Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Mission Monitor Board Every 10 Years Forum Bad News from Australia. (With Some Good news now)

Great news, Far!

Hopefully this will set you (more) at ease.

Glad she's got her id back, at least. Sorry i'm at the wrong end of the continent to help. If she does come down south and you need a touchstone i'm sure any of us residents are ready to help.

It's a sad fact that there is such a huge backpacker presence down here that it's evolved it's own predators.

And just for your peace of mind i'm not going to share any of the stories from working in hostels. Suffice to say i still wonder why the first thing the young un's usually do when they hit these shores is to get pierced and tattoed...

Ummmm...at least you don't have to worry about the paperwork anymore Far. That's good right?

Oh that's just not true!

FIRST they get really really drunk, THEN pierced and tattoed. Not that anyone should worry about that or anything.

Thanks BB.

First up yup shes one of those "gap year Kids" that get on everyones nerves.

I think Emily gets her itchy feet from us. We have moved around a lot in the UK, had some European holidays and spent 6 months in Singapore.

Emily has been on a school exchange to the USA, a trip to Tanzania as well as short hops over to Europe. I dont think we were going to keep her at home somehow

But yes, she did get her belly button pierced in Oz.

Vee, True I dont need to worry about the paperwork, just back to normal worry levels now She's fruit picking at the moment and was told to watch out for huntsman spiders on the apples

Oh I've heard that bit of sillyness. I think it comes from those that find a place like the Gold Coast or a Thai beach and never move. Most of the Gap Kids I've met have been incredibly mature for their age, and a pleasure to travel with.

Gotta tell a story.

I'd picked up a nasty double salmonilla/e-coli thing and spend a few days in a small city hospital in Bolvia getting my liver cleaned out. When freedom called, I headed back to the main city of La Paz to stay near backpackers where I knew I'd get help if things turned bad again. Feeling sorry for myself in the room, in came a Gapper, heard my story, and invited me to a cafe he'd found for beer (okay, not the best idea given the liver was wounded and La Paz sits at 4000m altitude but hey..)

So a bad evening turned good by a kid half my age. We get back to the room and sitting cross legged on one of the beds was another gapper who'd just gotten in. First words, FIRST words out of his mouth, "I miss me Mum."

Back to the bar.

Later I asked the (sad) kid if he was going to arrange transport back to England. "Oh no! I've got too much to do here."

I wish my college students were as mature as the Gap kids. Gappers explain why England owned half the world at one time.

good gooly, really? as far as i know Huntsman spiders aren't poisonous, just very, very big. Used to have a couple of 'pet' ones living in my room when younger.

She's probably in far more danger from the dropbears...

...and the Redbacks, the funnelwebs, the mouse spiders, black snakes, brown snakes...

OK Kid, thanks for putting my mind so much at ease

Anyway she's back in Brisbane now looking for more work. <whipsers> "I think she found the fruit picking too much like hard work" <whisper off>

...blue ringed octopus, box jellyfish, white-tail spider, irukundja jellyfish, the local brisbane werewolf cult...

That last one makes *me* want to go over to check it out!

I got bit by a White-tail spider when i was about fifteen. hurt like a bitch. and at catholic school no-less.