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[Reply #15 on:]

There is also a tiny octopus that can kill an elephant - why would it need/want to do that?

Well, quite so, and I think a definitive nail in the coffin for Intelligent Design, because, as any ful kno, there are no elephants in Oz.
Where's the intelligence in that?

[Reply #16 on:]

There seem to be some seriously weird things in Oz

We have more than our fair share, there's not much that will eat you (none if you stay out of the water like any sensible person would) but a lot of things that will bite.

doesn't one of the spiders have fangs that can actually penetrate a shoe or is that a myth?

It's probably a myth but this little fella would come close.

There is also a tiny octopus that can kill an elephant

That would be the blue-ringed octopus, only a couple of inches in size but (I think) one of the deadliest critters anywhere. How they tested one on an elephant I have no idea

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Rob

[Reply #17 on:]

Graynomad, you are enjoying yourself posting those photos, the last certainly looks fearsome. I am not too bad with spiders as long as they are slow, but jumpers and runners get me moving.

The blue-ringed octopus seems to have really gone for overkill. Maybe some over zealous scientist tested it on an elephant. Thomas Edison electrocuted an unfortunate Nelly to show the dangers of AC current (he was trying to sell DC systems).

You are right about staying out of the water, but those salt water crocs sneak up on people in tents too don't they?
I also remember some young Crocodile Dundee type who nearly got taken by a croc but was rescued by his dog (Henry?). The dog managed to get away as well. Tried to find the video on youtube but no luck.

[Reply #18 on:]

Edison electrocuted an unfortunate Nelly to show the dangers of AC current

That would've been an unfortunate Topsy.

[Reply #19 on:]

you are enjoying yourself posting those photos

He he, yep, I hope you guys don't mind. In my other life I'm a nature photographer. See http://www.robgray.com/grayoutdoors/stock/galleries/index.php if you have any interest in such things.

staying out of the water

As far as I'm concerned everywhere that's safe enough is too cold, and everywhere that's warm enough is not safe There's been 3 people killed by sharks (white pointers) in Western Aus in the last year or so I think.

salt water crocs sneak up on people in tents too don't they?

That's correct. Until a couple of years ago the rule of thumb was that you camp 30-40 yards from the water. But some bloke got dragged out of his tent that was IIRC 40 yards or so from the river. The 13-foot snapping handbag just reached in and grabbed his leg and started dragging him back to the river. I was definitely goodnight nurse there for a second but a nearby grandmother jumped on the crock's back. It let go of the bloke and grabbed her. By this time someone else had got a gun and he shot the crock so granny was saved.

Heck of a yarn, and I bet they use a campervan these days

We spent 6 weeks camped on the banks of the Victoria River last year. We were 5 meters up a bank and live in a truck anyway so that wasn't a problem but every day or so I had to go down to the river to get water. Now rule #1 in crock country is never do the same thing twice in the same place, they can watch and learn and sometimes spend a few days or even a week figuring out the pattern and getting a little closer every day. But there was only one convenient access point. At least I could see down into the water from the top of the bank before I walked down, but I got pretty jittery after a while because I knew there was a local dominant crock. I'd seen him float past that very spot a few times, I estimate he was about about 15' long.

Here's a shot of a big "saltie" (saltwater crock, the dangerous ones, we have "freshies" as well but they don't attack people) on the Ord river, not far away from the Victoria R. Taken from a boat that was smaller than the croc.



And just for good measure, here's a freshie.



You'll note that I got a lot closer to it than I did the saltie.

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Rob

[Reply #20 on:]

Wothahellizat - amazing!!!!

I'll definitely take a good look round http://www.robgray.com/grayoutdoors/stock/galleries/index.php when I have time to settle down and enjoy it fully.

[Reply #21 on:]

Thanks Radman, yes our 6x6 army truck is a bit different, it's been on/in many TV shows magazines etc.

I heard they are doing a Mad Max 4, maybe I should see if they could use it in that

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Rob

[Reply #22 on:]

Thanks Radman, yes our 6x6 army truck is a bit different, it's been on/in many TV shows magazines etc.

