Things that bite?
Mar 15th 2010 | 11:01 am
#31
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 54
From: Bedfordshire now, aspire to the Gold Coast
Re: Things that bite?
This sounds like the promo for a show, "When Australia Attacks!" 
LOL
Truth is, no matter where you're living, you can probably get bitten, stung, poked, injured by something. Living in Canada, we have ticks in the mountains, rattlesnakes down south, brown recluse spiders (aside from the usual black widows we find in our imported grapes), millions of West Nile carrying mozzies all summer, even in the city, we had packs of coyotes roaming the urban river valley trail system and attacking small dogs. I never thought, "Cripes...I can't live here. Death awaits me at every turn."
I did cut myself while making dinner last week. I tried to tell my husband that the kitchen is a hazardous place (for reasons other than my cooking now) and that he has to do all the food prep. He's not buying it. Drat.
LOLTruth is, no matter where you're living, you can probably get bitten, stung, poked, injured by something. Living in Canada, we have ticks in the mountains, rattlesnakes down south, brown recluse spiders (aside from the usual black widows we find in our imported grapes), millions of West Nile carrying mozzies all summer, even in the city, we had packs of coyotes roaming the urban river valley trail system and attacking small dogs. I never thought, "Cripes...I can't live here. Death awaits me at every turn."
I did cut myself while making dinner last week. I tried to tell my husband that the kitchen is a hazardous place (for reasons other than my cooking now) and that he has to do all the food prep. He's not buying it. Drat.
I know I am concerned about all the dangerous stuff, its another whole set of things to teach your kids about and I think mine definitely would be anxious..I know I'm not saying anything new here, I'm just saying its hardly any wonder we would be bothered since all the dangerous stuff is totally outsdie our previous experiences...
Mar 15th 2010 | 11:08 am
#32
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,612
From: Canada->WA->Melbourne
Re: Things that bite?
oh, and when you get here, be careful of the fish that you eat.
If you are unlucky enough to be served meat from a big reef fish, and that fish has ciguatera, then you'll be vomiting for days, in pain all over, stuck in bed with exhaustion, hot things will feel cold (and vice versa), and you may start hallucinating.
Doctor will tell you "no alcohol for 12months" (I reckon that's worse than the actual poisoning symptoms).
Oh, and there's no cure. You've got it for life and this is the worst bit - for the rest of your life, each time you get drunk, there's a good chance you will experience the initial poisoning symptoms again.
But these are just little things. Australia is great !
If you are unlucky enough to be served meat from a big reef fish, and that fish has ciguatera, then you'll be vomiting for days, in pain all over, stuck in bed with exhaustion, hot things will feel cold (and vice versa), and you may start hallucinating.
Doctor will tell you "no alcohol for 12months" (I reckon that's worse than the actual poisoning symptoms).
Oh, and there's no cure. You've got it for life and this is the worst bit - for the rest of your life, each time you get drunk, there's a good chance you will experience the initial poisoning symptoms again.
But these are just little things. Australia is great !
Mar 15th 2010 | 11:10 am
#33
Account Open
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,298
From: Brisbane
Re: Things that bite?
Ha ha...it sounds just like that chapter from Bill Bryson's book...for anyone who hasn't read it (and you should, it's a great laugh), he's in Qld telling an English friend travelling with him about all the things that will bite, sting...can't go swimming because of stingers, beware mad cassowaries, don't pick up coneshells (the buddy replies, "they have killer seashells here?") and they discover there's nothing to do but go for dinner and have a few beers. The buddy orders snapper and Bill says, "so, you've never heard of ciguatera then?" and the guy's like, "no, what is it? am I sitting on it? Is it on my head?" So, Bill goes into this lengthy explanation, the friend changes his order to steak and they both end up boozing so much that Bill says they eerily mimic the symptoms they were trying to avoid.
haven't read that one yet.... my mate recommended it several years ago.
Mar 15th 2010 | 2:54 pm
#34
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,612
From: Canada->WA->Melbourne
Re: Things that bite?
I think that if you are from the UK, the bites and stings are just from wasps, bees (more rarely) and midges..and you can go walking in woods without fear you will disturb snakes...and swimming in the sea (if you can stand the cold) without any fear of sharks or dangerous fish....and thats why we are pretty worried about all the stuff in Australia. Oh and ants do bite, but they aren't exactly agrressive I know I am concerned about all the dangerous stuff, its another whole set of things to teach your kids about and I think mine definitely would be anxious..
I know I'm not saying anything new here, I'm just saying its hardly any wonder we would be bothered since all the dangerous stuff is totally outsdie our previous experiences...
I know I am concerned about all the dangerous stuff, its another whole set of things to teach your kids about and I think mine definitely would be anxious..I know I'm not saying anything new here, I'm just saying its hardly any wonder we would be bothered since all the dangerous stuff is totally outsdie our previous experiences...
When you know what to do to minimize risk, then you just get on with your life. We were just at the beach two days ago. It's great this time of year...not boiling hot anymore. And we're outdoors a lot...mostly mornings and evenings. Sure, there are some unpleasant critters here, but it's not usually a problem. I had more mozzie bites living in Canada than here. And there's been tons of wasps and bees about, but my last sting was in Canada as well.
As for the snakes, my neighbors go for bush walks all the time. They've rarely seen them and say that the noise and vibration of humans tromping through the bush usually sends them in the opposite direction. The only snakes I've seen was a dead one, but it sent ME in the opposite direction...at full speed. I didn't bother checking if it was dead and my neighbors nearly busted a gut laughing at me.
