Australia is a pretty scary place. It’s full of various beasts that can kill you, an onslaught of creepy crawlies, the treacherous Outback and even a hole in the Ozone layer. I’m glad I made it out alive to be honest.
But I did leave Australia with several new fears. I thought going travelling was meant to be all about conquering your fears… Apparently not.
1) Saltwater Crocodiles
I didn’t even know these existed pre-Oz. I mean sure, if you’re heading up to Darwin, I know they do those crocodile-in-the-swamp kind of tours, but did you know in Western Australia there are actual crocs in the sea?!?! No, seriously. Those crystal-clear waters in Broome look enticing but you’re advised not to go too far out because of saltwater crocodiles. What is this place. You know what guys, I think I’ll wait with the bags on the beach. Right at the back of the beach. On the street. Hey I’ll just wait in the car.
2) Sharks
If you’re heading to Oz, you should already be pretty aware that there are sharks. Australia = sharks. We all know this. But when you’re sunbathing on Bondi Beach and those helicopters go over the sea, looking out for sharks, it all seems a bit more real. Especially when you see the team from Bondi Rescue filming. Was that the shark alarm that just went off? Yeah, I’ll pass.
3) The Sea
This one is pretty specific to me. I knew from previous experiences in Egypt and Thailand that snorkeling wasn’t really for me. I don’t know where this weird fear has come from and it seems completely irrational (when you forget about the sharks and the crocs) so I decided to attempt it again at one of world’s most amazing snorkeling sites – Ningaloo Reef. It didn’t go well. I saw one fish, screamed into my snorkel, and that was the end of it. It’s been reaffirmed – the sea is not for me.
4) Cockroaches
I had a fear of spiders before I did my WHV in Australia. So I was fully aware that I may have to have a showdown with a Huntsman Spider at some point (which I did). What I wasn’t prepared for was the cockroaches. Life in Queensland involves a lot of weird and wonderful things compared to other states and territories, but one of the worst differences is the presence of a cockroach scuttling across the living room floor whilst you’re trying to watch Masterchef Australia. That’s so not cool. The worst part is when they get into the pipes and creep out of the dishwasher when you open it…. I think I’ll wash my dishes by hand thanks.
5) Emus
I imagined emus to be quite docile. Just lovely big birds really. But when you see them IRL, they’re a lot taller than anticipated. And they peck. Really quickly. As you can tell from the below photo, this wasn’t what I was expecting… Don’t think I’ll try to feed an emu again any time soon.
6) White Ibis
I’ve mentioned this one before. Birds that frequent Australian cities like pigeons frequent London. Except they’re absolutely terrifying. Like bloody pterodactyls roaming the streets. It’s like that scene from Jurassic World except they’re not attacking humans…. yet.
I told you, Australia is horrifying.
What do you think? Any new fears you’ve developed on your travels?
Kudos to making it out alive, I’m not sure I would have! I can’t even imagine what that showdown with the Huntsman Spider would have been like. I can only assume terrifying doesn’t even scratch the surface? That surely would have been my demise.
Haha it was pretty awful – outdoor showers in the outback, I turn around and there’s a huntsman on the door handle. I couldn’t leave for ages haha.
Baha’i love people’s posts about Aus! As an Australian we have a great time laughing at people’s reactions to our ‘scary’ country. It’s really not that bad! (You didn’t even go into the real scary creatures, everything That can kill you that’s smaller than your hand…)