Australia is safe

You haven't mentioned dangerous psychopaths? If you read up on it, there have been quite a few. Joseph Schwabb the Kimberly Killer, Ivan Milat, Bradley Murdoch are stand outs. I'm watching that new Wolf Creek series now.... :-)
Still, the most dangerous activities for tourists are swimming and driving in a car when all is said and done. But how boring is that?

You forgot to mention the deadly DROP BEAR!
I haven't seen any, but I think I heard one once.

Don't tell them that .. otherwise they will all come here and be nowhere left to park or camp in the outback!!!! The biggest killer could well be the sun/heat of summer. It claims a few most years.

My experience is that most o/seas travelers simply do not believe the stories about Australias deadliest. Have see phone pics taken by proud French backpackers playing with a Taipan in the bush. Did not believe us about funnel webs or Crocs, openly laughed at us, everything was a joke to stir up tourists.
Have come upon that attitude quite a lot. Even have a German mate (Oz citizen) who does not believe in Crocs. He's been to the Cape and never saw one hence its all BS for tourists

Whilst you are taking great pains to convince travelers that Oz is quite safe, and it is if you know whats going on, I feel that the advising the opposite to the ignorant might be more productive.

Oh boy, I hope your not a travel agent equinox ;)

We shared our campfire with a German couple last winter and I was told of the level of fear generated in Europe regarding travelling in Oz.
This couple told us of serials killers, Dingo attacks and other events some of which we had not even heard of. Oops and yes, their favourite movie 'Wolf Creek'

Naturally, I then had to tell them about the ancient 'Camoolic' (spelling?) our legendary Australian creature that waits at the edge of the fire-light in the bushes .... waiting ....

..... the wife cut me off and offered a coffee to our guests. She told me later, "did you see their faces? they were terrified !

I couldn't keep a straight face.

I don't think the European level of paranoia is restricted to Europeans either; how many times (these days) when you camp in an isolated spot does someone drive up and camp right next to you with an area the size of a football ground to choose from?

Sometimes I feel like bubbling up and dribbling toothpaste down my chin and run at them barking ;)

PS The main character that the movie Wolf Creek was based on (not Jarratt) has never been caught.

Cheers

dad

Enjoyed the commentary so far, however there is a more serious side to this discussion as well. I am referring to the issue of "remoteness". I know that most OS visitors really stick to the more populated area, however there are the more adventurous who do travel to remote areas. This is especially concerning if they travel in summer and of course many will not realise that there is no mobile coverage in most outback regions. Many of these travelers do not appreciate the distances involved and just how isolated they can be.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/drop-bear

How come no one has thought to warn our overseas visitors about the legendary and much feared bunyip?

This isn't just some BS story that some johny-come-lately white fella dreamed up.

Cheers
Pop

Reckon I have seen a hell of a lot of remote areas. I still think the most dangerous thing I have encounted is a take away shops dim-sims!

Don't forget the Min Min lights, they'll scare the crp outa you, ay.

Wedgetail eagles will leave you alone?? Only if you don't get into their territory!





And don't carry, or get near something that they recognise as a meal! - and that they want!!

The old man told us how he was with a group of blokes on one of the big plains in the Upper Murchison, in the early 1930's.
They shot a 'roo for tucker, drove over to it in the old Dodge tourer, and one bloke started skinning it.

Without warning, and without anyone else seeing it, a huge wedgetail dropped out of the sky, and sank its talons into the leg of the bloke who was bending over the 'roo!

It was no doubt a grab for the 'roo, more than the bloke, he just got in the way!

The wedgie reckoned he wanted that 'roo, a whole lot more than those humans did!!

The gash in the blokes leg was pretty severe, he was bleeding badly, and they had to bandage him up with what they had in the old Dodge.
It was a couple of weeks before he could walk again without a limp!

Cheers, Ron.

Don't forget about melioidosis. It's a bacteria in the soil, most common in northern Australia. It's contracted by walking around with bare feet and if you have a small cut or sore, especially after rain, the bacteria enters your system and it does kill people.

A lot of visitors we have in Darwin don't believe you when you tell them that one. Also commonly known as Nightcliff Gardners disease (Nightcliff being a Darwin suburb).

http://health.nt.gov.au/library/scripts/objectifyMedia.aspx?file=pdf/43/46.pdf&siteID=1&str_title=Melioidosis.pdf

Dingo take a baby err I think that is still debatable .Mind you animals are taught many tricks maybe Dingo learnt to change nappies.

Not sure how you guys feel about it but personally I feel we should be warning those not familiar with them about that most irksome and at times dangerous of Ozzie inhabitants.

The lesser Australian Yobbo.

While these can be found in many and varied habitats, they do seem to be more numerous around cities and towns.
As many of the regular population of a city like Melbourne are aware there exists a sub-species known as the Collingwobble Bogan.
Whilst mainly sedentary they do at certain times of the year migrate.
During the winter months they are easily identified, when they gather in great flocks, at various sporting grounds by their characteristic black and white winter plumage and their raucous call of "CARN THE PIES, CARN THE PIES, repeated in a most monotonous way.
The "CARN THE PIES" call is often interspersed with "YA BLIND YA MUG" if a much less common specimen of the Yellow Chested Umpire Bird issues its shrill whistle like call. and then proceeds to point in an unpopular direction.

IMHO these gatherings of these magpie like types should be avoided at all costs.

(;-))

Cheers
Pop

The most dangerous thing in the Australian outback is a know-all. Someone who thinks he has the answer to everything dusty and dry.

I am an overseas tourist therefore likely to fall into that stupid ignorant don't know any better category so many Australians place us 'buiterlanders' in.

It is a wonder that I am still alive considering all the wandering around the great Outback I have done these past 25 years, including five years of intensive hitchhiking alone right across Australia. I even survived camping at Wolfe Creek whilst hitchhiking the Tanami, despite hearing repeated stories of serial killers.

PLEASE. Australia is one the of the safest countries on Earth and if any of you left your back yard and travelled extensively around the world, you would understand that as being a fact.

Whenever this subject comes up I can cite more dead Australians in the Outback than tourists, but apparently that is irrelevant to the preferred beliefs of this group.

It is a very simple task to warn, alert and educate foreign travellers.
Just tell them to stay away from anything that starts with the letter "S".
Sharks
Scorpions
Spiders
Sheilas
Shopping
Shoes
Sex
Spending
Snakes
Sheila's (x2 just to be sure they are pre warned )
Stingers
I'm sure there is many more. Sheila's, sex normally lead to spending and shoes with the MOF