Tourism levels down...

[bluey]

Well, that's what I'm expecting to read after seeing the news bulletin the other night talking about the dangerous spiders found around our part of the world THE SIZE OF THE PALM OF AN ADULT HAND.  Yikees!  Scary even for me!

[Matt Newham]

Please - you're scared of the itsby bitsy spider?  In Australia, we have the 17 deadliest SNAKES, the world's deadliest spider (the Sydney Funnelweb), crocodiles, Tasmanian devils, Americans, and a whole lot of other dangerous and deadly creatures!

(Please note that the comment about Americans was purely in fun - no offense to any of them...)

[bluey]

Please - you're scared of the itsby bitsy spider?  In Australia, we have the 17 deadliest SNAKES, the world's deadliest spider (the Sydney Funnelweb), crocodiles, Tasmanian devils, Americans, and a whole lot of other dangerous and deadly creatures! 

I am in Australia...except for the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, I've got no idea who has such big spiders!  They are ridiculously close to where I live;  they are about 200 km away.

[Roxanne]

I 'met' an Aussie spider a few weeks ago, Bluey. Not as large as the horrors you mention (remind me never to go anywhere near where you live  ), but a nasty little bugger all the same.

It was a whitetail, and it gave me a nip on my lower leg that's stll festering and oozing (and hurting) weeks afterwards. I'm on antibiotics because the bite got infected, which I've read (self-diagnosis via the internet is a wonderful thing  ) often happens with these dirty little bastards. I hope the boot I whacked it with gave it as much grief as it's still giving me 

[idgat]

.... and a whole lot of other dangerous and deadly creatures!

What, you mean politicians?

[Matt Newham]

Idgat, I perceive that you are an Australian with a comment like that...of course politicians fall into that category.  On the topic, it looks like the leadership of our federal opposition is about to change hands for the second time since the last election (third if you include John Howard bowing out) - I don't mind Kevin Rudd, but honestly people, could you at least give the man a reason to get out of bed in the morning?  He could currently win an election without a campaign!

[bluey]

I 'met' an Aussie spider a few weeks ago, Bluey. Not as large as the horrors you mention (remind me never to go anywhere near where you live  ), but a nasty little bugger all the same.

It was a whitetail, and it gave me a nip on my lower leg that's stll festering and oozing (and hurting) weeks afterwards. I'm on antibiotics because the bite got infected, which I've read (self-diagnosis via the internet is a wonderful thing  ) often happens with these dirty little bastards. I hope the boot I whacked it with gave it as much grief as it's still giving me 

The newspapers have had many articles reporting just like what's happened to you.  So many spiders, so little antidote.  As I've dated a Herpetologist in my youth, I really felt I've done my job in helping fix this problem.  Please don't ask me to remember the jars of red backs, the breeding cycles of snakes, of any other stuff.  Densey Clyne I'm not.  And I still have a morbid fear of snakes..."this baby red-belly is by far the most beautiful of all creatures" - who could love a man like that!!!

[Matt Newham]

The only reason Australians think that the red-bellied black snake is beautiful is because the runner-up in the all-Australian beauty contest is the cane toad!

[sierraoscar]

I'd love to go to Australia - it sounds great - except the only thing that puts me off is the spiders and snakes, etc.   Having said that, a few years ago I went to Zimbabwe and somehow managed to escape unharmed - and there were loads of horrible, creepy things there, very, no massive spiders, etc. and apparently snakes too (though I didn't see any thank goodness).   Honestly, I can't imagine what I'd do if I saw a snake (die on the spot with any luck!!!!!).

[Matt Newham]

Really, if you go to urban Australia, you've got precious little to worry about - in the time I worked in Brisbane city (a tad over five years), I don't remember seeing any snakes, any spiders, any rodents, and the Americans and politicians weren't too dangerous either.  Since my move out to the country (hence my recent month-long sabbatical from the site), the snakes and spiders have become more common (no Americans or politicians, and currently no rodents), but still haven't killed/eaten/insulted the mothers of anyone in the time I've been here.  Really, folks - it ain't all that bad!  Besides, most people don't come to Australia because of snakes and spiders - it currently looks more like they come for Jennifer Hawkins, Miranda Kerr, Bindi Irwin and Hugh Jackman!

[sierraoscar]

That's good to know.    One day maybe I might get to Australia.

I live in York, it's a small city, but ful of history and beautiful buildings, etc.    One of the main industries is tourism - they come all year round but it seems to get busier around Easter and then into summer.    I know that's a good thing but it gets so bad it makes it difficult for us residents

[Matt Newham]

For a second there I thought your post said that you lived in a small city called NEW York - whoops!

An interesting anecodote for you - while I was in the bathroom this week, I turned to look in the mirror, and there, crawling down my hair and about to reach my face was a spider!  In a knee-jerk reaction, I slapped at him (I later found out it was a her), slightly aiming to the side to knock it off my face rather than sqaush her.  She went flying to the floor, on to my pyjama shirt.  I picked up the shirt expecting to see a daddy-long-legs - and then I saw the red stripe.  Yep, I'd just had a female redback spider (I believe they're also called black widow spiders) wondering down my face.  She promptly got washed down the kitchen sink, while I quietly gave thanks that she hadn't had a chance to bite me - if memory serves, the female redback is the second most venemous spider in Australia after the Sydney funnelweb (which is the deadliest spider in the world).

[sierraoscar]

Ha ha! Yes, York often gets overlooked in the wake of New York - I don't know why, it's been around much longer    Everytime I search on the Internet for stuff and put in York, I get inundated with things relating to New York - even when I specify UK only.

I think I would have freaked out if I'd seen a spider crawling down towards my face! and a black widow at that!   Gives me the creeps just thinking about it.