post it to freak out the scaredy cats. ;) :D ;) :D

 

Deadly redbacks force hospital closure

[vozzie]

Mochuck,

 

I am pleased to announce that you have won the 2008 Australian Tourism Commission - "Best Achievement in Tourism Promotion" award.

 

Congratulations !

 

You've set the bar at a very high standard ... others will find it extremely difficult to better in 2009.:rolleyes:

[Pacific Sandy]

I saw this in the Sydney Morning Herald today and thought I would post it to freak out the scaredy cats. ;) :D ;) :D

 

Deadly redbacks force hospital closure

 

Meow !!!!:eek:

[mochuck]

Meow !!!!:eek:

Thankfully someone saw the humour in it:rolleyes:

[Pacific Sandy]

Thankfully someone saw the humour in it:rolleyes:

 

It's a defence mechanism to keep from having a nervous breakdown. ;)

[cloakndagger]

I totally sympathise with your fear of spiders...I live with a Pom who is terrified of them.

 

However...as the majority of the posters here have said...Don't fret!!

 

You will see the odd spider now and again, but most of them like to keep out of your way...they will not leap on you with a blood curdling scream and try to suck your lifeforce out of you...Their teeth aren't big enough!!

 

Your best friend in Australia will be the 'Thong'. Not the anal floss type, but the 'flip flop' type you put on your feet. One good whack and the problem is solved.

 

I have come to the rescue of my beloved woosie on many occasions, with triumphant thong in hand and the remains of my foe spread across a 2 inch area on floor or wall, ( a box of tissues helps with the clean up), while he lay quivering under the bed clothes.

 

You have your grizzlies, we have the koala...a force to be reckoned with...Now that sound they make at night is enough to put the heebie jeebies into you..and don't get too close...i hear they like to pee all over unsuspecting visitors!! LOL!!

 

If you are at all worried, then as Carlz suggested, do the surface spray ( Pea Beau, baygon or mortein are all good).

 

Have a lovely trip down under!!

[Pacific Sandy]

Thanks for the good advice Cloakndagger.

 

I have come accross Black bears while hiking in the mountains. Grizzly bears are a different story. If you startle one and it charges you - the idea is to bend over .......... and kiss your ass goodbye. :D

 

I will be bringing "thongs" for sure. Here in Canada, we call them "flip-flops".

 

Can't wait to visit Australia (spiders and all).:)

[Aussie Cruisers]

Thanks for the good advice Cloakndagger.

 

I have come accross Black bears while hiking in the mountains. Grizzly bears are a different story. If you startle one and it charges you - the idea is to bend over .......... and kiss your ass goodbye. :D

 

I will be bringing "thongs" for sure. Here in Canada, we call them "flip-flops".

 

Can't wait to visit Australia (spiders and all).:)

 

Good on ya PS... but should we put a spanner in the works? What is good enough for Aus is not the case for NZ.

 

Thongs in Aus are Jandles in NZ

Esky in Aus is a Clilly Bin in NZ and the list goes on.

 

Anyone from across the ditch who can complete the list for me??

[celle]

Good on ya PS... but should we put a spanner in the works? What is good enough for Aus is not the case for NZ.

 

Thongs in Aus are Jandles in NZ

Esky in Aus is a Clilly Bin in NZ and the list goes on.

 

Anyone from across the ditch who can complete the list for me??

 

Aussie to NZ translations:

Thongs = Jandals

Esky = chilly bin

Bathers (swim wear) = Togs

"daggy" in Aus = a bit uncouth/ not worth knowing. "A bit of a dag" in NZ = a funny guy.

 

Any others?

 

Aus and NZ do share a lot of slang too.

[cruisey girl]

Having spent all my childhood holidays (vacations) in caravans and tents in country Victoria and south Australia, I have just a couple of things to add to the sage advice already given.

 

And before I continue, let me tell you I HATE spiders.

my number one tip for when you pick up your camper would be to ruffle the curtains in your van because in the 20 + years of caravaning with family and friends, there wasn't a year when I didn't have to get a broom and let a huntsman crawl onto the bristles so I could then flick it out the door - as far away as possible I might add. Every year.

They really are timid though, so don't be too worried about them. They want to get away way more than you want them to go.

Thump those shoes in the morning... best advice on here.

And about the white tails.... the thing that people react to is the bacteria on their fangs... so the gruesome stories are not necessarily what will happen if you get bitten. But again, they are timid and run for cover.

 

look at what you pick up, where you step and where you sit and you won't have a worry in the world.

I'm sure you will have a fantastic trip without incident.

 

Lisa. :)

[Pacific Sandy]

Having spent all my childhood holidays (vacations) in caravans and tents in country Victoria and south Australia, I have just a couple of things to add to the sage advice already given.

 

And before I continue, let me tell you I HATE spiders.

my number one tip for when you pick up your camper would be to ruffle the curtains in your van because in the 20 + years of caravaning with family and friends, there wasn't a year when I didn't have to get a broom and let a huntsman crawl onto the bristles so I could then flick it out the door - as far away as possible I might add. Every year.

They really are timid though, so don't be too worried about them. They want to get away way more than you want them to go.

Thump those shoes in the morning... best advice on here.

And about the white tails.... the thing that people react to is the bacteria on their fangs... so the gruesome stories are not necessarily what will happen if you get bitten. But again, they are timid and run for cover.

 

look at what you pick up, where you step and where you sit and you won't have a worry in the world.

I'm sure you will have a fantastic trip without incident.

