Ask an Australian

[Dale]

That is outdated info. Things don't close at 6pm any more since we have legislation for those who want to open to 9. It took a long time for us to even get to that.

I was there March last year, and the only "night" spot in the city closed at 6.

I'd probably agree with Dale about Melbourne being better than Sydney for cars/traffic (though WTH hook turns?). On the flip side, Melbourne public transport is an abomination. The trams are a gimmick, stopping every 50m, which I guess is fine if you want to go somewhere within walking distance. People love to complain about Sydney public transport, but there's not that much wrong with it.

I agree totally about Melbourne public transport. I work in the city and probably 50% of the time the 4:49 super express train from Richmond to Chelt is cancelled, meaning I have to catch the stopping all 10 mins later.

It should probably be mentioned that Melbourne is famous for commonly having four seasons in a day. Counter-intuitively, Melbourne often gets hotter temperatures than Sydney, and nothing much positive weather-wise to trade off against it.

How do you tell a local? It's 40 and they're carrying an umbrella.

In all honesty, though, I don't think living in Melbourne is all that different to living in Sydney. They're two pretty identical places. I have no idea what would possess a tourist to visit Melbourne, but that's because there's nothing of interest there, not because it'd be a terrible place to reside.

Yeah having lived in both cities, they're basically the same. I just immensely hate traffic, hence why I wouldn't live in Sydney.

How common are those insanely aggressive and dangerous tarantulas in Australia? I think they're funnel web ones and they live near Sydney (they're well known, sorry I don't know their name).

Do you mean huntsman spiders? It's the closest thing to a tarantula we've got. Huntsmans are harmless. Sure they're big, and their bite stings, but I always move them from in the house to the outside trees. White tails, different story. I will kill them immediately. Been bitten by one on the foot. My whole foot pussed and peeled for 18 months. Drs can't do anything for a white tail bite. And the smell is vomit inducing.

Edit: Four or five inches is a huge huntsman!
Edit 2: I just looked them up and they do get that big in Australia!

4-5 inches is about average.

I don't have to be terrified of a spider to decide that the best course of action is to kill a red back or funnel web should it enter my house. To not do so would be ridiculous. We are talking about a seriously dangerous animal here. Get bitten and you'll be in a world of hurt.

Red backs and white tails are the only ones I deliberately kill. All other into a glass and outside into the trees.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Do you mean huntsman spiders? It's the closest thing to a tarantula we've got. Huntsmans are harmless. Sure they're big, and their bite stings, but I always move them from in the house to the outside trees. White tails, different story. I will kill them immediately. Been bitten by one on the foot. My whole foot pussed and peeled for 18 months. Drs can't do anything for a white tail bite. And the smell is vomit inducing.

No, I meant the funnel web. I got mixed up over whether or not they were tarantulas, rugbyLEAGUEfan set me straight.

I hadn't heared of white tails - yet another spider to fear in Australia. Sorry about your foot, did it heal eventually?

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Do you guys have your own stereotypes of your major metropolitan cities?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

This thread has several examples of that if I am reading you correctly ICBM.

 

[sanabas]

Edit: Four or five inches is a huge huntsman!
Edit 2: I just looked them up and they do get that big in Australia!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delena_cancerides is the one native to Australia. And yeah, 4 or 5 inches including the legs is pretty normal. I've often had them in the house, and worst I've ever done to one was take one from the bathroom ceiling and relocate it to my bedroom, because my housemate wanted a shower and refused to share with a spider.

No funnelwebs where I am, though I'm only a couple of hours drive away from Sydney. They'd be the only ones I'd worry about. Have lived in houses with redbacks in the garage, and just left them alone. White-tailed spider http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_spider is the other one responsible for more than a few bites of people.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I looked up all of the spiders in question and they all seem terrifying, even the huntsman if only because it's so darn big. Interestingly, your red back is related to and resembles our black widow spider.

Australian redback

American black widow

They are both really dangerous as well.

 

[Borachio]

And both come with a bright red warning mark. That's considerate.

 

[classical_hero]

I was there March last year, and the only "night" spot in the city closed at 6.

The laws were changed some time after that. Now shops can open until 9pm if they want to. It is a small step, but that is how they are taken over here.

 

[Visorslash]

I don't have to be terrified of a spider to decide that the best course of action is to kill a red back or funnel web should it enter my house. To not do so would be ridiculous. We are talking about a seriously dangerous animal here. Get bitten and you'll be in a world of hurt.

Yep. Though I tend to extend that to most spiders I see in my house. Woke up to one running over my leg one morning. That was pleasant.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Yep. Though I tend to extend that to most spiders I see in my house. Woke up to one running over my leg one morning. That was pleasant.

When I lived in Washington state, it was pretty common to get in the shower, turn on the water and have a largish spider run up my leg.
________

Did the Australians make any armed incursions against the native population? Did small pox or other diseases ravage the native population? I guess the question I'm really trying to ask is if the Australian experience in any way mirrored the American one with respect to the native population?

I do know the Australian government used to take native australian babies and give them to white families to raise, but that's all I know on that.

 

[Borachio]

Coo! That'll open a can of worms.

I'll leave it to an Australian to answer. Hopefully an indigenous one. But I won't hold my breath.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I'm genuinely curious, I'm not trying to stir the pot.

 

[Borachio]

On no account ask about "aboriginal" people, then. I've had people jump up and down on me for using the word. They get really excited.

Still, I expect the Australians here are a very tolerant bunch.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Oh I thought that was the politically correct term.

Sorry for any offense.

Thanks for the heads up Borachio.

 

[Borachio]

Well, don't take my word for it. I notoriously know less than nothing - since the things I think I know invariably turn out to be wrong.

But the original inhabitants of the Australian land mass are a fascinating bunch of people, believe me.

 

[ace99]

Spiders, cockroaches, centipedes, any manner of insect really is enough to fill me with indescribable rage and fear. Anything with more than four legs is a foul and unnatural beast. What is a man to do against a beast that can move with such speed, strike with such ferocity and inhibit the most dark and foul places? What can any man do except resort to fire and sword? I cannot even begin to tabulate how many dwellings have been laid to waste.

Look into the eyes of a spider and tell me that our god is a merciful god. Go on, tell me.

 

[Borachio]

Look at a spider's web in the dew. And tell me you're not amazed.

 

[ace99]

Look at a spider's web in the dew. And tell me you're not amazed.

Kill it with fire.

 

[Borachio]

Spoiler :

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Spoiler :

Couldn't resist.