Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Australian pharmacists may only fill
prescriptions written by Australian
doctors, so carry enough medication
with you for your trip. Doctors are
listed under “M” for Medical Practi-
tioners in the Yellow Pages, and most
large towns and cities have 24-hour
clinics. Failing that, go to the local
hospital's emergency room.
BUGS, BITES & OTHER WILD-
LIFE CONCERNS
Snake and spi-
der bites may not be as common as the
hair-raising stories you will hear
would suggest, but it pays to be wary.
Australia's two deadly spiders are the
large hairy funnel web and the tiny
red-back, which has a distinctive red
slash on its back. Snakes are common
throughout Australia and you are
most likely to see one if you are in the
bush or hiking. If you are bitten, keep
calm; moving as little as possible may
save your life. Demobilize the limb
and wrap that whole section of the
limb tightly (but not tight enough to
restrict the blood flow) with a wide
cloth or bandage (not a narrow
tourniquet). Then send someone to
the nearest hospital, where antivenin
should be available.
If you go bushwalking, check your
whole body for ticks, which are com-
mon. If you find one, dab it with
methylated spirits or some other nox-
ious chemical. Wait for a while, and
then gently pull the tick out with
tweezers, carefully ensuring that you
don't leave its head buried inside the
wound.
Many Aussie marine creatures are
deadly. Avoid stingrays, stonefish
(which look like stones, so don't walk
on underwater “rocks”), lionfish, and
puffer fish. Never touch a blue-ringed
octopus (it has blue circles all over its
body) or a cone shell (a large shellfish
shaped like a blunt cone). Marine
stingers, or box jellyfish, inhabit the
coastal waters of the northern third of
the country in summer. Their sting is
very painful and can cause heart failure
and death. If you are stung, pour vine-
gar over the affected site immedi-
ately—local authorities leave bottles of
vinegar on the beach specifically for
this purpose. On beaches in Sydney
and other areas, you might come across
“blue bottles.” These long-tentacled
blue jellyfish inflict a generally harm-
less but painful sting that can last for
hours. Sometimes you'll see warning
signs on patrolled beaches. The best
remedy if you are stung is to rinse the
area liberally in seawater or fresh water
to remove any tentacles stuck to the
skin. For intense pain, apply heat or
cold, whichever feels better. If you
experience breathing difficulties or dis-
orientation following a box jellyfish or
blue bottle sting, seek medical atten-
tion immediately.
There are two types of crocodiles in
Australia: the freshwater crocodile,
which grows to almost 3m (10 ft.),
and the highly dangerous estuarine (or
saltwater) crocodile, which reaches 5m
to 7m (17 ft.-23 ft.). Freshwater crocs
are considered harmless; unfortu-
nately, estuarine crocs aren't. They are
called “saltwater” crocs but live mostly
in freshwater rivers, wetlands, gorges,
and billabongs (ponds). They are very
dangerous, move at lightning speed,
and are invisible even an inch beneath
the water; few people survive an
attack.
Never
swim in, or stand near
the bank of, any river, swamp, or pool
in the northern third of Australia,
unless you know for certain it's croc-
free, and don't swim at beaches near
stream or river mouths.
SUN/ELEMENTS/EXTREME
WEATHER EXPOSURE
Aus-
tralians have the world's highest death
rate from skin cancer because of the
country's intense sunlight. Limit your
exposure to the sun, especially during
the first few days of your trip, and
