Gonig on holiday to Australia, here are a few things to know

ILLYRIAN

ILLYRIAN

Druish Pervonian Wizard
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When you go for a walk in the forests beware of the scary bears that inhabit the tree tops, the ones known as Drop Bears, them is nasty little buggars.

When you go for a drive you might like to know that many of the roads are designated one way only, either that or you are going the wrong way.

Please note that the speed signs are in Km.p.h. not m.p.h. As I found out 50 mph is about 80kmph.
When I first came here from England I couldn't understand why everyone drove so slowly, it took me 3 weeks to figure that out.
 
Australia has crocodiles, 23 of the 29 most poisonous snakes and enough types of spider that will kill you that I wouldn't worry about drop bears. Even if it didn't, the drop bear hoax has been milked by Australian comics long enough.

It's kilometres per hour here as well but I could never get used to driving on the left - I have driven in Barbados and England and it is annoying to not be able to just drive on autopilot. Otherwise, the only scary part of driving are the road trains.
 
We don't have a coyotes though! Or smelly beaver skunks.

Hoop snakes are more deadly than drop bears 😉

We have to drive slow cos the roads are crap, and crawling with wildlife. Hit a pot hole while passing a road train, and you're likely to flip into a spider filled drain with a half rotted Roo.
 
Oh really, Australia does not have 23 of the 29 most poisonous snakes, none of those 23 snakes are poisonous, well, unless they bite you of course. I failed to understand why no mention was made of most of Australia's inland riverways that once had sharks in them. But there are none now, the crocodiles have eaten them all.
 
4srs I feel like the Sun is really down played by some. It get bloody hot, deadly hot. While the heat is "Dry heat" and reasonably comfortable around 38C/100F, when we get over 40C people perish. I have read 4 reports in the last month of deaths and near deaths from people not prepared for dehydration and heat stroke. We have not even started summer yet.

Not to mention skin cancer.... I would approximate about 80% of people I know over 50 years of age have had skin cancer removed. I know a family who recently lost their father a few hours after he had his minor skin cancer removed - autopsy is still being processed but they suspect the medication used caused a heart attack, and a delay in ambulance services was also a contributing factor in his death (other states have paid paramedics, this state does not and the newspapers are all reporting that there is a serious shortage of paramedic volunteers - the ambulance service is free for the richest population over east, we pay over $800 for any call out on the west, where is that cash going? Cos its not going to the first responders).

Plus, regional hospitals do NOT keep snake and spider anti-venom in regular stock and there has already been a death this season because of this.

The mosquitoes do carry viruses and they have not yet identified all of the viruses present in the country - yet are adding more viruses to the population without proper testing. Tick borne viruses are denied by the medical community but they have been identified as individual to this country. We are also warned not to go in the rain after periods of dry due to ancient diseases that live in the soil. Cyclones continue to bring these things down to unprepared communities. Water is regularly contaminated due to low rainfall. A flu can wipe out huge numbers in rural areas despite vaccines and it is actually a massive threat to life while it would not be else where.

It is NOT an easy place to live (outside of the wealthy inner city), and people need to be prepared when visiting or migrating. Aussies are tough nuts and that is generally underacknowledged because of our "no worries" attitudes.
 
Better be careful when you see this:

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That explains it then I have often seen the Kangaroos in the next field and I felt the need to refer to them as * f------ kangaroos*, and yes I do mean flaming!
 
Odd when you think about it but how do you keep the area clear of places where snakes can live. Burning the long grass was problematic this year as the rain stopped me doing the burning near my house, getting the grass cut with a whipper snipper is hard and expensive. plus raking the area is full of negatives; you rake all on the ground toward you.
Then you have to hope the right medicines are available locally.
 
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