I heard they are doing a Mad Max 4, maybe I should see if they could use it in that

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Rob

First off, great pics - I love 'em!

Secondly - if they are doing anything "Mad Max" - it's just to make some money and kill the whole concept, just like every other recent attempt at making a "new sequel" decade(s) laters.

Gah! Why can't they come up with a new concept instead? Heck, there's so much unexplored territory (film-wise) in the whole "cyberpunk" schema that surely something could be done there (then again, maybe it would look too much like real-life)...

[Reply #23 on:]

Thanks, it keeps me off the streets.

I heard they planned to start filming MM4 this/last year out near Broken Hill where the others were filmed, trouble is there's been so much rain over that way that there was actually green foliage for the first time in recorded history so they canned/postponed it

It's probably better off left alone, OTOH I love post-apocalypse stuff so I'd be for it.

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Rob

[Reply #24 on:]

I had a sac spider crawl over my hand last week while working on my Arduino project... Give me crocodiles and scorpions any day.

[Reply #25 on:]

I don't know what a sac spider is but given that you're in SA I'm guessing it's pretty nasty.

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Rob

[Reply #26 on:]

It's pretty tiny and looks pretty harmless compared to most, but it has cheiracanthium fuculatum venom which can cause necrosis.

[Reply #27 on:]

Rob- you really get some awesome shots!  What hardware are you using?  I'm a Canon fan mostly..

I got nailed by a Brown Recluse years back, when I was in my twenties.  Ended up causing tissue necrosis, a sore about the size of a quarter on my leg that was gross as heck and took forever to heal.  Doc was even telling me to watch for things like blood infection.. they don't actually have to have deadly venom to kill.  As I understand, many reptile bites can be fatal, but it's from infection rather than actual venom..

Nature photography is what got me out in the world, I took it up at the same time I took up kayaking (flat water only!).  Most of the time I am happy chasing around blue herons, eagles, and such- but a couple of times a year I do saltwater in Boston or Hingham harbor.  We were out near the harbor islands a few years back when we came upon a pack of seals heading for shore like mad.. then noticed the PARTIAL seal floating next to us in the water.  Had not been there long.  Closest runin I've had with potentially deadly animal-- but considering I was in a 10 foot single-wall kayak, a Great White (the only thing that munches on the seals like that) would make very quick work of me if it desired.. never saw the actual shark, which in some ways was the scariest part of it....

Also, from when I was travelling around the southwest, I remember that most scorpions fluoresce under UV light.  Get a portable blacklight (UV LED flashlght would be great for it I bet) and you can see them in the dark... mean little buggers.

[Reply #28 on:]

Thanks focalist.

For a full description of what I use have a look at my gear page
 
http://www.robgray.com/grayoutdoors/about/about_equipment/digital/index.php

But in a nutshell,

Body for landscapes - 1Ds Mk2
Body for fast movers - 1D Mk2
Lens etc for small things - 100macro, MT24 macro flash, 420EX flash (wireless)
Lens etc for things you can't get close to, things you don't want to get close to - 400 F4 DO, 1.4x, 580EX flash, Better beamer flash extender OR 70-200/2.8 with 2x and same flash.

Nature photography is what got me out in the world,

Yes it's good for that, I sometimes regret getting back into electronics because that is purely an indoor sport. I do occasionally get out, did a 5-day hike through the Karijini NP earlier this year, but that's no substitute for getting out every day.

I used to do a lot of kayaking, inland waters though, you can keep the ocean for reasons you just illustrated.

And since you mentioned eagles and herons I thought I'd use that as an excuse to show two more pics


Wedge-tailed eagle. Around 2-meter wingspan.


A rare morph of the blue heron. This one had the experts stumped for ages.

Closest runin I've had with potentially deadly animal

You can have that, I got caught well away from my car by a lion once, that roar is something you have to experience to believe, thank goodness it's the females that do most of the hunting

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Rob