Nice place to visit but....

[flagreen]

... not sure I'd want to live there. Australia that is.

No question, its beautiful and the people seem great. But the killer wildlife is just too much for me. Watching cable TV for years now I have learned the following... They have killer snakes (10 deadly kinds I think), killer crocs (both flavors fresh and saltwater), Dingos the steal babies and eat people, killer toads! (If you suck them apparently), Funnel web spiders that will kill you. You're not safe in the water either with Great White sharks, poisonous sea snakes and tiny Box Jelly fish that are waiting to kill you. No kidding I'd be afraid to leave the house.

 

[LunarMist]

Compared to what? In AZ there are plenty of dangerous animals in the desert. In the US humans are the main danger, killing and wounding far more people than wild animals do.

 

[CougTek]

You're safer in Australia than any of my neighboors.

 

[flagreen]

Compared to what? In AZ there are plenty of dangerous animals in the desert. In the US humans are the main danger, killing and wounding far more people than wild animals do.

First of all my post was not intended to be taken seriously. I'm not sure if you took it as criticism or not at any rate I certainly did not intend it as such. As for the US I don't think you really need to be worried about being shot unless you visit or live in the inner city. It is tragic what crack cocaine has done to the young people who live (and die) there. Drugs, money, guns and killing go hand in hand unfortunately. Legalizing drugs would be a big step towards improving the situation imo. I don't own any guns nor does anyone in my family. I have never felt the need to have any. My guess is the majority of American's don't own guns either.

 

[flagreen]

You're safer in Australia than any of my neighboors.

How so?

 

[CougTek]

Let's just say that I have a bad temper.

 

[time]

Fishing today, I see, Bill?

To be fair, the probability of encountering one of the many nasties is actually very low indeed, particularly for a city dweller. The weird part is just how many different nasties there are, and how lethal they can be (in theory anyway).

I mean, fire ants are a big deal here, and so far they're only a new threat that the authorities are trying to keep from spreading. My impression is that they're widespread in the USA. We have ants that individually are nastier, but they don't normally attack in such numbers.

 

[flagreen]

Fishing today, I see, Bill?

To be fair, the probability of encountering one of the many nasties is actually very low indeed, particularly for a city dweller. The weird part is just how many different nasties there are, and how lethal they can be (in theory anyway).

I mean, fire ants are a big deal here, and so far they're only a new threat that the authorities are trying to keep from spreading. My impression is that they're widespread in the USA. We have ants that individually are nastier, but they don't normally attack in such numbers.

The variety of what you have down in Oz is overwhelming. We don't get a balanced picture here because all the nasties are sensationalized to get folks to watch TV shows about them. Based on those shows you'd think it a miracle anyone is left alive down there!

Fire ants are a real problem here in Florida. Alligators are everywhere these days as well. We have a few snakes you have watch out for but nothing like what you have in Oz. We have a real problem with invasive species endangering the native wildlife too. Burmese pythons are taking over the Everglades.

 

[LunarMist]

If you look at the death and injury rates from animals, even in Australia I suspect it is not that high compared to other causes.

 

[BingBangBop]

It is tragic what crack cocaine has done to the young people who live (and die) there. Drugs, money, guns and killing go hand in hand unfortunately. Legalizing drugs would be a big step towards improving the situation imo.

I would contend that the current big problem is Meth, not crack (or any form of Cocaine).

From what I could tell, you are not just in favor of legalizing Marijuana but also the harder drugs. Legalizing drugs does not fix the drug problem it will massively aggravate it. The easier and cheaper drugs are to access, the more people will get addicted and thereby much less productive. It merely helps with some of the correlated social ills like theft and violence. But it expand other social ills that costs society like health care and decreased productivity.

Assuming legalization, it seems to me, that since the cost of fixing drug addicted people is so high it would make good marketing sense to the addiction centers to simply give away meth to school children. Because the drugs are cheap, get them addicted as early as possible to increase your market for fixing the addiction. Make it legal and cheap so that the only thing anyone thinks about is getting their next fix. Good solution, don't you think...

 

[Chewy509]

I've always liked this map...

