Thanks, Max
I think that’s the place I’d heard of, it’s reasonably close to Darwin, right? So I could observe the two-legged variety as well.
And Azh, If and when I make the long trip there, I would definitely visit the south as well. The only wildlife I can’t say I enjoy would be those biting flies. Hopefully they’re seasonal,  if not, I’ve been bitten before.

-melissa

oh yeah. the flies. how could I forget the flies? (believe me, I’ve tried, and I still have the nightmares ...)

(Ok now that I have pretty much systematically alienated the whole of Australia I think I should stop now).

not at all.

now you should start in on New Zealand

PS - Melissa I think you would like Kakadu National Park. Lots of wildlife there and its reasonably hard to get to.

ok, granted Kakadu is a beautiful place with lots of scenery to admire. But it’s in the middle of MAMBA country, and I prefer my beautiful scenery to be more accessible.

Not to mention that I can’t handle the heat.

Azh
(cold blooded, or something)

[quote author=melissa link=board=news;num=1091238223;start=30#35 date=10/16/05 at 20:01:20]
And Azh, If and when I make the long trip there, I would definitely visit the south as well. The only wildlife I can’t say I enjoy would be those biting flies. Hopefully they’re seasonal,  if not, I’ve been bitten before.

Most of the flies don’t bite.

However, just about everything else does.

Much of the wildlife is poisonous, or lethal in other ways.

Probably the best way to think about it is that virtually all of the animals in Australia are dangerous in one way or another. Except for some of the sheep.

Azh
(we put the *wild* into wildlife)

As long as you don’t get bitten it is.

[quote author=Katy link=board=news;num=1091238223;start=30#38 date=10/18/05 at 16:27:41]
And this is "PARADISE???"

We have very few cyclones or tornadoes.

We have very few earthquakes, and those we do have rarely do more than make the plates rattle.

True, we do have the occasional wildfire/bushfire, and every now and again an egregiously heavy downpour will make something of a flood, but never anything too devastating.

On the other hand, even in winter we have plenty of sunshine, even in summer we have (mostly) adequate rain.

In Melbourne, we say "If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes. It will change."

We have snowfields. We have sunny beaches. We have MAMBA. We have wineries and vineyards. We have breathtaking waterfalls and natural rainforests. And all of those within a single day’s driving distance.

No wonder we call it "The Lucky Country".

Azh

[quote author=Katy link=board=news;num=1091238223;start=30#41 date=10/18/05 at 20:58:17]
and yet daily you must watch out for that Sydney spider, and snakes everywhere, (here we have large zones with NO poisonous snakes or alligators  and NO crocs )

the funnelweb? never seen one. I’ve seen a few redbacks, and a few whitetails, but most of the spiders we see around our homes are the harmless huntsman spiders, at least here in the south.

As for snakes, I haven’t seen one in the wild for probably 20 odd years.

Crocs are not a problem down here either - they really only hang out in zoos and up north.

Most aussie kids are raised with an awareness of the "rules" of living with snakes and spiders. Don’t put your hand into dark spots without checking first. Don’t lift up bits of scrap timber unless you’re wearing gloves. Shake out shoes and boots that have been left on the porch overnight. Avoid long grass in summer time. Make plenty of noise while you’re walking. If you see a snake, back away. If you see a snake *in your yard*, keep pets and kids away and call a professional to come and deal with it.

and as you said"Much of the wildlife is poisonous, or lethal in other ways. Probably the best way to think about it is that virtually all of the animals in Australia are dangerous in one way or another. " and there are pi-s-sy Koalas, and grouchy ‘roos.

When I was a kid we saw quite a lot of koalas and possums. Where I lived when my kids were small we saw the occasional kangaroo.

Most suburban kids don’t see these animals that frequently. Nor do we see platypuses very commonly, or wombats, or echidnas. It’s not like they rove the street in gangs looking to piddle on, bite, kick, poison or maul innocent kids.  I should point out that of the animals mentioned, only the platypus is poisonous. The kangaroo is dangerous for kicking. Wombats are dangerous if you run over them in your car, being shaped like mobile speed humps. Echidnas are also dangerous to your car’s tyres, but if approached by a person are much more likely to just dig into the ground than to actually attack.

It still doesn’t sound like *PARADISE* TO ME.

Azh

The kangaroo is dangerous for kicking

Actually they are usually too busy solving crimes and rescuing wayward children who have fallen down wells and such.

Wombats are dangerous if you run over them in your car, being shaped like mobile speed humps. Echidnas are also dangerous to your car’s tyres,

Doesn’t do the echidnas or wombats much good either

we have a winery too, a waterfall,

Just the one?

We MUST have a symposium in Casa Blanca! (because I’ve never been there and want to go).

VB

Casablanca? nah, Fez. Better drugs, better hats. And anyplace you have to check your boots is better than anyplace you dont. For me, just because I want to be sure I’m awake before I get out of bed. A useful strategy.

-melissa

Well, we’ll always have Paris.

Or at least le marais.

How about Marrakesh?

V

OK, let’s just meet in the exact middle in relation to all of the attendees’ home locations.

V