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#11
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Advice re Katoomba & Spiders!
Not the Karl Orff wrote in message ...
uh no, You are perpetuating myths. No one has been killed by wolves in Canada for a generation or 2. Dogs, definitewly, dingoes definitely, but not wolves. Oh, that does it. I'm never going north of the border again--Cujo the Dingo might kill me! Back to the question of dangerous critters... Yes, there is an amazing diversity of them in Australia. But I think the real problem is that people tend to leave their common sense or alertness behind when they go on vacation. Kathy my guess is that BC has poison ivy/oak/sumac, or venomous spiders, or hornet nests, etc. Yet both you and your nephew are still alive. The odds are strongly in your favor of returning from Australia unscathed as well--provided you don't assume "I'm on vacation! I can poke around blindly under rocks!" If you're really worried, go ahead and do a quick bed check for peace of mind (even here in North America, summertime means I do a quick night check for earwigs on the sheet and mosquitoes on the walls, and a quick morning check for spiders before I take a shower) and use a flashlight if you head to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Nancy |
#12
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Advice re Katoomba & Spiders!
"Tony Bailey" wrote in message
... "Not the Karl Orff" wrote in message news:canwine- I wager more Aussies die from spiders in..... 6 months than Canadians from wolves in the past 20 years For those interested in snake bite treatment - http://www.rfds.org.au/monographs/snakebite.pdf I liked the following section: Snake bite sometimes follows alcohol consumption. This can make initial management difficult. Stories of drunks and snakes abound, and a favourite true one is of a drunken man who was bitten by a Brown Snake and so returned the compliment. He arrived in casualty holding a well-chewed snake and promptly collapsed, having succumbed to the combined effects of alcohol and snake venom. LOL! Tom P.S. On my last rtip to Australia, I saw 4 snakes, all of which I think were Tiger Snakes. This was during a 10 day trip to the SW corner of WA. We came across them hiking, and in all instances they slithered away very quickly - they were not going to hang around. Of course, we took the precaution of walking with very heavy footsteps when we were in or near long grass or thick overgrowth. This paper seems to suggest that snake bite treatment is so advanced in Australia, that, if you must be bitten - Australia, in the vicinity of a hospital, is probably the safest place to have it happen - BTW 2.6 deaths per year - MVA about 3 000! -- Tony Bailey Mercury Travel Books |
#14
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Advice re Katoomba & Spiders!
Hey thanks Peter, Nancy and everyone for your input. Basically, we'd
been "talked to" about Australian spiders from an old Australian ex-patriot. That, and a few Australian flora/fauna websites basically scared the bejeezus out of my nephew and it took hold of us. But, I thought seeing as this is an information newsgroup, I'd risk sounding too silly and pose a spider question. Done. Many thanks again. Yes, we have creepy crawlies here in BC but not huge hairy ones that jump so many feet. Egads. Anyhow, we do plan on hiking in the gumtree bush in Katoomba. I'll follow up on the sites different folks have suggested. It's really been a pleasure and I hope to use this great service again soon if we think of anything that needs some good Aussie advice... Kindest Regards, Kathy in BC Peter Webb wrote: I had never seen a funnel web spider until we put a swimming pool in our backyard - now I fish 2 or 3 out of the pool every year. Nor had I ever seen a snake in the suburbs; I dragged one out of the pool filter box last Xmas day. Not bad for 12 kms from the centre of Sydney! (Am I making you feel any better yet?) As Tony and the others said, you have essentially zero chance of dying from spider bite. About 2 or 3 people in Sydney are bitten each year (Sydney is the centre of the funnel-webs range); there have been no deaths at all since about 1970 when an anti-venene was discovered. I doubt a tourist has ever been bitten by a funnel web, let alone died from a bite. Redbacks are less of a concern, as they are not as poisonous - typically only children and the elderly are at real risk of death if bitten. Despite the overseas image of Australia as inhabited by spiders, snakes, sharks, crocodiles, box jellyfish, baby-eating dingos, blue-ringed octopusses and serial killers (he seemed a nice man, but kept to himself a lot), Australia would have to be one of the safest countries in the world for inhabitants and visitors alike. Chill, and remember to drive on the left when you are here - that really will kill you a damn site faster than any spider you may find in your underpants. "Kathy Garner" wrote in message news:%xfoc.66$RM.40@edtnps89... Hi, I've another question. We'd like to visit Katoomba. Could anyone reccommend a good place to stay that would range from 120-170 a night for 6 people? Like most people, we're trying to do things on the cheap but a lot of the websites for Katoomba list very expensive accommodation. Also, my nephew is freaked out about Australian spiders and thinks there will be one lurking under each blanket. What is it with the spiders anyhow? They'd be deep in the bush, right? He thinks we have to be extra cautious or something. Now he's got my mom worried and it's getting contagious. What's the real story? Thanks. Kathy in BC, Canada |
#15
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Advice re Katoomba & Spiders!
