# Australia - not nearly that deadly, why not come visit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 31, 2009, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176 "2009-12-31T10:11:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/21 "2009-12-31T18:34:54Z")
> [@](#): > > nly a couple of croc maulings That sounds good till unless of course you’re one of the two that is mauled 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/22 "2009-12-31T18:52:39Z")
I survivied my two trips to Oz with only a stubbed toe and a minor sunburn. The only wildlife I had issues with were the flies. Even with one of those hat/net things those little buggers can drive you crazy. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/23 "2009-12-31T22:46:16Z")
> [@Girl\_From\_Mars](#): > > The [results](http://www.theage.com.au/national/how-australias-killer-critters-scored-in-2009-20091231-lksp.html) have been announced, and 2009 has not been that bad at all really: > > So where the bloody hell are you? 😉 But how many clueless tourists drove their rental cars into the Outback and were never heard from again? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/24 "2009-12-31T22:52:57Z")
It’s mid-winter on my planet, plus there are Black Widow spiders all around the house anyway, so those funnel-web spiders only mildly terrify me. Soon’s I get the money saved, I’m there! ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/25 "2009-12-31T22:55:18Z")
I would really (really) like to travel to Australia someday, perhaps long-term. It’s definitely at the top of my list of places to visit. I’ll admit part of it is for this very reason. Perhaps this is due to the bias of the US media, but it seems like Australia is just hanging out in its own little part of the world. No underwear bombers. No conservatives screaming against UHC in one breath while advocating Medicare in the next. You get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/26 "2010-01-01T00:06:00Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > But how many clueless tourists drove their rental cars into the Outback and were never heard from again? 😉 Well, There was that American? dufus about 10 years ago that tried to bicycle across the desert outback (not even staying on the main paved road). Amazingly, they found him like a month or two later and way much thinner and tanner. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/27 "2010-01-01T00:23:19Z")
> [@MovingTarget](#): > > Someone want to clue me in as to what the hell a “drop bear” is. [youtube drop bear](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULEQpUY_crc) ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/28 "2010-01-01T00:23:19Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > I visited the outback a fortnight ago – visiting my father’s home town of Hay. They had a total fire ban there, so setting fire to a goat using a magnifying glass would get you into serious trouble. Play it safe, and use an unlit goat. 😃 Did you leave at night and make Hay while the sun shines? (Sorry. So sorry.) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/29 "2010-01-01T00:23:50Z")
I’m sorry, but I refuse to go to a place where even the [trees are out to get you.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrocnide_excelsa) > [@](#): > > The sting can last for months. Seriously, fuck that shit. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/30 "2010-01-01T00:25:11Z")
> [@hobscrk777](#): > > I would really (really) like to travel to Australia someday, perhaps long-term. It’s definitely at the top of my list of places to visit. I’ll admit part of it is for this very reason. Perhaps this is due to the bias of the US media, but it seems like Australia is just hanging out in its own little part of the world. No underwear bombers. No conservatives screaming against UHC in one breath while advocating Medicare in the next. You get the idea. No, we just have the Mad Monk, Tony Abbot. \ But we do have UHC, which is nice. I’m neverever going back to the US to live. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/31 "2010-01-01T00:26:57Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > There have been no cases of a baby eating a dingo for some months now: Australian boabies have been trained to eat sharks and crocodiles instead. Oi! Bruce! Put down that shark mate, ye’ll ruin yer tea! Yer mum will be madder than a cut snake if yer do that! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/32 "2010-01-01T09:18:20Z")
Sorry, **New Zealand** is beautiful, small enough to take in on a vacation, has no plants, animals or insects that wish to see me dead, and there are, reportedly, hobbits around. If I ever have the money, that’s where I’m going. My luck, I’ll have a layover in Australia and every funnel web in the country will gravitate toward me. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@I\_Have\_Hippos\_In\_My\_Garden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Have_Hippos_In_My_Garden)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/33 "2010-01-01T10:18:57Z")
Australia and New Zealand are by far my most favourite countries in the whole world. And throughout the two months I was there I didn’t see one creepy crawly. Apart from the lemon flavoured ant I ate. Yum 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/34 "2010-01-01T11:51:12Z")
I’ve lived in Australia for ten years, and I haven’t even seen a deadly creature anywhere near me. I have seen absurdly large insects and spiders the likes of which make my head spin, but those were not dangerous. And kangaroos and cockatoos and echidnas are all over the place, too, but again they’re pretty much harmless. I’m kind of disappointed that I have yet to see a snake of any kind, even though I’ve stamped around in a lot of countryside spots where they supposedly hang out. ---
**Author:** ![Shawn\_K\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Shawn\_K\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn_K_1)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/35 "2010-01-01T12:50:29Z")
I lived in Australia for about a year, it was an interesting year and good place to visit, especially as Canadian, although nearly everyone thought I was Irish for some reason. Going back in about a week as well for a short two week visit. I would consider moving there but it seems rather expensive to get a Permanent Residency then citizenship unless one gets married. Anyone know of an easy and reasonably cheap way to do it besides being married? ---
**Author:** ![lynne-42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lynne-42/32/3138_2.png) [@lynne-42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynne-42)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/36 "2010-01-01T13:15:49Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I’m kind of disappointed that I have yet to see a snake of any kind, even though I’ve stamped around in a lot of countryside spots where they supposedly hang out. We have four of the deadly snake species in the bush which surrounds our house. We had a tiger snake the back porch a few days ago. That shook me up a bit. We see a few each year. But the fact is that everyone in this semi-rural area has snakes galore around their houses and I have never heard of anyone dying, and rarely even being bitten. A few sensible precautions and you are pretty safe. Our spiders haven’t killed anyone for decades now. There is plenty of time to get to anti-venom on the very rare occasion someone gets bitten. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/37 "2010-01-01T13:51:49Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Sorry, **New Zealand** is beautiful, small enough to take in on a vacation, has no plants, animals or insects that wish to see me dead, and there are, reportedly, hobbits around. If I ever have the money, that’s where I’m going. > > My luck, I’ll have a layover in Australia and every funnel web in the country will gravitate toward me. This should be their new tourism campaign. “As long as you are visiting beautiful New Zealand, you may as well come visit us.” ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/38 "2010-01-01T14:14:13Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > This should be their new tourism campaign. “As long as you are visiting beautiful New Zealand, you may as well come visit us.” Or “Our spiders haven’t killed anyone for decades now!” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/39 "2010-01-01T15:17:38Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > That sounds good till unless of course you’re one of the two that is mauled 🙂 I thought it was pretty funny that at the top of the article it just said ‘maulings’ but down near the bottom you find out they actually were killed, and presumably eaten. The term was ‘taken’ by a croc. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176/40 "2010-01-01T16:01:25Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > And kangaroos and cockatoos and echidnas are all over the place, too, but again they’re pretty much harmless. Judging from the number of kangaroo carcasses along the road, 'roos represent a very real danger to unwary drivers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australia-not-nearly-that-deadly-why-not-come-visit/523176.md?page=3)