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Healthrisks travelling in Australia?



 
 
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  #21  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 03:01 AM
Peter
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In article , Ken Pisichko says...
This DOES kill people. I remember driving in OZ in 1971 (after I had been
there for several months) somewhere in the middle of Queensland wondering why
the approaching car was on MY side of the road - I was in the wrong. You have
to keep your mind on driving on the LH side of the road if you car coming from
North America.


It's the narrow outback roads that'll get you. With line markings and
divided roads on the major (and minor) highways, you should be able to
keep on the correct side of the road. But when it shrinks to a single
lane of bitumen and passing cars have to put a wheel onto the shoulder,
or it's totally unpaved, well, it gets a bit more problematic. The
sudden appearance of an oncoming car at a bend or crest and the foreign
driver reflexively pulls to the right-hand side of the road, at the same
time as the oncoming driver reflexively pulls to the same side.

There's another place where oncoming traffic can be a little tricky, and
that's on Fraser Island, where the long ocean beach is an officially
gazetted road. In general, traffic keeps to the left, but sometimes,
depending on the waves and the firmness of the sand, cars will pass each
other on left side to left side. The protocol is to indicate which way
you are going with your blinkers and there is usually no problem because
visibility is excellent and you can see oncoming traffic for kilometres
in advance.

Pete, noting that it's that 0.001 percent of the time that will get you.
  #22  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 03:05 AM
wolf
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Peter wrote:
In article , Mike
McBain says...

ozexplorer writes:


Are there any special health risks in Australia I have to prepare myself
for? I will just travel a few weeks there. Any recommendation is greatly
appreciated.


Murray Valley encephalitis, Ross River Virus, Q fever.
Taipan, tiger snake, sea snake, king brown snake, red-bellied black snake.
Funnel-web spider, wolf spider, trapdoor spider, red-back spider.
Sal****er crocodile, great white pointer shark.
Various types of 'stinger jellyfish', irukandji.
Giant Queensland stinging tree.

There's more, but those are the main ones.



We lose about five people a year (out of twenty million) from all of the
above combined. Make sure you look both ways before stepping off the
kerb.


He's right. One of the closest brushes with death I've had was looking
the wrong way and stepping into the street in front of a speeding car
that missed me by inches.
  #23  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 03:05 AM
wolf
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Peter wrote:
In article , Mike
McBain says...

ozexplorer writes:


Are there any special health risks in Australia I have to prepare myself
for? I will just travel a few weeks there. Any recommendation is greatly
appreciated.


Murray Valley encephalitis, Ross River Virus, Q fever.
Taipan, tiger snake, sea snake, king brown snake, red-bellied black snake.
Funnel-web spider, wolf spider, trapdoor spider, red-back spider.
Sal****er crocodile, great white pointer shark.
Various types of 'stinger jellyfish', irukandji.
Giant Queensland stinging tree.

There's more, but those are the main ones.



We lose about five people a year (out of twenty million) from all of the
above combined. Make sure you look both ways before stepping off the
kerb.


He's right. One of the closest brushes with death I've had was looking
the wrong way and stepping into the street in front of a speeding car
that missed me by inches.
  #24  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 03:30 AM
Dave Campbell
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"Peter" wrote in message
T...
In article , Dave
Campbell says...
* Traffic. Coming from Europe, you're probably used to looking to the
right
as you step out onto the road.


Probably not. Do this in Europe and you won't pass on your genes.
Evolution in action.

This doesn't work in Aus. Look left. Obvious,
when you think about it...


Not as obvious as you think!

trouble is, you might not think about it until
you hear the screach of tyres and torrent of abuse.


Look both ways, but be aware that when you step off the kerb, the
traffic is generally going to be coming from your right, unless it's a
one-way street or similar oddity.

Oops.... you are, of course, correct. Look right. Left is for Europe/US.
Left+right+behind+above+down manholes is for bicycle couriers. I've been a
little disoriented lately ;-)


  #25  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 03:30 AM
Dave Campbell
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"Peter" wrote in message
T...
In article , Dave
Campbell says...
* Traffic. Coming from Europe, you're probably used to looking to the
right
as you step out onto the road.


Probably not. Do this in Europe and you won't pass on your genes.
Evolution in action.

This doesn't work in Aus. Look left. Obvious,
when you think about it...


Not as obvious as you think!

trouble is, you might not think about it until
you hear the screach of tyres and torrent of abuse.


Look both ways, but be aware that when you step off the kerb, the
traffic is generally going to be coming from your right, unless it's a
one-way street or similar oddity.

Oops.... you are, of course, correct. Look right. Left is for Europe/US.
Left+right+behind+above+down manholes is for bicycle couriers. I've been a
little disoriented lately ;-)


  #26  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 06:05 AM
Peter
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In article , Dave
Campbell says...
Look right. Left is for Europe/US.
Left+right+behind+above+down manholes is for bicycle couriers.


grin
  #27  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 06:05 AM
Peter
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In article , Dave
Campbell says...
Look right. Left is for Europe/US.
Left+right+behind+above+down manholes is for bicycle couriers.


grin
  #28  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 09:57 AM
Road_Hog
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"Dave Campbell" wrote in message
...

"Peter" wrote in message
T...
In article , Dave


Oops.... you are, of course, correct. Look right. Left is for Europe/US.
Left+right+behind+above+down manholes is for bicycle couriers. I've been a
little disoriented lately ;-)


Left is for Europe, unless of course you are in England, Scotland, Wales or
Ireland.


  #29  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 10:26 AM
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On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 13:53:46 +0100, ozexplorer
wrote:

Are there any special health risks in Australia I have to prepare myself
for? I will just travel a few weeks there. Any recommendation is greatly
appreciated.
cheers,
marc


If driving in country/outback, watch out for overseas tourists who
stop on blind bends and crests of highway to excitedly take
photographs of their first sighting of the various froms of
wildlife.....

Happened to us as we were coming back from Uluru, a couple of young
tourists in the usual kombi bus had stopped just around a blinfd bend
in the MIDDLE of the road to take photos of a wild camel passing
by.....

Please do not do this..... it is very dangerous.....

Tony
  #30  
Old January 3rd, 2005, 07:32 PM
Ralph Holz
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Watch out for the drop bears!

First thing I thought of, too. You were too fast for me.

R
 




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