"Tony Bailey" writes:
"Not the Karl Orff" wrote in message news:canwine- I wager more Aussies die from spiders in..... 6 months than Canadians from wolves in the past 20 years For those interested in snake bite treatment - http://www.rfds.org.au/monographs/snakebite.pdf This paper seems to suggest that snake bite treatment is so advanced in Australia, that, if you must be bitten - Australia, in the vicinity of a hospital, is probably the safest place to have it happen - Because treatment with antivenene is now the norm, and is highly effective. Even the exceedingly neurotoxic venom secreted by sea snakes can be treated with the antinvenene for the land-based tiger snake. Same deal with funnelweb bites. Not many deaths from sea wasps these days, either. Most jellyfish stings can be neutralised with vinegar, which is why you see large plastic bottles of the stuff on beaches along the east coast. But there's always sal****er crocodiles. Crocodylus porosus still gets a few tourists every year. Mike McBain Melbourne, Australia |
#16
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Advice re Katoomba & Spiders!
Kathy - this a good general site put together by students at Charles Sturt University:
http://www.csu.edu.au/australia/ Jumping spiders - never in my 63 years have I seen one........... Be interesting tho'!!!! "Kathy Garner" wrote in message news:YVCoc.4071$j6.3251@edtnps84... Hey thanks Peter, Nancy and everyone for your input. Basically, we'd been "talked to" about Australian spiders from an old Australian ex-patriot. That, and a few Australian flora/fauna websites basically scared the bejeezus out of my nephew and it took hold of us. But, I thought seeing as this is an information newsgroup, I'd risk sounding too silly and pose a spider question. Done. Many thanks again. Yes, we have creepy crawlies here in BC but not huge hairy ones that jump so many feet. Egads. Anyhow, we do plan on hiking in the gumtree bush in Katoomba. I'll follow up on the sites different folks have suggested. It's really been a pleasure and I hope to use this great service again soon if we think of anything that needs some good Aussie advice... Kindest Regards, Kathy in BC Peter Webb wrote: I had never seen a funnel web spider until we put a swimming pool in our backyard - now I fish 2 or 3 out of the pool every year. Nor had I ever seen a snake in the suburbs; I dragged one out of the pool filter box last Xmas day. Not bad for 12 kms from the centre of Sydney! (Am I making you feel any better yet?) As Tony and the others said, you have essentially zero chance of dying from spider bite. About 2 or 3 people in Sydney are bitten each year (Sydney is the centre of the funnel-webs range); there have been no deaths at all since about 1970 when an anti-venene was discovered. I doubt a tourist has ever been bitten by a funnel web, let alone died from a bite. Redbacks are less of a concern, as they are not as poisonous - typically only children and the elderly are at real risk of death if bitten. Despite the overseas image of Australia as inhabited by spiders, snakes, sharks, crocodiles, box jellyfish, baby-eating dingos, blue-ringed octopusses and serial killers (he seemed a nice man, but kept to himself a lot), Australia would have to be one of the safest countries in the world for inhabitants and visitors alike. Chill, and remember to drive on the left when you are here - that really will kill you a damn site faster than any spider you may find in your underpants. "Kathy Garner" wrote in message news:%xfoc.66$RM.40@edtnps89... Hi, I've another question. We'd like to visit Katoomba. Could anyone reccommend a good place to stay that would range from 120-170 a night for 6 people? Like most people, we're trying to do things on the cheap but a lot of the websites for Katoomba list very expensive accommodation. Also, my nephew is freaked out about Australian spiders and thinks there will be one lurking under each blanket. What is it with the spiders anyhow? They'd be deep in the bush, right? He thinks we have to be extra cautious or something. Now he's got my mom worried and it's getting contagious. What's the real story? Thanks. Kathy in BC, Canada |
#17
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Advice re Katoomba & Spiders!
