You could possibly presume from what you see in the movies and notice on the news that Australia is a dangerous place filled with wild and deadly animals; reptiles and sharks patiently waiting to consume you on sight, but really, that's somewhat of a beat up. While there are definitely harmful creatures in Australia, it is not probable you'll encounter any of them in the wild and most certainly not in the cities and towns. Here is some facts to help enlighten you about the kind of dangers in Australia and where they may be:
Snakes: You are probably more prone to come across a snake than any other risky creature whilst in Australia. They are generally spread from one end of the country to the other, however, in towns it will be extraordinary to find them and in the cities essentially not possible. The occasion you are most likely to see them is when bush walking. The thing to bear in mind is the fact that they are more scared of you, then you are of them and, with the exception of the Taipan deep in the outback, the snakes of Australia are usually not aggressive. Provide a wide berth and they will vanish pretty swiftly. Under no circumstances attempt to pick one up or even move it with a stick. In all cases find a route around it and just leave it alone. Provoking it will increase your chance for getting attacked and also don't get that little bit nearer with the camera to obtain a "close up" of it, once again, you are just going to scare it. 50% of the world's top 10 deadliest snakes have a home in Australia, so just avoid them if you can.
Sharks: Technically Australia is an island and with such huge coastline and all that water, sooner or later you will certainly get sharks. Again, everything has been blown out of proportion here and the chance of a shark attack is nominal. Most cities possess shark netting in the water for most places that are significantly touristed or were once susceptible to sharks, but most importantly, the majority of sharks near cities have been grabbed by fisherman. In far north Queensland, on the Great Barrier Reef, there exists a slight increase of sharks simply due to the large amount of of aquatic life there, but still it is far from such an increased hazard that it should prevent you from swimming. Whilst the sharks in Australia can be very sizeable, their interaction with people is fairly small. As outlined by government websites, there is only 1 deadly shark attack in Australia annually and there hasn't been a fatal attack in Sydney Harbour since 1963. Taking into consideration the untold numbers of folks that are in the water around Australia each day, you can see how the risk of any kind shark attack is actually miniscule.
Crocodiles: No, sharks shouldn't stop you swimming in Far North Queensland, but crocodiles ought to. Saltwater crocs are the deadliest animals you'll discover in Australia and one of the most shrewd in the world. Crocs are just about the only creature in Australia that can do you harm on land AND in the water. They are significantly larger and more aggressive than Alligators. Cunning and nigh on impossible to see in the water, these things are truly dangerous. When there are signs that Crocs could inhabit the waters, then DON'T swim there. Crocs only live in the northern most areas of Australia. This means the far north Queensland coast, all the coastline of the Northern Territory and the northern coast of the Western Australia. They hang around in or near water and are hopeless at going up steep hills or rocks. Keeping this in mind, you are generally safe on top of steep or rocky river embankments and a great deal inland from the beach. Once again, cities and towns are rarely troubled by Crocs, nevertheless they can frequent the waters around smaller coastal towns. You are likely to find them in the more remote areas which are also not as likely to be signposted. Should you see warning signs announcing they are in the area, township or not, be wary. Don't camp close by a flat riverbed or beach side in these areas and don't "hang out" down by the waters edge. That being said, there are approximately 2 Croc attacks a year in Australia on people. This is not a lot, however, in many cases the victims are tourists who don't pay attention to the local signs and go swimming. "If in doubt, stay out" when it comes swimming and Crocs.
Stingers (Jelly Fish): Jelly Fish are also called "Stingers" in Australia and they appear in ocean waters. They do not appear in fresh water, however you might find them in the brackish water where a fresh water river meets the sea. There are number of stingers in the ocean waters, but like so many other things, they are mainly found in the north of the country. The two most important ones are bluebottle and box jellyfish. The bluebottle is common much further south even down as far as Sydney. They will cause much pain but is unlikely to kill. However, the straightforward part of these things is that they fairly easy to see. They are bright blue and most the time drift on or near the surface. Anyone who is keeping an eye on what is going on near them in the water will see this one without difficulty.
The Box Jellyfish is less common, will cause massive pain and can kill - but rarely. The majority of the time any waters inhabited by these guys will be signposted or the region will have a general warning. Similar to sharks, they are not as common as one is lead to believe, however, unlike sharks, steps can be taken to prevent stings. There are very sexy (not) body stockings that can be worn whilst swimming that can prevent the sting getting to your skin. They are sort of similar to lycra wet suits and are particularly unflattering, but will keep you safe. You will normally rent them in stinger prone towns and if you go on a boat tour in a stinger area, they should provide you one. In case of a sting, put vinegar on it right away and find good medical attention. Some councils place plastic containers of vinegar on the beach for this reason, don't mistake them with a free bottle of water and have a big drink! There are additional, less common, forms of jellyfish too. Some are as tiny as your thumb and you won't even know that you are near them, you will just feel their sting should you come in contact with them. In these instances, do the same as you would for the bigger jellyfish, place vinegar on the sting and seek out medical attention. Similar to most the other dangers of Australia, they are out there however it is rare that people are stung by them.
As you can see, most of the truly dangerous things in Australia are in the northern waters. Unlike Africa, with Lions and Canada, with Bears, you are not likely to be attacked by anything on land in Australia. The best thing to do to prevent any kind of attack by a dangerous animal is to pay attention to any signage you may come across in areas you visit. But in reality, the amount of incidents concerning these dangerous creatures are actually quite rare. Any areas that are particularly well touristed, most of the threats have been mitigated as much as possible to make sure tourists are kept safe in order to protect the tourist industry.
