Nahhhhh, not Orstriya, Orstraaaaya, ya dill! 
Behold! The dread Austrian Crocodile!
Behold! The dread Austrian Crocodile!
Not to make too much fun of the poor girl who died but,
I think it would have been a more amazing story if three tourist had gone swimming in that billabong in the middle of the night and NOT been eaten by a croc.
To translate into Aussie: Its Chocker-Block with Crocs mate!!
Not sure if it’s conected, but am I the only American Doper who first heard of Vegemite in a song by an Australian band named Men Without Hats?
I’d think more of us first heard of it in a song by an Australian band named Men At Work.
(Did they mention Vegemite in Safety Dance?)
[sub]Land Down Under is the song you were thinking of, yeah?[/sub]
Darwin, are you on commision from Dread Co or something?
All animals are harmless, usually, context is everything.
For example. Many years ago, I was on a wildlife holiday in Costa Rica. It was such a popular holiday that I was the only person on the tour. Which was great, 'cos the guide (an Americna expert on bats, Richard Laval) was a great chap and incredibly knowledgable. Anyway, as we walked through the forest, we regularly saw snakes on the track, sunning themselves. They always slid of unconcernedly as we ambled by. I asked Richard if there were any poisonous snakes in Costa Rica. Yes, her replied, just one species, which is green with yellow stripes. Just then (well maybe not, but it has more dramtic impact if I say “Just then”), we saw a yellow and green snake on the track.
Is that one, I asked. No, replied Richard. Note that there is one yellow stripe running along its body, not many around it. The snake is often mistaken for the poisonous species and killed on that account. It is completely harmless.
To demonstrate, Richard picked the snake up. Not right behind its head but about a third of its body length along. The harmless snake swung its head round and bit Richard on the ball of his thumb. Hard, painfully and wouldn’t let go. Poor Richard. Like a good biologist he refused to bash the snake against a rock to kill it and instead entertained me by jumping around, shouting words like “Ooh, ooh, oh fuck, bugger, that hurts” while waving his hand around. The snake seemed to refuse to let go until the blood from Richard’s hand interfered with its breathing.
Me? Well, I had hysterics. I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to photograph Richard. But the image of him dancing around, shaking his hand with a “harmelss” snake chewing his thumb will always reamin with me.
So, remember folks. It’s not the animal you watch that’s dangerous. It’s the one you poke.
Crikey! Me arm!!
Is it just me, or does it seem like Germans and Nature just don’t seem to mix?
Things I associate with Australia:
Olivia Newton-John, koalas, kangas, salt water crocs, sharks, reefs, the Australian Symphony House, Patrick Rafter (mmm! Patrick Rafter), Crocodile Dundee, Fr. Ralph de Bricassart, Crocodile Hunter, shrimp on the barbies, surfing, and Ayers Rock.
So basically “crocodile” makes the list 3 times in one way or another. Are Germans not acquainted with pop culture? Geesh.
I mean, you don’t have to be from the U.S. to know that one doesn’t walk in Central Park at night.
A good friend of mine was almost killed by a baby garden spider.
See, she was driving, and it dropped down on a filament right in front of her face, and she almost careened off the freeway into a twisted heap of flaming death.
But instead, because it was 3 a.m. and nobody else was on the road, she screeched to a safe albeit extremely sudden stop and jumped out of the car and danced around making “geeba geeba” noises while shaking out her hair.
So, yeah, context is everything.
Recently (can’t find the newspaper link now) a man was nearly killed in Florida by an alligator. He was swimming after dark, in a wild river, with two dogs(AKA alligator ice cream). Now, the news media made much of the fact that there were no signs posted warning of alligators. WTF? Must every half mile of every wild area be posted with warning signs? One could almost predict that swimming in a Florida river, after dark, in the company of dogs, would result in an alligator attack.
As TheLoadedDog said: “Use your noggin!” A little common sense in wilderness areas usually prevents disaster. The drop-bears, however, may be a different matter. They seem quite crafty, the way y’all describe them…
The attack of the dread Withlacoochee 'gator.
Er…sorry. Got carried away there.
I think this quote from the article is, perhaps, the most telling:
Surely this is not secret knowledge.
Bravisimo! Darwin’s Finch! That was a superb display to carry on that gag that long.
You’ve done jolly well PunditLisa in fact, you’ve outclassed me with your knowledge of all things Orstralyan, and I’m a true blue Aussie…
Who the hell is Fr. Ralph de Bricassart? I’ve never heard of the dude, and I’m assuming he’s a bloke 'cos of the Fr. in front of the Ralph bit.
What’s his ‘claim to fame’?
Stealing Darwins thunder
Thank you yojimbo.
And thinking of The Thorn Birds, I thought of another thing I associate with Australian: sheep.
I wonder if any tourists have been killed by a sheep?
Only tourists from New Zealand, but the sheep were all acquitted, given the circumstances.
Apparently the tour guide said it would be ok and that they were just freshwater crocks.