Mar 15th 2010 | 3:44 pm
#35
Mostly Harmless
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 15,111
From: Semi-rural wonderworld, Brisbane
Re: Things that bite?
Snakes ... yes (in the house too) ... Redbacks ... yes (since removed) ... Mossies ... hell, yes (but it's getting colder ... hoorah!) ... Bluebottles ... yes (I'm not a big one for the beach anyway).
Does it bother me? No.
More likely to get totalled by a tailgating 'ute on the M1.
Does it bother me? No.
More likely to get totalled by a tailgating 'ute on the M1.
Mar 15th 2010 | 5:10 pm
#36
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 402
From: NSW
Re: Things that bite?
Looking to move to Perth next year, son has fear of spiders and snakes. Are there many in that area or is it in the bush??Are mosquitos a problem at dusk? Are sharks and box jellyfish just on East side? God my family are right wimps, so thought I'd better check it out.
I was worried for the dogs mainly but commonsense really and it's not a problem.
Mar 15th 2010 | 5:33 pm
#37
Banned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,855
Re: Things that bite?
Take all the deadly wildlife in OZ snakes, spiders, jellysish, crocs, sharks and so on, they only kill around 10 people a year compared to 1,600 in car accidents per year in OZ .
Last edited by mohogony; Mar 15th 2010 at 6:10 pm.
Mar 15th 2010 | 5:40 pm
#38
Banned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,855
Re: Things that bite?
I think that if you are from the UK, the bites and stings are just from wasps, bees (more rarely) and midges..and you can go walking in woods without fear you will disturb snakes...and swimming in the sea (if you can stand the cold) without any fear of sharks or dangerous fish....and thats why we are pretty worried about all the stuff in Australia. Oh and ants do bite, but they aren't exactly agrressive I know I am concerned about all the dangerous stuff, its another whole set of things to teach your kids about and I think mine definitely would be anxious..
I know I'm not saying anything new here, I'm just saying its hardly any wonder we would be bothered since all the dangerous stuff is totally outsdie our previous experiences...
I know I am concerned about all the dangerous stuff, its another whole set of things to teach your kids about and I think mine definitely would be anxious..I know I'm not saying anything new here, I'm just saying its hardly any wonder we would be bothered since all the dangerous stuff is totally outsdie our previous experiences...
Last edited by mohogony; Mar 15th 2010 at 5:51 pm.
Mar 15th 2010 | 7:27 pm
#39
Home Sweet Home
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 5,128
From: Surrey, England
Re: Things that bite?
oh, and when you get here, be careful of the fish that you eat.
If you are unlucky enough to be served meat from a big reef fish, and that fish has ciguatera, then you'll be vomiting for days, in pain all over, stuck in bed with exhaustion, hot things will feel cold (and vice versa), and you may start hallucinating.
Doctor will tell you "no alcohol for 12months" (I reckon that's worse than the actual poisoning symptoms).
Oh, and there's no cure. You've got it for life and this is the worst bit - for the rest of your life, each time you get drunk, there's a good chance you will experience the initial poisoning symptoms again.
But these are just little things. Australia is great !
If you are unlucky enough to be served meat from a big reef fish, and that fish has ciguatera, then you'll be vomiting for days, in pain all over, stuck in bed with exhaustion, hot things will feel cold (and vice versa), and you may start hallucinating.
Doctor will tell you "no alcohol for 12months" (I reckon that's worse than the actual poisoning symptoms).
Oh, and there's no cure. You've got it for life and this is the worst bit - for the rest of your life, each time you get drunk, there's a good chance you will experience the initial poisoning symptoms again.
But these are just little things. Australia is great !
You learn something new every day.
Mar 17th 2010 | 5:57 pm
#40
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 498
From: Carramar, Perth, WA
Re: Things that bite?
Spiders lots off Redbacks
Cockies just remove them from the house
Snakes none
the most deadly things are the bloody Magpies in nesting season
Cockies just remove them from the house
Snakes none
the most deadly things are the bloody Magpies in nesting season
Mar 17th 2010 | 7:34 pm
#42
Account Closed
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,708
Re: Things that bite?
oh, and when you get here, be careful of the fish that you eat.
If you are unlucky enough to be served meat from a big reef fish, and that fish has ciguatera, then you'll be vomiting for days, in pain all over, stuck in bed with exhaustion, hot things will feel cold (and vice versa), and you may start hallucinating.
Doctor will tell you "no alcohol for 12months" (I reckon that's worse than the actual poisoning symptoms).
Oh, and there's no cure. You've got it for life and this is the worst bit - for the rest of your life, each time you get drunk, there's a good chance you will experience the initial poisoning symptoms again.
If you are unlucky enough to be served meat from a big reef fish, and that fish has ciguatera, then you'll be vomiting for days, in pain all over, stuck in bed with exhaustion, hot things will feel cold (and vice versa), and you may start hallucinating.
Doctor will tell you "no alcohol for 12months" (I reckon that's worse than the actual poisoning symptoms).
Oh, and there's no cure. You've got it for life and this is the worst bit - for the rest of your life, each time you get drunk, there's a good chance you will experience the initial poisoning symptoms again.
Mar 17th 2010 | 7:36 pm
#43
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 8,390
From: Canberra
Re: Things that bite?
Most painful bite I ever had was from a bull ant (note - do not walk in the bush in thongs [Aus variety!]) and my FIL was allergic to them so had to carry an epipen with him whenever he went bush.
