Is Australia really as lethal as Bill Bryson makes it sound?

Question

I just read "In A Sunburned Country" by Bill Bryson to prepare for a trip to Australia that I'll be taking in about two weeks. He made it sound like if I went in the ocean, I'd get stung by a jelly fish or if I trapsed around in the bush, I'd get bit by a snake or attacked by a small rodent. I'll be camping in the Outback and visiting the Great Barrier Reef, so I just wondered if nature there is as dangerous as he portrayed it.

Answer 1

'Lethal' is probably going a bit far, very few people are actually killed by our animals.  Certainly there are some nasty snakes (both in the water and on the land) which you need to keep an eye out for, but as long as you take a few sensible precautions you're unlikely to be bitten by anything.  And even if you do, you'll probably live.

Just don't camp under any tall gum trees.  Drop bears really are lethal.  So are heavy branches which can detach arbitrarily.

Answer 2

It's called "journalistic licence". Or "not letting the truth get in the way of a good story". We writers are all guilty at some stage.

Come on over, it's a wonderful country! Treat our wildlife with respect, heed any local warnings (such as where not to swim) and you will have a great time here.

Answer 3

you have to be careful...yes. but it's not as bad as people make it sound.  I wouldn't recommend going into the bush on your own, taking a tour would be much better...the guides will know where to go and what to look for.  And the ocean...those are risks anywhere you go. no more so in Australia though.  Don't miss either opportunity based on this!

Answer 4

It is much worse.  As far as I know I am the last survivor.

Truly, most of us wander through life without seeing too many nasties.  Most of them are much more frightened of us than we are of them.  If you make enough noise to let the terrestrial ones know you are coming they will run away and leave you alone.  Crocs are probably the worst, but if you are sensible you should be OK.

People rarely get bitten by sharks.  The box jellyfish are a worry, but no one swims during box jellyfish season.

Answer 5

In short, no you have nothing to worry about.  Just take the proper precautions and you will be fine.

Bill Bryson stretches the truth just a little bit

Answer 6

I'm a fan of Bill Bryson and enjoy his books, but he's greatly exaggerated the dangers to make his book funnier and more interesting.

There are no dangerous jellyfish at all in southern waters.The far northern coastal waters do get jellyfish in summer, but they don't appear during winter when you're visiting. There are no jellyfish out on the reef where the dive boats go, even in summer.  

I now live in the middle of the bush and we occasionally see a snake, but it's invariably heading away at a rate of knots. If you watch where you walk, you'll be quite safe. I lived in Australia and travelled all over for 50 years before I saw my first snake and I've still never seen a poisonous spider.

Our rodents are very shy and non-agressive and you can count yourself privileged if you even catch a glimpse of one.

The outback itself, not its animals, is very dangerous unless you stay on the main highways. If you want to venture off the highway, go with a group in more than one vehicle. If you unwisely insist on going alone, make sure someone responsible at your destination knows where you've gone and when you're expected. Always take a LOT of water. Note that I didn't say take 'plenty' of water - many people think that 'plenty' means 2 or 3 litres and that's not nearly enough to keep you alive for long if your car breaks down miles from anywhere and you have to wait days for help. If your car does break down, stay with it! It's much easier for searchers to find a car than a person.

Having said all of the above, remember that 21 million ordinary people live here safely and thousands of tourists visit and camp in the outback every year without incident.

Have a great time.

Answer 7

well its winter here so most snakes should be hibernating...but you still have to be careful since spiders dont hibernate.. but honestly if it were uninhabitable and everyone was being killed of by snakes and spiders then we wouldnt have 20 million people living here...   yes there are jelly fish in the ocean but you can still swim just not near them... no small rodent is going to just come up an attack you, there just as scared of you..crocodiles are only in the northern territory... in the outback id say you would have to be careful of dingos.

1. The Box Jellyfish

2. Irukandji (A Jellyfish)

3. Salt Water Crocodile

4. Blue Ring Octopus

5. Stone Fish

6. Red Back Spider

7. Brown Snake

8. Tiger Snake

9. Great White Shark

10. Funnel Web Spider

check out link good info

  Labsci, Irukandji (A Jellyfish) can kill you!

Answer 8

I waz tryin t tymekangaroo down when likabolt  he shotoff and runova me kwala ...then the bloody croc from up the river ate both of em.So i got me gun and shotimfairansquare between the eyes.and made meself a nice pair of boots.

Answer 9

Come in and test the waters. Be brave!

Answer 10

To say that you will die from a spider bite when living in Oz is equivalent to saying that you will die from a wolf attack when living in North America. If you don't go looking for trouble, you're sweet. If you live in the city you probably will never even see a deadly snake in your lifetime. But since you're planning on going camping out bush and visiting the Reef, just listen to advice and don't do anything stupid (like wandering through long grass with no shoes on).

Try reading a travel guide like Lonely Planet, they will give you a better understanding of any (very unlikely) dangers.

Answer 11

I've lived in Australia all my life, by the seaside in a 'bush' town. NEVER have I been bitten by a snake/spider/jelly, anything really bar from march flies and mosquitos!!

but Yeah you have to be careful, like anywhere.

