Oz East Coast Trip

Ahh Australia, the lonely continent whose isolation has led to the evolution of some of the deadliest flora and fauna on the planet. After encountering some of these species in person while visiting the Daintree Rainforest, I started to wonder if there was such thing as too much evolution? For example:

The Stinging Tree
Looks like a normal plant, but its unassuming leaves and stems contain tiny silica hairs that become imbedded in the skin, releasing a poison 10 000 times more potent than poison ivy. There is no known antidote except using wax to remove each individual hair, which breaks off the silica in the process. The remaining needles can cause pain every time the skin contracts for weeks, months and even years.

Australia has 8 of the 10 most deadliest snakes in the world. One of the most feared is the Taipan Snake, which contains enough venom in one bite to kill 100 men. Isn't this a bit of an ... overkill? Get it?

Crocodiles
Ever since the Australian government banning the killing of crocodiles in the 1970s, the population of these reptiles has exploded across the coasts of Queensland. Australian 'salties' are the largest crocodiles in the world, famed for their quick tempers and fierce intelligence. Every Aussie I've met has a favourite crocodile story to tell. The most memorable one involves an elderly woman who was walking across her property one night to checking her crab tracks, when a 4.2 m croc lunged from the riverbank. She managed to fend it off using her walking stick. Luckily, her walking stick was a double-barreled shotgun.

There is one animal which comes with no warning label, that I like to call the Dangerously Cute Koala. Once I laid eyes on this creature I could not even resist the hefty $20 AUD price tag to be able to hold and cuddle the Dangerously Cute Koala in my arms.


Facts about Dangerously Cute Koalas:

• They need 16-20 hours of sleep each day (and look dangerously cute whilst doing so) because their diet of eucalyptus leaves is so low in energy and nutrients
• After a short 35 day gestation period, koalas give birth to a dangerously cute jelly-bean sized infant
• When feeling threated or territorial, koalas have one defensive tactic - defecating on unwanted intruders
  

-V