 

Lisa. :)

 

Holy Mother of God. :eek: :eek: :eek:

[cloakndagger]

Hey Sandy,

 

My mum sent me an email...it had photo's of a red back that killed a snake. Photo's were taken over a period of days...it had bitten the snake on the underbelly. Her words...bugger the snakes, watch out for the spiders!!! LOL!!!

 

It WAS only a baby snake, and I Was gonna post the pictures, BUT my other half said it would be cruel....He ran away just looking at the pictures!! LOL!!!

 

I can send them onto you if you like??!!!:p

 

Karen

[Pacific Sandy]

Hi Karen -

 

Thanks....but I think I'll pass. If the pictures freaked out your DH, I will probably lose it completely.

 

I am prepared for the creepy buggers, besides, enough good Aussie wine and I'll probably start keeping them as pets. :D :D

 

Sandra

[Pirate King]

Hi Karen -

 

Thanks....but I think I'll pass. If the pictures freaked out your DH, I will probably lose it completely.

 

I am prepared for the creepy buggers, besides, enough good Aussie wine and I'll probably start keeping them as pets. :D :D

 

Sandra

 

Good move......

 

I really wouldn't want to see them if I were you.......

 

She is right about one thing, I'm a total wuss where spiders are concerned....... I could go head to head with that grizzly bear of yours and not be scared, but those tiny eight legged freaks scare the Be****s out of me...........

 

However, in the four and a bit years I have been "visiting" Australia I have not been bitten, poisoned or otherwise attacke by the little blighters...... just ribbed to death by the deep dark sarcasm of my other half..........

 

Simply follow the advice given by our fellow CC'ers and you will be fine. On my honour as a total arachnophobic...........

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Aussie to NZ translations:

Thongs = Jandals

Esky = chilly bin

Bathers (swim wear) = Togs

"daggy" in Aus = a bit uncouth/ not worth knowing. "A bit of a dag" in NZ = a funny guy.

 

Any others?

 

Aus and NZ do share a lot of slang too.

 

A 'sliding door' in Aus is a 'ranch slider' in NZ.

 

In NZ they may say 'Hurray' to you as you leave. This is not that they are happy to see you go. Hurray is friendly 'goodbye'.

 

Jillybean:)

[rugbypopsie]

Hi Karen -

 

Thanks....but I think I'll pass. If the pictures freaked out your DH, I will probably lose it completely.

 

I am prepared for the creepy buggers, besides, enough good Aussie wine and I'll probably start keeping them as pets. :D :D

 

Sandra

 

This is too funny!!! My husband who is English hates spiders too so I guess I am safe for another 30 years as the in house spider killer.

 

I hope you realise we love to pull your leg, have a lend of you etc. (translation more than a bit of exaggeration going on here)..you probably wont even see one. But I would hold on to the wine thought just in case..have a great trip

[pcur]

Sandy: I vote for the hotel. :)

[Globaliser]

You know, I should never have read this thread before this holiday. I've spent the last two weeks looking under every toilet seat before using it ... :D

 

Not helped by being taken to see the new Indiana Jones movie last week, either - I hate snakes too.

[Sea Birds]

This is such a great and friendly thread.

So I hate to tell you that new statistics show spiders (and bees) are behind the majority of bite and sting hospitalisations.

 

Here is a link to the report:

 

http://*****.com/3jurho

[pcur]

I STILL vote for the hotel.

[vozzie]

I don't know why you are all worried about spiders ... the scorpions in your sleeping bags will probably kill you first :D

[Globaliser]

Reminds me of the day that my then Australian travel agent (as in specialist in travel to Australia) phoned me up at work because she had to tell me a good story. A client had called her from Australia: wanted to cancel all the rest of her arrangements and come home immediately.

 

The reason was that she'd been on a four-wheel drive safari, sharing a tent with another girl. One night, they obviously hadn't put the tent up properly. In the morning, the other girl therefore discovered that she was sharing her sleeping bag - with a six-foot python. Complete chaos and hysteria, as you might imagine. The girls insisted on sleeping on the roof of the truck for the rest of the trip.

 

But that on its own wasn't what made the client decide to come home. What was it? The reaction of the Aussie guides, who said: "Don't know what all the fuss is about. It's only a python. It's not poisonous, you know!"

[Pacific Sandy]

I don't know why you are all worried about spiders ... the scorpions in your sleeping bags will probably kill you first :D

 

Who let this person in here !!!!!!;)

[atlasali]

...my cheeks (the ones on my face not my backside) hurt from laughing. I am not wild about any bugs. The bears, and snakes usually will avoid me. Unless I have food in my tent. But the stupid flying, jumping insects invariably land right on my face! Lucky me!

 

Since I plan on visiting Australia and New Zealand next year after I retire from teaching; I appreciate the language lessons. Please keep on.

[cloakndagger]

Talking of food in tents....

 

Watch out for the wombats....i went camping down at Wilsons Prom...great place to see our native wildlife up close and personal.

Unfortunately, the wombats don't care where you park your tent...they just wander straight through!! Scared the beejesus out of me when the tent collapsed. Next night, came back to the tent, to have had the blasted possums pulled everything out of the knapsack to get to the food!!

 

Important lesson...pack the food at the bottom in reinforced tins!!

 

Thank god we have no native elephants...would hate to think what would happen.

 

By the by...we have a gentleman from Maryland, that has just visited Australia and done a cruise...have a look at his review on the P&O Australia board. He doesn't mention spiders once!! (Bob is his name)

 

:D