Arachnophobic in Australia

Made the mistake of looking at a buzzfeed list about Australian creatures and am now completely petrified of my 10 day pre-cruise visit next April. I can handle snakes, rats, crocs, sharks & stingers, but spiders?!? Totally freaking out!!! Any reassurances from the cruise critic gang?

Don't worry. I'm guessing that you will be staying in hotels in either Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne. The CBDs of Australian cities are generally free of spiders particularly in hotels. I live in a part of Australia that is semi rural and yes, we have spiders, but they are more timid of us than we are afraid of them.

Just relax, enjoy your pre-cruise days and I'll bet you don't get to see one spider.

Thank you Mike! I feel silly being scared but have had some very bad spider experiences that make me anxious even thinking about the possibilities. I will trust in your theory and pray fervently that I don't get to see even one during our stay! I am excited to see your beautiful country (or at least a very small part of it!) and will try to relax about any creatures I might encounter.

City hotels would use pest exterminators on a regular basis. I don't expect you will encounter a spider.

In our houses, we do have regular incursions from a spider called a huntsman. This spider is large, but totally harmless. They usually wander outside again by themselves after hanging around high up on a wall for a few days. Most people don't bother to move them.

Probably sensible to be wary of some of our wildlife. But in all honesty don't worry about them. If you leave your shoes outside turn them over ang give them a good shake out before you put them on.

But in the CBD no real worries.

I'm an arachnophobic too and even living in the country here, I rarely encounter spiders. But when I do they are usually the huge huntsman spiders.. Lol when I start screaming my husband comes and rescues me. I'm have never encountered them in the city.

Our hotels were all spider free: Sydney, Ayers Rock Resort, Kings Canyon, Glen Helen Resort ("resort" is a joke, it's a horrible motel) and Alice Springs. Now, if you are afraid of birds, that's different story, or dingoes.

Our hotels were all spider free: Sydney, Ayers Rock Resort, Kings Canyon, Glen Helen Resort ("resort" is a joke, it's a horrible motel) and Alice Springs. Now, if you are afraid of birds, that's different story, or dingoes.

Surprised you didn't see any in the Centre.

Where's Glen Helen resort never come across t?

I wouldn't say I'm arachnophobia but I hate spiders with a passion. Any sighting of a huntsman usually involves me squealing like a child, running from the room and residing to go back until it's been taken care of lol. But in saying that I only ever see them at my fathers house as he is surrounded by bush, in my suburban home I only get small dime sized garden spiders at most. In the city I doubt yo will see any, if you happen to be going to the tropical north you may see golden orb spiders, if hiking just make sure others go first so they walk into the web and not you :P

The Huntsman was one of the pictures I saw, not sure I would be cool hanging out with it even if it's not dangerous! They did say that many times the small spiders are far deadlier.

Big, small or medium, there is no just right with spiders for me!

Thank you all for your responses, I feel a bit better about being in the CBD, don't plan too many hiking excursions as I am travelling with my parents & aunt that prefer more sedate experiences.

As a small child I was bitten by a brown recluse and had several surgeries to remove all the bad tissue on my back.

30 years later, I was bitten again by another spider, they still don't know for sure which kind, and had an extreme reaction and infection that resulted in a chunk out of my leg.

Never saw either spider or felt the initial bite, but my fear is extremely well-founded!

I've been visiting Australia regularly for over 25 years, and the most dangerous thing I've seen so far was at a beach - the lid of a tin can lying on the sand under about 6 inches of water. I've occasionally seen some spiders' webs, but I can't remember ever seeing a spider!

The Huntsman was one of the pictures I saw, not sure I would be cool hanging out with it even if it's not dangerous! They did say that many times the small spiders are far deadlier.

Big, small or medium, there is no just right with spiders for me!

YOU wouldnt like to live in QLD, AUS then..this was recently in our local paper..

http://www.mygc.com.au/news/monster-spider-and-babies-found-on-qld-electricity-meter/

and..heres one (a SMALL huntsman)from our garden..my husband picks them up..:D

My DW is terrified of spiders, normally when there is ine in the house she pretty much drowns it in insect spray, but when I told her of the fear on this thread of huntsmen said " But I can crush them with my fingers!"

Surprised you didn't see any in the Centre.

 

Where's Glen Helen resort never come across t?

West of Alice at the gorge on Finke River, near Hermannsburg

Captive audience place

West of Alice at the gorge on Finke River, near Hermannsburg

 

Captive audience place

Thanks

Lots of captive audience spots in the centre

The Huntsman was one of the pictures I saw, not sure I would be cool hanging out with it even if it's not dangerous! They did say that many times the small spiders are far deadlier.

Big, small or medium, there is no just right with spiders for me!

I like having Huntsman spiders around. They are the natural enemy of one of our deadly spiders, white tails. Same for Daddy Long Legs, they don't agree with Red Backs, so I don't mind having either. Neither of the spiders I like are dangerous to people.

However I have a phobia to small rodents that scurry around so I can understand you not wanting to see any.

I'm also allergic to insect stings so I prefer to not be somewhere I can be bitten.

Thank you all for your responses, most have made me feel so much better! If anyone is interested in the Buzzfeed list that originally freaked me out it's titled "37 Pictures That Prove Australia is the Land of Nope".

Don't think I'll be crushing any Huntsman between my fingers anytime soon, but can't say I would like having them around!

This was actually one of the pictures in the list I saw! Thinking I'm going to get a flea collar and wear it as a bracelet ;)

This was actually one of the pictures in the list I saw! Thinking I'm going to get a flea collar and wear it as a bracelet ;)

I very much doubt that a flea collar would be effective against spiders, especially a huntsman (and that one was a baby compared to full grown ones) but you probably won't see any to prove that.

I've lived in Sydney for 19 years, in an area known for poisonous funnel-web spiders, and I rarely see more than the odd daddy longlegs in my bathroom.