As time mentions, within the major cities there is little to worry about... About the worst is an angry possum, but those tend to shy away from humans. Spiders can be found around the place, but the normal precautions apply...

Around where I am, we do get the occasional brown snake (due to the farm land) and a few spiders, but nothing too serious. oh, and we do get the occasional drop bear as well... ;-)

When I've been out camping/hiking, I haven't come across too many things to worry about in my time. The rare sighting of a snake (normally brown's, king brown's or taipans), a few spiders here and there, but nothing to worry about. It's only when you get into very remote areas that things become an issue. Mind you, some of the stuff Steve Irwin did on his shows was reckless and sensationalist with some of the animals he came across, but I won't let that discourage from the good work he did... For a more realistic view of the Australian bush, watch a few shows by Malcolm Douglas.

 

[LunarMist]

Cool map. :cheers:

 

[time]

I thought some practical examples might add color to the thread.

I'd like to kick it off by introducing the Cassowary (video), probably the world's most dangerous bird. There's only about 2,000 left; they're the only bird with body armor; each male likes to carve out a 1700 acre territory and they can run through dense forest at 50km/h.

Here's a picture of one 'in full flight', i.e. delivering a flying karate kick with its 5" blade-like talons.

www.odditycentral.com

 

[flagreen]

I thought some practical examples might add color to the thread.

I'd like to kick it off by introducing the Cassowary (video), probably the world's most dangerous bird. There's only about 2,000 left; they're the only bird with body armor; each male likes to carve out a 1700 acre territory and they can run through dense forest at 50km/h.

Here's a picture of one 'in full flight', i.e. delivering a flying karate kick with its 5" blade-like talons.

www.odditycentral.com

Amazing!

 

[Howell]

Prehistoric is right!

We have urban turkeys now. Beware the cassowary who moves onto your block.

 

[LiamC]

Tourist (looking at river): Mate, are there any sharks in there?
Aussie: No...
Tourist (jumping in for a swim): Cool...
Aussie (under breath): Crocs ate 'em all...

 

[time]

Cure little Puffer fish sure ain't cuddly

 

[LunarMist]

Pufferfish tastes pretty good.

 

[sdbardwick]

Tingly if done right, deadly if not...

 

[LunarMist]

I haven't noticed any tingles, whether cooked or uncooked.

 

[Santilli]

Nasty little buggers. Some not so little. I thought they were cute as well. Problem is they don't get along well with others. The others have to be huge, and armour plated themselves.
Plecostomus do well with them:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Plecostomus_700.jpg

 

[Santilli]

I tried keeping these little green puffers. Food was torn to shreds, mainly blood worms.
http://freshnmarine.com.sg/blog/puffer-fish-freshwater-fish-fact/

Sensitive to conditions and didn't live long. Hyperactive.

Video above is worth watching. Puffers feeding are fascinating, since it's so juxtaposition to their cute appearance.

Yes, they nipped fins and started killing my other fish.

 

[time]

Cassowary pushes tourist over the edge (and into the water)

 

[Stereodude]

It seems the wildlife really is out to get people in Oz. :rofl:

 

[Bozo]

Not knowing what exactly a Cassowary was, I Googled it. Seems it has the reputation of being 'the world's most dangerous bird' :-o

 

[Mercutio]

A dangerous bird.

 

[LunarMist]

Not knowing what exactly a Cassowary was, I Googled it. Seems it has the reputation of being 'the world's most dangerous bird' :-o

Don't they have cassowaries in many zoos down there, or are they so coon that nobody wants to see them in a zoo?

 

[Chewy509]

Don't they have cassowaries in many zoos down there, or are they so coon that nobody wants to see them in a zoo?

Every zoo within 200km of me has at least 1, with most having more than 2.
(Currumbin - 2, Dreamworld (technically a theme park, but they have a small zoo area) - 2, David Flea's - 1, Alma Park - 2, Australia Zoo - 2).

 

[Mercutio]

At least some parts of Oz are, uh, hospitable: Most awesome worker's comp claim EVAR.

 

[ddrueding]

At least some parts of Oz are, uh, hospitable: Most awesome worker's comp claim EVAR.

That is awesome.

 

[Handruin]

Wow.