Snakes: You are probably more prone to come across a snake than any other risky creature whilst in Australia. They are generally spread from one end of the country to the other, however, in towns it will be extraordinary to find them and in the cities essentially not possible. The occasion you are most likely to see them is when bush walking. The thing to bear in mind is the fact that they are more scared of you, then you are of them and, with the exception of the Taipan deep in the outback, the snakes of Australia are usually not aggressive. Provide a wide berth and they will vanish pretty swiftly. Under no circumstances attempt to pick one up or even move it with a stick. In all cases find a route around it and just leave it alone. Provoking it will increase your chance for getting attacked and also don't get that little bit nearer with the camera to obtain a "close up" of it, once again, you are just going to scare it. 50% of the world's top 10 deadliest snakes have a home in Australia, so just avoid them if you can.
Sharks: Technically Australia is an island and with such huge coastline and all that water, sooner or later you will certainly get sharks. Again, everything has been blown out of proportion here and the chance of a shark attack is nominal. Most cities possess shark netting in the water for most places that are significantly touristed or were once susceptible to sharks, but most importantly, the majority of sharks near cities have been grabbed by fisherman. In far north Queensland, on the Great Barrier Reef, there exists a slight increase of sharks simply due to the large amount of of aquatic life there, but still it is far from such an increased hazard that it should prevent you from swimming. Whilst the sharks in Australia can be very sizeable, their interaction with people is fairly small. As outlined by government websites, there is only 1 deadly shark attack in Australia annually and there hasn't been a fatal attack in Sydney Harbour since 1963. Taking into consideration the untold numbers of folks that are in the water around Australia each day, you can see how the risk of any kind shark attack is actually miniscule.
Crocodiles: No, sharks shouldn't stop you swimming in Far North Queensland, but crocodiles ought to. Saltwater crocs are the deadliest animals you'll discover in Australia and one of the most shrewd in the world. Crocs are just about the only creature in Australia that can do you harm on land AND in the water. They are significantly larger and more aggressive than Alligators. Cunning and nigh on impossible to see in the water, these things are truly dangerous. When there are signs that Crocs could inhabit the waters, then DON'T swim there. Crocs only live in the northern most areas of Australia. This means the far north Queensland coast, all the coastline of the Northern Territory and the northern coast of the Western Australia. They hang around in or near water and are hopeless at going up steep hills or rocks. Keeping this in mind, you are generally safe on top of steep or rocky river embankments and a great deal inland from the beach. Once again, cities and towns are rarely troubled by Crocs, nevertheless they can frequent the waters around smaller coastal towns. You are likely to find them in the more remote areas which are also not as likely to be signposted. Should you see warning signs announcing they are in the area, township or not, be wary. Don't camp close by a flat riverbed or beach side in these areas and don't "hang out" down by the waters edge. That being said, there are approximately 2 Croc attacks a year in Australia on people. This is not a lot, however, in many cases the victims are tourists who don't pay attention to the local signs and go swimming. "If in doubt, stay out" when it comes swimming and Crocs.
Stingers (Jelly Fish): Jelly Fish are also called "Stingers" in Australia and they appear in ocean waters. They do not appear in fresh water, however you might find them in the brackish water where a fresh water river meets the sea. There are number of stingers in the ocean waters, but like so many other things, they are mainly found in the north of the country. The two most important ones are bluebottle and box jellyfish. The bluebottle is common much further south even down as far as Sydney. They will cause much pain but is unlikely to kill. However, the straightforward part of these things is that they fairly easy to see. They are bright blue and most the time drift on or near the surface. Anyone who is keeping an eye on what is going on near them in the water will see this one without difficulty.
The Box Jellyfish is less common, will cause massive pain and can kill - but rarely. The majority of the time any waters inhabited by these guys will be signposted or the region will have a general warning. Similar to sharks, they are not as common as one is lead to believe, however, unlike sharks, steps can be taken to prevent stings. There are very sexy (not) body stockings that can be worn whilst swimming that can prevent the sting getting to your skin. They are sort of similar to lycra wet suits and are particularly unflattering, but will keep you safe. You will normally rent them in stinger prone towns and if you go on a boat tour in a stinger area, they should provide you one. In case of a sting, put vinegar on it right away and find good medical attention. Some councils place plastic containers of vinegar on the beach for this reason, don't mistake them with a free bottle of water and have a big drink! There are additional, less common, forms of jellyfish too. Some are as tiny as your thumb and you won't even know that you are near them, you will just feel their sting should you come in contact with them. In these instances, do the same as you would for the bigger jellyfish, place vinegar on the sting and seek out medical attention. Similar to most the other dangers of Australia, they are out there however it is rare that people are stung by them.
As you can see, most of the truly dangerous things in Australia are in the northern waters. Unlike Africa, with Lions and Canada, with Bears, you are not likely to be attacked by anything on land in Australia. The best thing to do to prevent any kind of attack by a dangerous animal is to pay attention to any signage you may come across in areas you visit. But in reality, the amount of incidents concerning these dangerous creatures are actually quite rare. Any areas that are particularly well touristed, most of the threats have been mitigated as much as possible to make sure tourists are kept safe in order to protect the tourist industry.
About the Author:
Tim Ahern has spent over five years traveling. His favorite form of transport in Australia is campervan hire and he shares his knowledge on his website. Tim recommends always hiring from quality companies like Hippie Campervans or Britz
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