Well, yes. Plenty of things want to kill you - the sun, the ocean, fires and storms and almost everything that moves. But before you completely give up your plan to go Down Under, hear me out! It's not as bad as you think it is. After all, 26 million people live there!
When I mention danger, you probably think of huge and ferocious crocodiles, sharks, snakes and spiders. Certainly wildlife can be deadly for humans but the dangerous animals are not as prevalent as people tend to believe. Actually, it is very unlikely to meet any dangerous animals. Most of them fear humans more than you fear them. According to statistics, about 3 people die from wild animal related incidents each year, which is really insignificant compared to drowning (almost 300 people) or road accidents (1500 people!). In fact, there are more horse (77 deaths, mostly from falling) and cow (33 deaths, mostly from crushing) related death than sharks, snakes and bee stings combined.
Big cities like Sydney are the safest places while remote areas and the outback is a bit more dangerous. Even the locals now about the dangerous species, so there are a ton of precautions for keeping the people safe, especially the uninformed tourists. This means warning signs (they are pretty hard to miss), on popular beaches there are marine-life activity monitoring 'shark helicopters' or lifeguards who tell you if it is not safe to go in the water and hunt for floating venomous jellyfish.
Here's some of the most fearsome animals in Australia. Most likely you'll never see one but it's good to be aware of the danger.
Snakes
At least 140 species are known to live here, the world's top 3 most venomous snakes among them like the Eastern Brown Snake, Tiger Snake or the Taipans. In reality, snakes are uncommon to see. Chris saw only once in 3 years, next to a warning sign in Byron Bay.
Snake bites are quite rare too - they bite only in self defense and not all snakes are venomous. Only 4-6 people die in it each year, which is extremely low, considering the 50,000 deaths in India. The Inland Taipan (the most venomous snake in the world!) doesn't even have deadly bite on record! Snakes are really uncommon to see, especially in big cities. You can scare them away if you make some noise while walking and do not walk through long grass, particularly not barefoot or in thongs (flip flops).
Crocodiles
There are two types of crocodiles in Australia: the smaller freshwater crocodile (freshie) and the huge and much more dangerous saltwater crocodile (saltie). The freshies are not a real threat to humans. The saltwater crocodiles inhabit the Northern coastline of the Australian mainland, mostly in rivers but almost every water above the Tropic of Capricorn is teeming with them. The saltie is the only animal in Aussie that is actively looking to kill you - they hunt on instinct and eat anything that moves. Nonetheless, attacks are still very rare.
The two popular destinations where you may see them are around Darwin, such as Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks and in Northern Queensland, including Cairns. Fortunately, there are the well placed warning signs and crocs cannot run fast in long-distances. To avoid the danger, stay clear of the water's edge (at least 15 meters) and do not ignore the warnings!
Spiders
Around 1500 species live in Australia, including many deadly species like funnel web and redback spiders - they live in New South Wales and sometimes hide in shoes. But don't worry, there hasn't been a fatal spider bite since 1979.
There are a ton of harmless species of spiders too, like the orb web or orb-weaving spiders. And there's the Australian Hunstman Spider. It's the most horrifying thing ever! They are HUGE, hairy, fast, quite smart and come in pairs. Despite their terrifying appearance, they do not pose a threat to humans - they are not venomous and only eat small geckos and insects.
Sharks
Despite what you hear in the media, shark attacks are not common in Australia at all - the chance of being killed by a shark here is the same as in any other ocean (1:3,700,000!). Sharks do not actively hunt humans, they rather eat easier targets like seals or fish. Sharks usually avoid crowded beaches - the majority of shark attacks are on surfers who are mistaken for seals. The popular beaches in Straya have shark nets, patrolling lifeguards, some even has 'shark helicopters' and they always put out warnings signs in case of a shark sight.
Marine creatures
As you would expect, the world's most dangerous jellyfish live here too: the Box Jellyfish and the tiny Irukandji Jellyfish. These jellyfish inhabit tropical waters, and if you plan your travel, be aware of the Stinger season which is between November and May. Luckily, fatal stings are rare these days and most beaches have warning signs too. Stingrays are very beautiful creatures and great to snorkel with, but they have an unfair reputation since Steve Irwin's fatal accident.
Magpies
These native birds are very territorial when raising their young ones (in spring). They are not actually deadly or can be mention in the same category as the saltwater crocodile, yet they are known to fiercely swoop down on the innocents who walk under their nest. They mainly terrorize cyclists - bikers wear cable ties on their helmets to prevent the bird attacks.
Besides the wildlife, the ocean can be really deadly too - just like in any other country. Not just marine life but also sharp corals and strong, rip currents can be dangerous. Fortunately, in Australia there are plenty of warning signs and lifeguards at the beaches making sure you are safe. Just follow the instructions and swim between the flags!
Then there's the weather. Hails, dust storms, floods, droughts, extreme heat and bush fires.
Like the rest of Oceania, cyclones (or hurricanes) can hit any time in the rainy season - meaning 10 to 13 cyclones from December to April. Basically everything can happen in a short period of time. Fortunately, there no volcanoes on the Australian mainland and earthquakes occur only about in every 100 years.
And finally, the Sun. The continent lays under the hole in the ozone layer, therefore the ultraviolet rays burn really strong. This is why Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. In order to avoid that, use at least 50 factor sunscreen, also wear a hat so don't get a heat stroke.
In general, heed warning signs and to seek information from locals. If you see a dangerous animal do not approach it and certainly do not try to handle it!
I hope I didn't scare you off completely from visiting Australia! Believe me, the wonders of the continent are far more enjoyable than the level of danger here. If you still in doubt, check out the my other posts on the amazing destinations here!
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