I've read Bill Bryson books before, he's a bit of a larrikin really, he likes to make a song and dance of things!

Snakes are most active in warm weather, we learnt from the day we walked that in warm weather make more noise when you're walking through grassy and bushy areas. stomp!

I've personally never heard of a small rodent attacking before...

His books wouldn't be as exciting if there wasn't danger around every corner would they?!

noone i know has ever been into any sort of trouble like Bill Bryson describes, maybe he attracts bad luck..

Have fun on your trip =)

Answer 12

Yes it can be dangerous here.  We have poisonous snakes, spiders, scorpians, sharks, octopus, jellyfish, crocodiles etc etc.

Before you hyperventilate, there is a population of some 20,000,000 and visitors and MOST of us get along just fine, and you will too.  But Australia can be a harsh and unforgiving place, so keep reading for some advice.

Jellyfish aren't problem this time of year.  Only between October and March or so in northern inland waters.  Go out on the Great Barrier Reef and no problemo.  The only jellyfish that might be around are the blue bottles, they may sting like crazy but not an issue.

Snakes, stick to proper walking trails, and don't put your hands or feet where snakes may want to keep warm.  Check sleeping bags (they're warm and snakes may want to keep warm)  Go around logs, not over them.  Make plenty of noise.  DON'T touch!  Most people get bit trying to handle snakes...

Crocodiles are up north, just be careful where you swim especially in unclear water, do not go into marked waters and if in doubt just don't go in.

Sharks kill fewer people than bees or donkeys.  The great whites like seals so don't go diving around seal colonies.  Avoid murky waters as well as dusk and dawn.

Swim between the red and yellow flags at the beach - the lifesavers put them up in the safest places and watch swimmers.

All the other little creatures, shake out shoes and don't put your hand into crevices etc

Someone previously mentioned taking plenty of water.  Not being prepared is one of the biggest mistakes of tourists.  Australia is HUGE, about the same size as mainland America.  But they have between 250 and 300 million people, Australia has less than 10% of this (just over 20 million).  So there's a big land and not a lot of people.

Get out your atlas and look at distance between Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayers Rock), that's about the same distance as London to Paris.  On that stretch you'd probably meet someone.  Some places you might see nobody.  So take enough supplies, go with a proper trained people and tell someone where you go okay?

Answer 13

the drop bears are the worst

they're like a rabid, feral, carnivorous koala that drops from trees onto its prey at night. sometimes mistaking the sound of a lone camper for a juicy kangaroo.

Answer 14

Each year in Australia approximately 2,000 people are bitten by snakes.

Of these, 200 require antivenom treatment and one bite proves fatal."

Approximately 2000 people are bitten each year by Redback Spiders, and there have been NO deaths in Australia from a confirmed spider bite since 1979

Answer 15

You just have to be careful where you go and what you touch. There are a few things in the outback which may give you a bit of trouble. Stay away from any large snakes, You get a lot of Brown snakes outback, which can grow to around 7 or 8 feet, and are golden brown to silver in colour. Some parts have the small scaled fierce snake, which they say is the most deadly land snake on the planet (I don't know if they are or not) But they are in a small localised area. You can get some large spiders, but generally harmless. and DO NOT swim in any suspect rivers/lakes etc in some parts of the outback, there are BIG crocodiles (Crocs) 18 feet long, and you will be there one second, then gone the next, Give them the respect they deserve, they can run and swim faster than you can. I can't remember if the Queensland coast has the box jellyfish or not, but stay away from them too, as well as the blue bottle, they can give you a bit of a nasty sting. And also, be careful of some kangaroos, they can kick you too, I have seen plenty and never had a problem. But, if you use common sense, you will be ok. Just be aware of what is around you and where you are. I have spent a bit of time in the outback and have not been eaten or bitten yet. Don't be put off, If I asked someone what is dangerous in America they would be bears, cougars etc, but how many people get eaten by them, Not many, lol. Be aware however when travelling in the outback, you can drive for 400km without seeing another car or homestead, you may still be on the same road and in the same state. Take plenty of water, and make sure the car you drive is in good condition. Words cannot describe how vast and (How alone) you can be in the outback, it is something you can only experience for youself, commercial radio, mobile phones etc don't work in some areas. Just have fun, and do what the locals do. Oh and fear the Kangawallafox, they love American and English tourists, and can eat one in seconds. lol.

Answer 16

If you have never been to Australia, then the best way is to join guided tours, or go to well travelled areas with some other people around. Although it is quite safe, being in the Outback becomes dangerous if minor things go wrong, such as car breakdown, cut infections etc. The isolation could prove deadly if you are inexperienced or ill-prepared. The Barrier Reef is beautiful, but much of the water north of Australia is warm, and does have some jelly fish in it, but getting bitten, while painful, is not deadly, just don't go alone, or the cramping if you are stung on the legs could lead to serious consequences.

Is Australia deadly? No, 20 million of us live here quite peacefully with the animals such as Taipan snake (rated No 1 most venomous in the world), funnel web spider (No 1 in the world), Blue Ringed Octopus (No 1 venomous octopus),  etc etc.

But the incidents of death are so rare, that these are just used to stop people invading us, really.

Again, get advice, go with a group or tour guide, and enjoy.

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