Help am I being stupid

[Lazy Cow]

I agree with everyone, but then I am a crawly-suck-up!

Just like to add that lots of us walk around bare-foot and are ok! Kids are taught which creatures to be wary of, so I'm sure they'll be fine. We know people that have had encounters with creatures they wish they hadn't and some who have never so much as seen a snake!

Before we came, I'd imagined a place where you couldn't sit on the grass, or get into bed /use the bathroom without checking for 'things'! but it's fine. Really.

And after all, if it were that bad here, everyone would be trying to get out, not in!

LC

[Bromwich Family]

Hi Tina & Eddie
We wish you all the best for the end of the month, where are you heading for?

Sarah xxxx

[Bromwich Family]

Hi LC

I can't believe that all those things you put there about sitting on the grass and the bathroom is what I fear in my head every day! It is good to find out that it's not just me that has these pre aus thoughts!

Thanks for that, it has helped me loads.

Hope you are enjoying your new life!

Sarah x x

[eddie&tina]

Hi Sarah
We're going to the sunshine coast in Brisbane. Roll on the next 24 days. Can't wait.
Tina and Eddie

[The Broughtons]

I am not a creepy crawlie lover and I hate spiders but since being here I have found I am interested in seeing things. If OH comes in and says there's a spider in the garage, I may venture out and have a look. We now compare the spiders we have seen - is it the biggest, ugliest etc. I still freak out a bit though - sitting on the loo having checked every where for spiders and then seeing the huntsman on the back of the door where I didn't check certainly made me jump. (Must add this wasn't in my house, it was a public toilet at Arthur's Seat!)

Felicity

[Jo&Rich]

Hi, we're on the Gold Coast, and as yet have only seen cockroaches and some geckos near our flat! I have a 4 year old son, 3 year old daughter and 14 month old son, so am also worried, especially as we will be moving soon and will hopefully have a garden. We went to Australia Zoo a few weeks ago, and they put on a show, where they have the kids repeating after them things like if you see a snake, what do you do? Don't touch, stand still. My kids also watch the Wiggles Wiggly Safari DVD a lot, where the message not to touch animals is put across really well- may be worth a look. They've been here three months now, and the older ones seem to get the idea, look but don't touch. The baby is a different matter of course. Everything goes in his mouth, and all you can do is watch out, and check out where they are playing first.
Jo x

[Quoll]

I really think you are getting strung up about nothing at all. You are planning to live in suburbia not out in the bush and, really, Victoria is very bland - you dont get some of the nasty things that reside in other parts of the country.

Everyone has red backs - I have been here 29 years nearly and only ever seen half a dozen and most of them were in the woodpile at my son's place and he does live out in the bush (like WAY out in the bush, no sealed roads etc). The other spiders are probably more frightened of you than you are of them and even white tails wont attack you - unlike the Sydney funnel web which does NOT live in Victoria!

Most of the ants are harmless - the big sugar ants can give you a nip but they arent poisonous, the only ones that are nasty and you can have a reaction to are the bull ants and you dont see many of them in suburbia either.

Would you believe that the things that bother Aussies the most (because they can kill you!!!) are European wasps? I kid you not. Aussies get paranoid if they even think they see one, and they call out the pest controllers.

And dont get me started on snakes - I repeat, you are going to be living in suburbia, it's like getting panicked about seeing an adder in Bermondsey. Not going to happen! I have seen about half a dozen in all the time I have been here and ALL have been out in the bush and all of them were more scared of me and slithered away - except for the one I saw that was roadkill!

As the parent of young kids I can guarantee that you will become much more paranoid about letting them out in the sun without their sunscreen, hats and sunnies on!

[Lazy Cow]

Originally Posted by Bromwich Family

Hi LC

I can't believe that all those things you put there about sitting on the grass and the bathroom is what I fear in my head every day! It is good to find out that it's not just me that has these pre aus thoughts!

Thanks for that, it has helped me loads.

Hope you are enjoying your new life!

Sarah x x

Hi Sarah,
Just goes to show, doesn't it?! I bet you do still check at first though...

This is one of the great things about the forum - you bare your soul with your concerns/worries/feelings...then find you really aren't the only one with them!

Yes, we all enjoy our life very, very much! And so far, only my stupid husband has been bitten by anything. In pain he panicked*, went along to the hospital, was given antibiotics and an alcohol ban (), and told that if it should happen again, to mosey along to his doctor rather than dash to the hospital.

LC
*In fairness, he waited several hours before shooting down to A&E.

[gilliantay]

Hi Sarah,

I have been in Oz three times and I have only encountered 1 spider...........unfortunately it was a Huntsman (a baby one) and the bad thing was that it was in the bedroom - the corner of the ceiling. I was quite happy to leave it as it was minding its own business but OH had other ideas and sprayed the poor thing to death. He put it in a jar so that he could show it to everyone in the morning.
Now this was a big deal for us (him really) but everyone else just shrugged their shoulders.
I suppose they are used to creepy crawlies and no doubt through time we will get used to them aswell !!!!

Probably not the reply you were wishing for ........ but had to share it with you (no point in lying)

Gill