Saturday, April 16, 2011

Ouch!

 Mynx is taking over today! If you haven't been to Dribble... you are definitely missing out! Enjoy!

How wonderful to find myself back here at Jumble Mash.

Last time I visited, JM, I had a wonderful collaboration about differences between old and new couples.

Oh and if you don't know me, I am Mynx and I write a couple of blogs, the main one called "Dribble" and I am Australian.

Now I know that JM put up a list of suggestions but she knows me by now and as the only thing that is really on my mind is holidays, I thought I would tie everything together with a little story about when I was a newly wed and my honeymoon in Tasmania.

Tasmania is a beautiful island state, and has a unique history, climate and environment.  We travelled there in September and spent the first few nights in a beautiful place called "Cradle Mountain Lodge"
This is a wilderness area, so we had a beautiful spa cabin set in natural bushland setting.

Now most of you would know something about some Australian animals, koalas, kangaroos, wombats.
Some of you probably consider Australia a really dangerous place with sharks, crocs and poisonous snakes and spiders.

Well let me first say that I have only been eaten by a shark twice and died of snake bite once.... OK I am being silly, but honestly, the animals are more scared of you than you are of them.
source
Of course if you are silly enough to swim in a croc infested billabong, you deserve to get eaten.

Being a wilderness area, it wasn't uncommon to spot glorious colored parrots or large black Currawongs (Australian Raven) in the trees and on the balcony.

We would walk from our cabin to the main lodge for meals and entertainment nightly along a dirt track, often returning with only moonlight to guide us.

One night, coming back from dinner we heard a rustling in the bushes and hubby was forced to step back before he literally tripped over a wombat going about it's nightly foraging.
It was that sort of place

Several nights a week the lodge would host Possum feeding after dinner.
That sort of thing is frowned upon now, 20 years later, but back then it was entertainment.
The possums are the Australian brush tail possums, very common and very cheeky.
Nocturnal, like a lot of Aussie animals they would be happily sleeping while the sun shine to then get up and party on your cabin roof at night.

As part of possum feeding as entertainment, we would gather on the veranda while the hotel staff passed around trays of cut apple and other fruit so guests could hand feed these very cute fluffy vegetarian locals.

They would gather around your feet and shyly take the apple from your fingers and then munch it down super quick and look for more.
Did I mention they were also greedy?

Eventually the fruit would all be eaten and guest and possums would all go their separate ways to enjoy the rest of the evening.

This night however, one particular possum who had taken a bit of a liking to me decided to wait and see if there was more fruit available.  I was sitting there just watching as he edged closer to me. 

Then all of a sudden, he reached out his little head towards my fingers
And
Ouch
The little bugger bit me

Guess he thought I was apple, or maybe my fingers smelt like apple.

And it hurt

And it bled

And I yelled

He ran

And hubby laughed

And that was the first and only time I have ever been attacked by a wild Australian animal

So if you are traveling my way, it isn't the deadly snakes or stinging jellyfish that are the real danger to tourists.

You just gotta watch out for those bloody cute furry critters, especially with apple juice on your hands

16 comments:

SkippyMom said...

I wonder if your possums play dead like our opossums. They are scared of humans and wouldn't come near.

Cute critters tho'.

that guy said...

Loved this post!

i am glad i do not have a billabong near me, as the draw to swimming in it may be too much and i would be croc bait....

Anonymous said...

Haha. Great post. I must say that Australia is one of my "must visit" places but I have an insane fear of spiders of especially sharks and a healthy respect for snakes, crocs, etc...so I was a bit scared. Everything I watch on Australian outback paints it as a land just waiting for a chance to kill you--and I'm a big sissy...so I'm glad to see that isn't true. not that I believed tv...I mean I didn't shake in bed scared a black mamba was going to get me...not at all...that never happened! ;)

Oilfield Trash said...

Great post Mynx.

Did you have to get a shot for that bite?

The girl of the sun said...

It is easy to say: 'Animals are scared of you more than you are of them', because in a new unusual place with spiders, snakes and all the wildlife you feel uncomfortable. But, with such adventures it's better to get used to it. :)

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Well it sounds like you and a wonderful honeymoon, I would love to go to Tassie sometime my parents have been and they loved it. Hubby says he would like to go but he says a lot of things..............

BB said...

So all those documentaries on TV that show these awful spiders, ants and snakes are making it appear scarier? With my luck, I'd come visit and get bit with something bad.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the clarification that Australia isn't so dangerous. All these years I believed the discovery channel and all their documentaries on the dangerous animals. They really should make some on the cute animals too. I may just want to venture over there now that I know I only have to worry about those cute possums :D

Rebecca said...

OUCH!! is right that little meanie

not displayed said...

JM- Thank you so much for having me here today. I love visiting with you

Skippy- Never heard of them playing dead. Some of them are cheeky enough to walk right up into cabins and look for food

Bruce- Only some billabongs have crocs that will eat you. And Not all crocs are dangerous to people

Jewels- Those Docos love to highlight scary stuff. They like to show the USA over run with Bears, wolves and rattlesnakes

OT- No rabies in Australia thankfully

The Girl of the Sun- It is what you get used to. You just gotta respect the danger and not be silly. If you go in the bush you are going in thier home.

Joanne- Recommend it as a holiday destination. Loved it both times I have been

Barb- They love to scare people. It gets ratings. And you and I would be too busy checking out the wineries to be bothered by the wild life lol

Jax- Steve Irwin did tend to make things dramatic. Most scary stuff is up North

Becca- Makes me gigle now. Attacked by a possum.

The Onion said...

That was about as death-defying as the time I was bitten by a stingray!!...... while feeding them at the Denver aquarium. I tried to take a photo to prove to others I had been attacked, but it wouldn't show up.

Fail.

www.alotoflayers.blogspot.com

THUNDERCAT said...

Possums scare the living hell out of me...especially the ones over where I'm from. All those damn teeth...they gotta be made for more than eating through cans...like eating through my black ass for fun. I can read their minds!

Don said...

The only croc I ever heard of that's not a danger to humans is what is sometimes referred to as "a crock of s%@t"
:-)

American O'possums do roll over and play dead, and often end up near the center line of highways as "road kill". Desperate hungry folks search for fresh road kill and then cook "Possum and Sweet Taters".

Unknown said...

Always a treat when Mynx is telling a story. Enjoyed it very much.

katsidhe said...

Mr Wombat obviously knew what a sweetie you are and just wanted a little nibble, my darling Mynx-y. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Sorry that happened to you, but your possums are actually cute! :O