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#18
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Advice re Katoomba & Spiders!
"Kathy Garner" wrote in message news:%xfoc.66$RM.40@edtnps89...
Also, my nephew is freaked out about Australian spiders and thinks there will be one lurking under each blanket. What is it with the spiders anyhow? They'd be deep in the bush, right? The most frightening spider [to visitors, that is] is the huntsman. This is a large rather hairy spider which is often found in houses. Large in this context means about the size of the palm of your hand. For most of the time they just sit stuck to the wall, but if approached [such as with a broom], they can move quickly. They are completely harmless, but boy do they look like the sort of thing Wes Craven would put in a movie about evil mutant spiders taking over the earth. Mike McBain |
#19
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Advice re Katoomba & Spiders!
On Fri, 14 May 2004 18:58:12 GMT, Mike McBain
wrote: "Kathy Garner" wrote in message news:%xfoc.66$RM.40@edtnps89... Also, my nephew is freaked out about Australian spiders and thinks there will be one lurking under each blanket. What is it with the spiders anyhow? They'd be deep in the bush, right? The most frightening spider [to visitors, that is] is the huntsman. Very frightening as well to us locals who are arachnaphobic (like me). This is a large rather hairy spider which is often found in houses. Large in this context means about the size of the palm of your hand. For most of the time they just sit stuck to the wall, but if approached [such as with a broom], they can move quickly. They are completely harmless, but boy do they look like the sort of thing Wes Craven would put in a movie about evil mutant spiders taking over the earth. My head knows they are harmless. I *know* they can't hurt me. I am still a quivering wreck when one is a few feet from me. Now deadly snakes on the other hand are another matter, I can handle them, even if not defanged, without a drama. It is just something about something with 8 legs, it ain't natural..... Dave ===== NSW Rural Fire Service - become a volunteer today. http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ |
#20
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Advice re Katoomba & Spiders!
Hey Dave,
Yup, that would be a amazing to see something so awful in one's house!Anyhow, I really doubt we will.... although someone's suggestion to take a flashlight to the bathroom at night gives me the creeps!!! We saw a huge snake on our journey to Echuca on our last trip. We weren't sure if it was alive or not but we knew not to get out of the car. I tossed a candy bar at it and it slithered off very quickly. We've got some great photos but wonder what type of snake it might have been. It was very large, long and probably about 2" in diameter and a brownish/grey colour. Believe it or not, it was a real highlight for us to have heard about the Australian snakes and to have actually seen one in the wild. I have a feeling my nephews want a repeat experience with a spider. I'm not so sure about that one.... Kathy in BC Dave Proctor wrote: On Fri, 14 May 2004 18:58:12 GMT, Mike McBain wrote: "Kathy Garner" wrote in message news:%xfoc.66$RM.40@edtnps89... Also, my nephew is freaked out about Australian spiders and thinks there will be one lurking under each blanket. What is it with the spiders anyhow? They'd be deep in the bush, right? The most frightening spider [to visitors, that is] is the huntsman. Very frightening as well to us locals who are arachnaphobic (like me). This is a large rather hairy spider which is often found in houses. Large in this context means about the size of the palm of your hand. For most of the time they just sit stuck to the wall, but if approached [such as with a broom], they can move quickly. They are completely harmless, but boy do they look like the sort of thing Wes Craven would put in a movie about evil mutant spiders taking over the earth. My head knows they are harmless. I *know* they can't hurt me. I am still a quivering wreck when one is a few feet from me. Now deadly snakes on the other hand are another matter, I can handle them, even if not defanged, without a drama. It is just something about something with 8 legs, it ain't natural..... Dave ===== NSW Rural Fire Service - become a volunteer today. http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ |
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