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Saturday, May 15, 2010

Travel (hazards)


I'll confine my remarks to hazards that are peculiar to Australia and similar countries.

Heat exhaustion
The technical term is hyperthermia, which is often confused with hypothermia. The first refers to the body having too much heat. The other is the exact opposite – too little heat. Here, I’m talking about too much heat. The problem comes on quickly and can have serious consequences. The symptoms are extreme weakness and lack of coordination. Avoid hyperthermia by drinking plenty of water and staying cool. Treat it by cooling the patient down and giving drinks. Recovery is usually rapid. If it’s not seek medical advice.



Land animals (big)
The first thing to remember is that local authorities don’t put up warning signs for fun. Signs cost money and they are there for a purpose. I had a guest who thought a sign showing a swimmer being chased by a crocodile was a tourism gimmick. It wasn’t. A few weeks earlier a family lost their dog to a croc while picnicking at that very spot. The local parks authority advised people not to take dogs on picnics because they dash around and risk getting snapped up. My view was totally different – better to loose a pooch than one of the kids.



Land animals (medium)
Australia is home to some of the world’s most venomous snakes yet most Australians rarely encounter one. I’ve never seen a snake in my garden. I see them occasionally when I go bushwalking and I see a lot when I go trout fishing. The Australian bush is full of snakes. Trout fishermen see them because they creep around and don’t make their presence felt. I thump around when I go bushwalking. That way snakes are likely to hear me and get out of my way. The danger times are when the snakes are inactive. That happens in early spring when they are coming out of hibernation, in the cool of the day and when they are casting off a skin. I take a snakebite kit with me when I go walking. You can make one up from instructions at http://www.radoa.com/ or buy one. They are not expensive.





Land animals (small)
Our scorpions have a nasty sting and some of our spiders are deadly. When camping, I’m careful to shake out my shoes before putting them on and I wear gloves when gardening.

Sea animals
Australian beaches harbour more perils than those in the colder parts of the world. Added to the danger of drowning we have a variety of marine animals that can cause injury and death. These include sharks, jellyfish, stonefish and the blue ringed octopus. That doesn’t mean that you can’t swim in safety. Our main beaches are protected by shark nets and patrolled by lifeguards. I recommend that you do not do not swim elsewhere without expert local advice. I’ve had some close encounters with sharks and have a lot of respect for them Cautionary tales.




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