You’ve picked your spot, following our safety tips from part 1. Now to consider all the dangerous beasties that they warned you about in the office! Everyone thinks about snakes, spiders and drop bears; whilst we’ll mention them, they don’t feature at the top of our list of things to be prepared for:
To get yourself off the ground, these hammocks from nakie.co are super light, and so easy to take out into the bush with you. They’re also made from post-consumer recycled drink bottles!
Ants
One of the most numerous animals on the planet, and Australia is home to billions of them. Unlike our fabulous native stingless bees, these guys pack a punch! Our best advice- watch wear you sit, and try and get off the ground if possible. Hammocks, picnic rugs, chairs or logs are definitely safer than sitting in the grass to eat your lunch!
Leeches
Silent, hard to see, and almost impossible to feel until AFTER they latch on, you’ll find these creepy crawlies anywhere with a bit of moisture. However, they’re easy to get rid of – just breathe, slide your thumb nail underneath the bitey part, and scrape then flick them off. They also hate insect repellant, and apparently, vegemite! If you’re staying at Willow’s Retreat and forget your bug spray, we have more on hand in our ‘Extras’ shop.
Ticks
Walking through long grass from Spring to Autumn, and there’s a chance of picking up one (or more!) of these buggers. Again, you’re unlikely to feel them initially, but you’ll notice them within a day or two. Wearing long trousers and sleeves can help, as well as insect repellant.
Mozzies
Bug spray, cover up and fly nets- need we say more? Most Aussies are used to dealing with flies, so we’re not going to try and teach you to suck eggs! There’s some great advice on all of these from ASCIA here – well worth a read/watch!
Spiders
Honestly, leave them alone, and they’ll leave you alone too. The only really dangerous spider we have in Australia is the Sydney Funnel Web. Now, don’t get me wrong, you REALLY don’t want to be bitten by one of these bad boys (yes, the males are more venomous than the females in this case.) Best advice – don’t leave things lying around on the floor, or go walking around barefoot, and the risk is minimal.
Reptiles
Yes, you might see a snake. And yes, it might be highly venomous. But no, you’re not food to them, and they don’t want to waste their precious venom on pointlessly biting a human. Give them plenty of space, stay nice and still, and they’ll leave you in peace. It is worth carrying a snake/spider bite bandage in the bush – here’s how to apply one. You’re more likely to see a goanna, especially if you leave food lying around, and they certainly can bite you, Again, give them a wide berth, and they’ll get bored and wander off…
Leave any food lying around, and you have a fair chance of attracting one of these beautiful lace monitors. But they pack quite a bite (and scratch) – just ask Lyndel here about how that feels!
Are there any other creatures that worry you? Certainly the sounds of koalas or possums in the trees can be scary at night, but we love them…
