I'm surprised some enterprising spirit isn't in the business of making bug-proof clothing
Dunk, you have yet to discover the merits of Drizabone long-sleeve cotton shirts (the standard bug-proof daytime wear in the country) and a merino-mink sweater at night (winter) or a light shell at night (in summer).
"Merino-mink" sweaters are a mix of ultrafine merino wool and possum, made here or in NZ. The main brand is Lothlorien, who make them for men and women. They are expensive but IMHO worth it, this stuff is lightweight, incredibly soft to the touch, it breathes like fine wool, yet is incredibly warm when you need it, and it looks gorgeous. To my knowledge these are not available in the UK, this fabric is fairly new. I carry a zip cardigan on long distance plane flights and travelling in Scotland last September it was the perfect thing to wear in the highlands. There are also gloves and beanies made from this stuff.
I can tell you where to find these if you want a souvenir to take home as department stores do not stock them. Harris tweed jackets are lame, compared to this. If you buy one, be careful not to leave it lying around, it won't last long.
PS a pair of merino longjohns under a pair of jeans are enough for winter nights at Katoomba. Thankfully I lost a few kilos this year so I know I will still fit into mine.
If you are looking for cold weather gear, all the important shops are in Kent St, between Bathurst and King Sts - Kathmandu, Mountain Designs, Paddy Pallin and a couple of others. There is also one at the bottom of the Mall in Leura (Blue Mountains).
I come from a land without natural predator (non-human anyhow!), so advice/warnings on things that bite, sting or otherwise cause bodily harm welcomed at any time!
Dunk, this next bit will either pleasantly surprise you, or freak you out!
Summer is major mozzie time. They can drive you totally nuts, day and night. But at the Airfield during the night, they are surprisingly not so bad due to the squadrons of tiny insectivorous bats that flutter around us, picking off the masses of mozzies we attract! You'll hear their squeeks, clicks and chirps, and spot their black shadows every now and then as they zoom past your eyes in the dark a mach 3 speed. Quite an eerie spectacle in the dark.
... might need protection from the joe blakes (blacksnakes) looking for somewhere warm to curl up... plenty of them in the grass at the airfield Not to mention lethal funnelwebs and wolf-spiders...
But more seriously there are brownsnakes in the Mountains and they're the dangerous ones, they'll bite rather than run away.
Poor Dunk, must be wondering what sort of feral place this is !
Yup, thanks guys, you're doing a great job btw, I'll be observing from the comfort and security of my car the next meet
I'm a little highly strung on life-threatening subjects, but I've been to Australia before (a few summers ago) and I'm sorry to disappoint, but a good friend of mine got me with the drop bears back then I did have a huntsman experience though...
We do have some mozzies in the UK and they're a bit of an irritation in places (mostly in areas of still water), bites causing an red itchy lump but nothing more. Cases of fatalities from bites and stings are pretty low over there. Over here, I hope it's just a question of education?
I'm not overly bothered by bats unless they are going to swoop down and bite me. Likewise other creatures for the most part. But a little basic education would be _much_ appreciated... what might be common sense to you guys because you grew up with the dangers wouldn't necessarily compute to me. It's just a question of life preservation. I want to see the wonders of the southern sky but also live to tell the tale
These brownsnakes for example - these sound like something I need to keep well away from but I wouldn't know how react/behave if I should ever have the displeasure to encounter...
We do have some mozzies in the UK and they're a bit of an irritation in places (mostly in areas of still water), bites causing an red itchy lump but nothing more.
It's exactly the same around Sydney. We don't have flying insects here that bite chunks out of you (like they have in Queensland).
We do have some potentially dangerous snakes and spiders around Sydney and the Blue Mountains, but you'll be lucky to see one. They're more afraid of us than we're of them.
By far the most annoying "wildlife" in Australia are the flies. But that's limited to summer and varies from year to year.
As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".
Jokes aside, if you want to "survive" there's just a couple of things to remember:
* don't go lifting logs and big stones carelessly. These are the ambush haunts of funnel web spiders, snakes, scorpions, and other beasties. If you do need to, be very bloody careful.
* If you come across a snake, don't chase it to kill it - you're gonna loose. Just back away and leave it alone.
* To avoid having a dropbear fall on you, smear a generous amount of Vegemite behind your ears - it's the only thing known to repel these vile creatures.
* Your best friend is a cricket bat - throwing a boot at a big cockroach is only going to have the roach throw it back at you, WITH interest!
At the Airfield during winter, only the last two points really apply.
As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".
Jokes aside, if you want to "survive" there's just a couple of things to remember:
* To avoid having a dropbear fall on you, smear a generous amount of Vegemite behind your ears - it's the only thing known to repel these vile creatures.
* Your best friend is a cricket bat - throwing a boot at a big cockroach is only going to have the roach throw it back at you, WITH interest!
At the Airfield during winter, only the last two points really apply.
Yup, thanks guys, you're doing a great job btw, I'll be observing from the comfort and security of my car the next meet
I'm a little highly strung on life-threatening subjects, but I've been to Australia before (a few summers ago) and I'm sorry to disappoint, but a good friend of mine got me with the drop bears back then I did have a huntsman experience though...
We do have some mozzies in the UK and they're a bit of an irritation in places (mostly in areas of still water), bites causing an red itchy lump but nothing more. Cases of fatalities from bites and stings are pretty low over there. Over here, I hope it's just a question of education?
I'm not overly bothered by bats unless they are going to swoop down and bite me. Likewise other creatures for the most part. But a little basic education would be _much_ appreciated... what might be common sense to you guys because you grew up with the dangers wouldn't necessarily compute to me. It's just a question of life preservation. I want to see the wonders of the southern sky but also live to tell the tale
These brownsnakes for example - these sound like something I need to keep well away from but I wouldn't know how react/behave if I should ever have the displeasure to encounter...
Don't worry mate, I moved here from Scotland eight and a half years ago and I'm still here. I was also concerned and highly arachnophobic when I arrived. Didn't get off to a good start when within the first few weeks I put my hand on a huntsman while feeling for the light switch...
I bought a book to help me identify spiders (so I'd be able to tell the doctor which one had bitten me! ) but the book explained their behaviour and I realised they really are more scared of us than we are of them.
A few months later I was in an outdoor dunny in a national park when a funnel web wandered in. Instead of sh*tting myself, I calmly got the camera out and took a couple of shots!
I recall a huntsman experience when travelling here a few years back...luckily I didn't touch it, but spotted it dropping onto my sun hat (I don't tan!) when I opened the boot of the car...
but I wouldn't know how react/behave if I should ever have the displeasure to encounter...
