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Life amid all those nasties

Derek GoforthMidwest Times
Redback spiders are just one of our native fauna that visitors to Australia sometimes fear.
Camera IconRedback spiders are just one of our native fauna that visitors to Australia sometimes fear. Credit: Ian Waldie/Getty Images

OPINION

One of the biggest myths that Poms subscribe to is that in Australia there is something around every corner that is going to kill you.

Whether it’s in your garage, your toilet, the beach or the park — something wicked and poisonous lurks with the intention of causing you mischief.

How many of you are familiar with the song, Come to Australia by the Scared Weird Little Guys?

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“Come to Australia, you might accidentally get killed,” goes the lyric.

I have to confess that despite the catchy tune, when I was a Pom still living in the UK, this had me slightly worried.

But as we all know, nothing could be further from the truth.

Yes, we have some of the most venomous and, potentially harmful creatures on the planet but if we follow the basic tenant of “watch where you step, watch where you swim”, 99 per cent of the time we won’t come unstuck.

It’s reassuring to not be in the constant state of fear that our family was in during our first six months in WA.

I am glad we no longer feel the need to check under every surface or look for spiders under the loo seat every five minutes.

Perhaps we have learnt, or perhaps the Aussie lifestyle of “no worries and no dramas” has finally rubbed off?

Either way, as I have said before, we love this country, flora, fauna and people alike.

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