Jan 27 2008
Dangerous Creatures
Australia has been sitting more or less on its own for the last 200 million years.
After separating from the ancient supercontinent Pangea, lots of unusual life forms flourished.Some of them are cuddly, some bizarre, and some are just downright deadly.
The chances of running into one of our dangerous creatures are pretty slim. You have to get out into the bush, into the interior of this great flat dry continent, or go off- track up North to mingle with our exotic wildlife.
If you’re planning to ‘go bush’ there are plenty of reserves and guided tours to take you around safely. But there are beautiful areas of seeming tranquillity, especially on the long stretches of golden sands with not a trace of humans to be seen, that entice the unwary traveller.
Beware when you are on your own. Read the Signs on beaches. Never swim at night, and never swim alone. Don’t go up close to wild animals, and never ever feed wild animals.
Danger in the water
Some people are afraid of sharks, although the prospect of being attacked by a shark is only slightly more probable than a meteorite falling on your head. Unless you disguise yourself as a seal by zipping up in a wetsuit and bravely hurl yourself into a seal pack in waters known as shark feeding routes, you’re not going to end up taken by a shark. Read the signs on the beaches.
There is another reason for the signs on the beaches. Jellyfish. Little blobs of jelly which eject poison-tipped darts that can kill a child or give you a heart attack. The sign to your right warns of Box Jellyfish.
Another creature to avoid in coastal waters is the beautiful, but lethal, blue-ringed octopus. If you spot one in a tidal pool, admire such delicate elegance from afar, don’t pick it up. Likewise, if you see a stingray, keep your distance.
Like to shout me a cold beer?
