Google, always google!!
Brilliant!

Oh, and by the way. I you look in Google for 'discover australia Simone' the first site you get is ours (I'm very proud!)
It's about our trip to Oz in 2000, but it's all in dutch, so no use to you lot!!
Actually... on photo number 10, 'Het YH in Mundaring Weir' you can see the bench on the verandah where we saw our only redback!! The Japanese people staying there also found it in between the seat!

Jesus Christ, that's some bite :scared: :scared: :scared:

Why the hell did this guy not get any treatment? or did he?

My fear of spiders has just increased ten fold

Read all the info I put up, and if you're not going to Adelaide or Sydney you'll be fine

And I don't think there is any anti venom(if I read the article correctly, which would be surprising as I just skimmed it)

I was bitten by a snake once, spent one week in Hospital because of it.

But not had any problem since coming to OZ .

The snake bite was in Cornwall. Lucky me, to get bitten by the UK's only poisonous snake at the time...

To keep the spiders at bay, I have an electronic gadget that seems to keep a room completely free from them.

To keep the spiders at bay, I have an electronic gadget that seems to keep a room completely free from them.

ABC,

it has to be a garden strimmer next to every entry point............?

Please, do tell.

Paul

Hi Paul

Its an ultrasonic pest control device made by ARLEC, model SC1202.

I never believed that these things worked, but decided to give it a try when we got to QLD, and it actually does seem to work.
It plugs into a power point, and I don't get any spiders in the room that its in.

They're not all that bad... especially the cute little cat spider... (courtesy of WWB)

Oh, how cute!

Paul, seriously, there is no way you can ever ensure that you wont see a spider. There are spiders everywhere in Australia, but the thing to remember is that most of them are harmless.

Just remember always check your shoes if they have been left outside, always watch where you put your hands (redbacks like to hide under the rims of pots, under wood etc) & always wear gloves when you garden.

You cant avoid them all together, but you can learn to live with them.

I'd also say, that the more you read about them, the less worried you get. I used to be a lot more worried, until I read loads of threads etc. and found out that they really aren't that much of a threat. The necrotic one mentioned isn't an aussie native as it is. No-one has died from redback bite since the antivenom came out and funnel webs are now less of a problem (they're quite shy too), plus there are barrier sprays etc. It's worth delving into the threads previously on here, paying particular attention to the area you're going to.
Larissa
You've got more chance of being hit by a bus!
:scared:

Very true Larissa, I think its more a question of whether you are scared of being bitten by something deadly or just fear of spiders (of any sort!). If its the fear of dying thing, the chances are so slim that they are almost non-existant, if its arachnophobia, you just have to learn to live with it unfortunately. Read as many of the threads as possible & get spider-aware .

Some thoughts on spiders.

White tail spiders have been suggested as a the culprit for the nasty bite in the original post. It's thought, and I emphasise thought, that less than 1% of people bitten by a white tail will develop the nasty necrotising thing. Nobody is certain about any of this because so many people are bitten by the damn things and so few report anything as a consequence. Am I talking out my bum? No, I have a mate who studies these buggers.

I don't mean to alarm anyone, but these spiders are common in the southern states and the evil creatures love linen, so if you know they are around (they breed in little hot spots) it's best to check any clothing as you bring the washing in. Remember though: chances of being bitten: minimal. Chances of developing reaction: too low to be measured statistically.

It's a nice luxury, as an Aussie, to go into the garden shed here in the UK and just brush spiders away knowing they are harmless, I can tell you.

when i see a spider, it has to die.
The wife and kids will collect it in a glass and take it outside ( unless i get my hands on it first ).

When i see one ( over about an inch and a half in diameter ) i quite simply have to kill it.if it runs under the sofa or behind a unit i simply have to leave the room.I become nervous and twitchy, constantly scanning the floor / walls. If ,as i'm about to hit it with the newspaper it sets off running i jump a bloody mile lol.

I know it all sounds stupid, and i know i look daft but to be honest, i really do hate the little b******s.

have often thought about doing one of these fear relief things but cannot pluck up the bottle to go.

Will definately research more into the matter before we depart.

In fact, i'm going to have a quick search through these pages and visit a couple of websites right now ! lol

Special thanks to whomever discovered the delightful properties of the grape and the inventor of the glass bottle.

Paul.

well, after following " jayr " 's link, i was confronted with " common spiders of south eastern queensland ".

COMMON !!!!!!!

39 of 'em !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


BLOODY COMMON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

have decided that it may be wise to just check up on the dangerous ones.

doing that now before dinner arrives ( chicken chow mein ) and the film starts ( at 10 )

Paul

hmmmmm, is this a good idea ?

AH HA !

success.

4 of 'em. ( so many lol )

reds,white tailed,mouse and funnel..................why no hunts ?

INCLUDING TREATMENT !!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOOOO lol

funnels...................OK, mainly around sydney, happy days

reds, hundreds of bites each year, 30% require anti-venon, generally just females that bite. ( nothing new there then )

mouse................hmmmm, not pleasant, small, ugly as sin,not too keen on heavily populated areas ( always a good sign then).

white tail.................:scared: , sod that ! , they're history, we shall sleep in shifts, i have devised a rota, i sleep at night and ann-marie sleeps during the day, sounds good.Requires vacuum cleaner for each room and duct tape for all air vents lol.

film's starting, dinner has arrived ( tho not too hungry anymore) shall view more later ( when the bottle's finished )

Paul