julie hilton

I'm just interested if anyone who has had any experiences on the wildlife out there. i.e Crocodiles and the poisonous snakes e.t.c

Can anyone give some good advice on the DO's and DON'Ts

Cheers

sunbather

Do put all your food into tupperware containers

steandleigh

It really depends on where you are going to live, Julie.

We had been in our rental (building a house at the time) for 3 months when our few boxes we shipped arrived from the UK, via Sydney. Up until that point, we'd had nothing scary, just a few glorious Rhino beetles (palm sized) and one or two amazing stick insects (9 inches long is our record) on our patio.

One day after the boxes arrived, I saw a naughty looking spider in the garage - called a bloke off the street to have a look at it (aussie) and he confirmed: "yep, thats a red back" and promptly legged it. Cheers mate.

Got out me tupperware (comes in handy for more than weevils and cockroaches!!! ), trapped the bugger and let him starve of oxygen.

We've had Huntsman spiders (good for eating the bugs, so leave 'em alone) the size of a tea plate and a Golden orb (not so good but beautiful webs... )...

As for the crocs...they are up here...the northern beaches sometimes get closed because of crocs sightings (not that I've ever seen one apart from on the Daintree river (wild)and at the wildlife park ) but it would be wise to check yourself when entering creeks, billabongs and rivers, especially up north and take advise from the locals.

Happy camping!

vivi

Do not stroke a croc!!! Only kidding, people get really worried about the wild life. Here we live in the bush and yes have met about 4 snakes, not whoppers though! You get used to walking with your eyes down when in the rough! When gardening always wear gloves and boots, other clothes are optional. As to spiders well have yet to meet anything really gross. You just become accustomed to be aware without being paranoid!! We bought a book on all the wild life and just check it out. Absolutely amazing insects and birds though! Chill out, 20 million people cannot be wrong!!

julie hilton

We are hoping to be living North of Brisbane towards Bundaberg.

iPom

Spiders are easily squashed or trapped. The spider's nemesis is the Dyson vacuum cleaner. None can resist it's lure.

Sometimes, when it's been raining, you get spiders coming out of their hiding place and you find them on the floor, but it's rare. Your natural instinct for anything moving along a wall or floor will alert you to their presence quickly.
I always do a good vacuum after rain, esp along the sideboards etc.
Leave spiders where they are if they're in your window frame and it's only a black house spider or something. They'll eat the mozzies etc that come in and they don't tend to migrate much.
If you remove a spider from an area rest assured that another will take it's place very quicky as they're terratorial and do challenge each other for these spots when we're not looking. This is why it's better to leave them there... a spider you know in a place you know is better than not knowing where a nasty one is!
Leave Huntsmen spiders - they're quite lovely and very timid but will hunt for roaches and other small spiders at night. We have one - he's large, and I've only ever seen him in the lounge at night. I don't know where he is during the day - can't find his hiding place.

If you hang washing on the line, don't flick your washing to shake it out as this is how I got bitten by a spider once (I flicked the thing onto my shoulder and down my top - poor thing must have been terrified - I know I was) . My Aus husband advises 'careful inspection' of clothing after it's been on the line and you're processing it.

I would advise you not to leave stuff lying around on the floor, esp. clothing in your room. Spiders like this sort of cover.

That's all for spiders.

As for snakes, they're shy creatures and don't like being challenged. If you see one, and it sees you, keep very still. Snakes have an odd vision thing, which means you basically disappear into the background if you don't move. Once you move, they see you and can strike. You always know if a snake is going to strike because they double their body up into a figure of 8....
Move away from snakes slowly. Wear good trousers if bush walking and don't wear shorts no matter how hot it is unless you are confident about handling such situations.
When you do bush walk, make lots of noise. Snakes will be off like a shot when they feel your huge clodhoppers bashing through the bush.

Given all this theory, I've only ever seen two snakes in the wild in Australia in all the time I've been here (about 3 years in total if we're adding up visits and working holiday) and I've never had to handle one in the bush. I wear big walking boots when I bush bash.

Magpies are a nuisance when they have eggs and you're in their territory... they can go for the back of your head, and trust me, you don't want that happening... they've got bluddy big beaks.

katcha

Get the pest control dudes out. When we first moved into our Brissy home we had major probs with ants, cockroaches, and redbacks (redbacks outside tho). I was a nervous wreck, afraid to open the kitchen cupboard incase i had visitors, and afraid to fetch washing in. Since getting the house sprayed we have seen no redbacks and only dead cockroaches. The ants still return but we keep them under control with basic ant killer powder.
As for other creepy crawlies, only seen one snake on our road outside but kept clear of that!! And one huntsman in our gararge..................boy it was big!!! My biggest bugbear was mozzies!! Loved our English blood!! My OH bless him once counted the mozzie bites he got when we at a barbi.................69!! Now we cover ourselves in mozzie repellent in the summer!! Also get lots of ghekos in the hotter weather...................soo cute!!! If you leave them in your home they will kill the bugs for ya!!

Good luck with your move!!!

mackinnon

I'd be more worried about the sun & car hoons. They're the real dangers!

julie hilton

what are car hoons?

mackinnon

Boy racers but worse! Sometimes with alcohol thrown in!

arkon

And not driving the kind of car they would have in the UK! The hoons can insure anything out here so are driving (used loosely) big powerful death machines.

katcha

I agree!!! I cannot believe how bad they drive here, it's sooo dodgy!! All the idiots on the roads and i gets fined the other week for my tyre going on a double white line whilst going round a sharp bend.

JoandStuV

Does anyone know if you get these "size of a dinner plate" huntsman spiders in Perth? (gulp)

As long as they stay outside I am happy to live and let live but having a spider that big in the house is going to freak me out BIG STYLE! :scared:

And yes I know I should prob be more scared of the red backs but they are small and so less scary, I have freaky logic when it comes to eight-legged beasties!!! (don't worry I am not planning to pet any regardless of size)!

Jo
(a wimp)

The Bloke

That's a big area.

The Bloke

Don't smile at a crocodile!!!