Dangerous Australia

Barb Jones emailed us at the beginning of the week that there had been a big cyclone (hurricane) at Innisfail, an hour south of Cairns. We knew that these were possible during the wet season and were keeping an eye on the weather. One day they even said it looked like one might be forming, but it weakened instead of getting stronger. Anyway, we managed to avoid any seriously bad weather the whole time we were there and only had heat, humidity, and occasional rain to deal with.

I may have said something about this before, but Australia is actually kind of a dangerous place. In Canada we have winter cold, but the summer heat in many parts of Australia is just as dangerous. In Canada you might run into a bear or a rattlesnake while hiking, depending on where you are, but that is about it. In Austrlaia the list of hazards is as long as your arm. In the water, you are in danger from rip tides, sharks, saltwater crocs, jellyfish, and two or three kinds of venomous fish and eels. On land there are 21 or 22 of the world's 25 most poisonous snakes and 2 or 3 deadly spiders and tarantulas. And then there are the cyclones. Canada looks pretty safe in that comparison.