Re: Jumping the ditch
 

:lol: no way could I stand those sort of temps, tell her to move up here!

oh I know! they're all over Brisbane, can't move for the crocs on Queen St. but they tend to go for small children and emus so I'm relatively safe.

I'm seriously thinking about setting myself up in the crocodile leather business, I could turn a tidy profit you think?

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

See, you joke but the thing about the snappers, biters and stingers of Oz isn't so much that you're at great risk (your risk of car fatality on the way to the beach is much greater than your risk of shark attack, for example), just that you adjust your life to reduce the risk and for some people that's more of an inconvenience than for others.

For example- one of the things my husband does with the kids is what they all call "explore walks" and involves just crashing around in the woods/ bush, climbing trees, hiding in shrubs, building dens etc. In Australia this kind of freedom *IS* curtailed by the beasties- the bush behind our house had redbacks and Sydney funnel webs and we saw snakes there more than twice. It didn't put us off walking on trails with boots and long socks but it did prevent that sort of outdoor fun 3/4 of my family enjoy. On our recent trip to Oz we did a bushwalk to the coast but hadn't really factored for it being quite so overgrown in parts and we only had sandals on ... I got an enormous shock when a lace goanna ran out across the path about a handspan from my foot (awesome to see- felt very lucky but it was a probably best part of metre from nose to tail tip so I nearly pee'd my pants). We turned back because the bush got denser and the kids and I were in open toed sandals (silly of us- but we were just driving along and spotted the track) and we were with an Aussie who agreed with our call, so we knew we weren't being soft. So it's not that the risk itself poses a problem because it's easy to reduce the risk of contact with nasties, but sometimes the things you have to do to reduce that risk are a shame and don't really apply to living in NZ. People always say they've never seen anything of concern in Oz, but then I think they must live very differently to us because in our many trips and short spell living there we've been pretty lucky and seen a bit.

We are mindful about swimming at dawn and dusk in Oz, too. And of course it's all very well and true to point out that in most places it's only really too hot for a few weeks at best, but the shame is those few weeks tend to be over the school summer hols and when the days are longest. It's not for nothing that Australian kids spend some of the highest average hours indoors.

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

IMO in either country you're more at risk from the sun every day than you are from the critters but you do have to learn to adapt to the environment.

I've not had a single poisonous spider in my house here but was bothered by White Tails in New Zealand, this is because here my windows and doors are screened and I take in washing as soon as it's dry.

My kids camp rough in bush bivs and one has shared a barn with a python (http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...on#post9749934) whilst there are obvious dangers the only untoward happening to date (touch wood! ) has been getting rained out.

Not swimming at dawn or dusk is sensible because you know there's a greater risk of shark attacks at those times, but it's also wise because there's no lifeguards on duty to haul you out of a rip.

Sharks don't respect territorial waters. A tagged Great White going by the name of Marina was caught in Manukau Harbour last year and was also picked up in the Kaipara.

People know not to swim in the canals on the Goldie because of the Bull Sharks, in Sydney there are Funnel Webs which means I'd not walk around in bare feet on grass down that way, whereas here I do it all the time.

The rip will get you at Surfers every bit as much as it will at Piha so take nothing for granted and be sensible no matter where you are.

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

It would appear that money is your main choice for moving to oz, you could have saved a few $$$ by going to oz in the first place instead of flying over it and going to nz
The croc market is pretty much sorted, you may well have missed your chance there
Good luck in your quest for the money grail.

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

You are surely joking.................aren't you?:unsure:

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No, why would I? (but I will clarify and say living in Auckland, Wellington - not just anywhere)

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

Yet you bizarrely chose Queensland which pretty much sucks at most of your requirements in comparison to Sydney/Melbourne.

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

I can't understand why anyone would put a toe in at Piha- I've seen Piha Rescue twice and that was enough :D

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

PS wish I'd known about your wheelie bin tip- got a fright one day there too!
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=602222
And it was taking washing in to fold that resulted in a huntsman landing plop on my chest!

Honestly, have you not seen much? I've been to Oz 6/7 times- twice for a few months- and we've met a common brown on the Glass House Mountains (that was prolly the biggest fright as it was pissed to meet us), several green tree snakes on bush walks (not bothered by them), heaps of Redbacks (Anna Bay, Port Stephens has the soil type they like apparently), Sydney funnel web, St Andrew's Cross and Golden Orbs. My second evening living in NSW I had a scorpion crawl out onto my ******' leg much to the absolute hilarity of our Australian rellie who was with us. I'm like a wildlife magnet.

Oh, I've also seen sharks in the surf at Birubi Beach, but then that's not so uncommon I've heard, as it's a nursery area.

I also got reasonably badly stung by a blue bottle (I wasn't in the water- just paddling!) that managed to get wound round my ankles and was pretty uncomfortable getting my husband to remove it. I was scarred for months but it was a very pretty scar like I was wearing anklets.

And of course I was lucky recently to see the lace goanna :)

None of it puts me off Australia, I like wildlife- and I agree the sun is the biggest risk and is actually a worse risk here in NZ, imo- but you do adjust because of it and I'm always surprised when people say they've seen almost no wildlife.

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Am off out now, will reply to you later in the day.

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

Mate, I spent 8 very long years in Auckland. Since moving to Perth in 2003, the time has literally flown by. Despite a blip of homesickness, which was cured after a very short move back to NZ.:huh:

Life is good here.:)

We are all different though, but to say that living in Perth is "definitely"not better than living in NZ is a very sweeping statement that I, for one beg to differ. I'm not looking to argue, just wanted to express a differing opinion. I don't even know how I finshed up looking at this page. LOL

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

I've seen plenty of wildlife. We share our road with jack rabbits, wild turkeys and ducks and are woken each morning by Kookaburras, or by crows bouncing on the tin roof, at night the possums and bats can make a racket. There are some roads I won't drive at night because of suicide wallabies and I take care when going into sheds, garages etc. and pause after opening the door because of snakes, huntsmen and rats....none of which I want dropping on me or running over my foot. I won't walk through long/uncut grass and everyone round here keeps theirs very short.

The nasty critters aren't a deal breaker for me, but if you're into doing a lot of activities out bush, or are a very keen swimmer who likes to live dangerously, your chances of meeting something harmful increases greatly. My kids do a lot of stuff outdoors and they've picked up ticks and leeches but nothing more serious, thank god.

Despite your many encounters you've not suffered any ill effects and that's a testament to your own good sense and preparedness for the situations you've placed yourself in. You must be doing everything right.

I know no one who's been bitten by a snake and only one person who's suffered a red back bite but I've heard of people losing cats to pythons. I'd say that in an everyday situation people are probably more at risk from other people's dogs than they are from the native fauna.

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Depends on what line of work you're in and we did have the chance to go to both those places. I like them both but the reason why we decided on QLD was because of the climate and the easier lifestyle. It's important to get the work v. life balance right and this seemed a good place to raise kids too.

Mikey-T I've never been to Perth but now I'm tempted to.

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

Beat me too but the kids used to love it, scared the crap out of me :rofl:

Re: Jumping the ditch
 

If my motivation was money I'd be back in NZ wrangling rocking horses, raising hens and making $275k a year.

Or living in Sydney.