Welcome to Cairns Australia / Dec 13

More things than can kill you than anywhere else in the world - ode to Bill Bryson
He wasn't exaggerating!!

As we check in, we ask if there's any creatures to watch out for. "Well, there's poisonous snakes everywhere so watch where you walk."

We wander down to the beach and notice that despite the 30+ degrees there's no one swimming.  I wonder why?

Stinger season has just begun and lasts 6 months. There's a netted area that is fairly protected, although locals tell us they only swim in the pool.

Signs and containers of vinegar at the shoreline instruct you to
1. call for help
2. commence CPR

Apparently the first symptom is cardiac arrest.

Off for a drive winding up the coast where roadwork is being done to prevent further rockslides. We pass a sign that warns drivers this road has more fatalities than anywhere else in Australia.

As we enter a park there's a plant that releases intensely painful spines sitting in a case to warn walkers.

Along all the waterways you have to keep your eyes open for saltwater crocodiles. They tell us
"The water's teeming with them."
Getting off the ferry we're told to step lively.  The ferry pilot's dog got carried off here last week.

They are very hard to see

Heading into the rainforest we read warnings to back up slowly if we encounter a cassowary the most dangerous and largest bird in the world - mansize. He uses both legs to kick - think ostrich, but larger??
As we walk we hear the cassowary close by, with his loud thrumming call, but no sightings.
The cassowary has one predator: the automobile

Not to mention: spiders, snakes, scorpions, sharks and platypuses!

Next we'll take a look at the friendlier parts of Cairns, if we don't get eaten, bitten or stung.

BTW: Cairns is pronounced Cans.  I don't know what happened to the 'r'.