I just watched a news segment on Anmerican TY about an Australian man (a diver looking for a specific kind of of ocean fish or other aquatic "product") who survived a shark attack a week or so ago. Seems that the man's entire head was at one point in the shark's mouth, but he managed to grab its eyeball and cause it so much pain that it let go. In his interview, he was so matter of fact in his account of the situation, reminding of similar interviews with Australians that I have seen. Thet all struck me as inspiringly strong, independent and capable people, who showed "amazing grace" under pressure. It made me want to post this, my personal contention, that Australians are just an amazing group of people! If you Aussies didn't have nine of the ten most poisonous snakes in the world in your country, I think I would come for an extended visit. Salut!

Gretas, you should come to Australia for a visit!

Just because we have all these poisonous animals doesn't mean you would be in any danger. I've lived here for decades and have never seen a snake in the wild (only dead on the road or in zoos).

Actually I probably saw as many poisonous animals in the five years I lived in America as in the almost 45 years I've lived here!

A few years ago, I took a hiking holiday in Western Australia, and an old 'Crocodile Dundee' type of guy taught me how to recognise the difference in sound made by snakes and lizards as they moved through undergrowth. I never actually found any snakes, and they never found me either, though I did come across some pretty big lizards - and very beautiful they are too! I share the late Steve Irwin's view that creatures needn't have fur or feathers to be beautiful. Unless you creep up and take them by surprise most creatures, including snakes will move out of your way, and you won't even see them.
My wife was stung by a bluebottle jellyfish on the Great Barrier Reef, but apart from a short duration pain, suffered no ill effects. You're probably more likely to be trampled by a herd, or whatever the collective noun is, of kangaroos than bitten by a snake, so don't be put off visiting this fabulous country!

According to this page you can have a herd, a troop or a mob of roos.

Quote:

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mob of roos

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That`s going to scare a few people.

Latest Breaking News....Several tourists were assaulted today by a mob of noisy opinionated roos.......

I never saw a snake in Australia either, so don't worry about that, Gretas. Watch out for those kangaroos though, my aunt got kicked by one when she was a kid.
You should definitely go and check Oz out. You'll love it, I promise.
And I have to agree with you by the way, Australians are amazing people, and I just love the accent.

Here are a couple of quotes from Bill Bryson's "Down Under". They are from when he spent time at the beach.

The first one is on the advice he is offered if caught in a rip tide.

"Just keep your wits. Don't try to swim against the current. Swim across it. And if you're still in trouble, just wave your arm like this" - she gave the kind of big, languorous wave that only an Australian could possibly consider an appropriate response to a death-at-sea situation.

The second is from when they are in the sea and a possible swarm of Portuguese men-of-war jellyfish are sighted.

"Dangerous? No," Deidre replied now as we stood gawping, "but don't brush against it".
"Why not?"
"Might be a bit uncomfortable".
"I looked at her with an expression of interest bordering on admiration. Long bus journeys are uncomfortable. Slatted wooden benches are uncomfortable. Lulls in conversations are uncomfortable. The sting of a Portuguese man-of-war is agony. It occurred to me that Australians are so surrounded with danger that they have evolved an entirely new vocabulary to deal with it."

It makes me want to visit Australia because of the people, but it sort of puts me off of swimming in the ocean - not that I was keen in the first place.

I love Bill Bryson, Sal In it he drives right past my place to get to another town and I was so cheesed, wish I'd known!

I live where there are quite a few snakes and have had a couple of close calls with them but they are so flighty that unless you're actually chasing after one, or corner it, they're going to run away.

Well, it seems that I've been unnecessarily concerned about the snake issue. But I don't want that topic to overshadow the original one that inspired my initial post--that Aussies strike me as pretty amazing people. I k now I'll get down there someday, too. Next vacation, probably. This summer's slated for Copenhagen, Denmark where my precious granddaughter Liva (just so you know, I'm a young grandmother...only in my forties, thanks lives. But I can't wait to meet some Australians in the flesh; I'm sure I'll be the better for it.

Back in 1990, when I was pregnant with Coolcat90, we had an exchange student from Denmark (Europe) for a year. She was a fantastic kid and we are still in contact. She's now a mother of three. While she was with us, we made sure we took her to see our Denmark, south of Perth. Quite a contrast!

By contrast, not far south of Denmark, the 'Oz' one that is, there's a town called Walpole. I was working in the UK electricity industry at the time, and we had a large electricity substation at Walpole in Norfolk, England. The Australian Walpole is considerably larger than the UK one, and again I sent a postcard to the guys based there!
Both are pretty locations, if you forget the UK substation that is, and worth a visit.

Hmmm, since I am arriving in Australia on the 5th April, I shall be directing a special request in the direction of St Patrick next Saturday. I have also bought some long trousers and cycle clips , which I shall wear even when swimming, don't care what you say.

Australia is the only country I would even consider moving to permanently. Were I loaded (monetarily, although the other sort would contribute as well), I probably would have given it a go already.

She should be easy to pick- it is not often we get visiting members of the Hong Kong underwater cycling team!

Well, blame Sue. She advised me to get the cycle clips.

FDL . . . haven't seen a 'Joe Blake' in nearly 20 years (we live in a very 'horsey' area of south east Queensland) so you better hang out with the nags whilst your Down Under Ren, seriously . . . snakes don't like horses (and vice versa)