Lambethlad

I don't like killing anything but it is necessary in the case of cane toads. They are so toxic they will kill anything that eats them. They are taking a devastating toll on native wildlife as they spread across northern Australia especially the goanna population. The skin of the adult cane toad is toxic, as well as the enlarged parotoid glands behind the eyes, and other glands across their backs. When the toads are threatened, their glands secrete a milky-white fluid known as bufotoxin.Components of bufotoxin are toxic to many animals; there have even been human deaths due to the consumption of cane toads. Bufotenin, one of the chemicals excreted by the cane toad, is classified as a class 1 drug under Australian law, alongside heroin and cannabis. The effects of bufotenin are thought to be similar to those of mild poisoning; the stimulation, which includes mild hallucinations, lasts for less than an hour.As the cane toad excretes bufotenin in small amounts, and other toxins in relatively large quantities, toad licking could result in serious illness or death In addition to releasing toxin, the cane toad is capable of inflating its lungs, puffing up and lifting its body off the ground to appear taller and larger to a potential predator. Poisonous sausages containing toad meat are being trialled in the Kimberley (Western Australia) to try to protect native animals from cane toads' deadly impact. The Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation has been working with the University of Sydney to develop baits to train native animals not to eat the toads. By blending bits of toad with a nausea-inducing chemical, the baits train the animals to stay away from the amphibians.

This should give you a few ideas.

Good luck. Darwin is expensive. Stayed in a serviced 3BR apartment last year for 4 nights cost of $220 a night. Loved the weather, beach market and casino and it's close enough to Bali to go there for the weekend. AFL is big in Darwin don't know about football and rugby. Met poms working in bars and casino. As long as you can find nice accommodation at a reasonable price you should enjoy it. You really need a car that's cheap to run as the Territory is huge and lots of driving is involved if you want to see everything.

England now ranks 22 out of 24 countries rated for literacy. The top five countries in literacy were Japan, Finland, the Netherlands, Australia and Sweden. http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/435429/England-trails-world-on-literacy-levels-and-Labour-is-to-blame

Market is getting overheated here in Carrum Downs (34kms south east Melbourne). Several houses in the 350-400k range have sold in a matter of days.

I'm surprised, I would have thought WA would have been the fastest growing state. Most people on PIO seem to be heading there.

I hate Hawthorn so I will be cheering for Freo but it will be very tough for them. The whole thing seems so wrong that Hawthorn gets to play in their home town on their home ground. Why can't they play the game on Sydney?

Have a look at Moama. It's a bit closer to Melbourne on the Murray River. On the other side of the river is the large Victorian town of Echuca. It's a nice place with lots of tourism revolving around the old paddlesteamer boats, wineries and food. Lots of Poms are retiring there. We are going back there for the Riverboats Music festival. http://riverboatsmusic.com.au/echuca-moama/

Good luck to Fremantle, I really hope they smash Hawthorn.

I'm not a wine snob so I bought a few bottles of Gossips wine both red and white at Dan's. Only $3.99 a bottle. It was quite nice.

That's not as silly as it sounds. In 1980 I was camped near Darwin there was a group of aborigines camped nearby. They had cooked up a big pot of kangaroo stew and they asked me if I wanted some. I was broke and hungry so I joined them. I asked who had shot the kangaroo and was told it was a roo they had run over. For road kill it was damn tasty.

This is the best site for motorcycle sales. http://www.bikesales.com.au/ You have to be brave to use a bike as a daily commuter in a city like Melbourne. Oz is a great place for riding once you get out of the cities. The Great Ocean Road is very popular as are the mountain roads in north east Victoria.. Avoid riding on country roads after dusk as Kangaroos and Wombats are nocturnal. My brother-in-law had a long stay in hospital after hitting a wombat.,

Just been reading about Abbott on Wiki. We now have another British PM. He was born in London and came here by boat in 1960 as a three year old with his family on assisted passage. He trained as a Catholic priest. May the Lord have mercy upon us.

Didn't anyone see the excellent "The Slap" on ABC TV last year. It's about the repercussions following a child being slapped at a backyard BBQ. Well worth getting a copy from your local ABC shop. Here's the trailer.

Abbott is a dangerous reactionary. He will be put into power by the Murdoch press who have run a relentless disrespectful campaign against Gillard and now Rudd. Sad that people are so gullible to believe Murdoch's propaganda. Oz is one of a handful of countries in the world with a AAA credit rating. Labor had done a good job. managaging the economy during tough times.

As the vast majority of Australians are of British descent does that mean only thick Poms come here?

And if you go a bit further north you come to this. My favorite part of Victoria. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bdjyDrNgKY

If he's guilty Rolf should rot in jail for the rest of his life. Age, wealth and celebrity should make no difference.

It's caused by all those Poms arriving and supply not keeping up with demand. There are much more affordable places in Oz. Friends recently bought a near-new house at Pakenham in Melbourne for $270,000.

Definitely Melbourne. Great for pubs, music, arts, theatre, festivals. Great beaches and wineries for summer and in winter there are nearby ski resorts.

Got a ticket in this Cairns house lottery which is drawn today. This would do me nicely. Just waiting for the phone call.

The most dangerous animal in Oz is the horse. [h=2]Animal related deaths in Australia:[/h] During the 10 year period in question there were 254 deaths in Australia identified as animal related. Let’s see who is responsible, starting with the biggest culprits: Horse, pony or donkey – 77 deaths Cow, bull or bovine – 33 deaths Dog – 27 deaths Kangaroo – 18 deaths Bee – 16 deaths Shark – 16 deaths Snake – 14 deaths Crocodile – 9 deaths Ostrich or emu – 5 deaths Others, including fish, sheep, goats, camels, cats and jellyfish – 39 deaths The actual cause of these fatalities varies with top of the list being falling off a horse, pony or donkey, followed by being crushed or trampled by one. These creatures along with cows, bulls, kangaroos, ostriches, emus and bovine animals were also responsible for a good number of motor vehicle accident fatalities between them, over 50 in all.

The most "fun" job I ever had was working at Falls Creek. After dark it's one big party. All the nice girls love a ski instructor (that's what I told them I was). So you better hurry - the snow season only lasts another month or so.

And 100% of B Grade British celebrities and has-been rock bands want to come here. There's big bucks to be made here doing TV ads and judging talent shows. Even dear old Status Quo who nobody under the age of 50 has ever heard of can make millions here.

Rising house prices reflect people's growing optimism and confidence which has to be a good thing for Oz. There is plenty of affordable houses for the first home buyers. It's just young people aren't content to start off in a "renovators delight" like their parents did. They go to a display village and sign up for a McMansion and pay it off for the next 30 years. The older, cheaper housing is bought up by investors for the rental market.