Question for Oz skaters

gatorskater · Posted: Apr 05, 2009 5:34 pm Post subject: Question for Oz skaters

So this just popped into my head this morning and after googling to try and find the answer with no clear results I decided to ask all you Australian riders a question:

Do you guys have to worry about crocs like us Floridians have to about gators? It's bugging the crap out of me to know.

SleuCrew · Posted: Apr 05, 2009 6:08 pm Post subject:

I can't answer your question but I do know that saltwater cocs are much more aggressive than gators.

I'm actually interested to know an answer to this myself...

Gators never really bothered me in FL, snakes are something that does freak me out, I've had a phobia about them since I was a kid.

gatorskater · Posted: Apr 05, 2009 7:43 pm Post subject:

I've never had problems with gators either, I actually saw 8 when I rode on Thursday. I heard though that there are frsh and saltwater crocs down there and that the frshwater ones are alot less aggressive.

jc · Posted: Apr 05, 2009 9:02 pm Post subject:

I from Victoria which in the south east part of Oz. We don't have crocs down here they are only in the nothern parts of the country. I think up there they can be pretty aggressive but I don't hear of alot wakeskating going on in those parts?
Any skaters from N.T. or QLD on here?

Josh_S · Posted: Apr 05, 2009 11:17 pm Post subject:

I used to live in Darwin, which is Australia's most northern capital city. Crocs there are a massive issue. The only spot i'd ride there is called Manton dam and we'd see freshies (smaller, non-aggressive type of croc) quite regularly and have the rangers tell us there were salties around the other half of the dam where no one would ride. Since the hunting of salties was banned in the 70's the population of crocs in the NT has exploded and there a some massive ones all around now. You learn to be wary of any body of water up there because you just dont know whats in there. Its a real shame because there are some unreal spots for winching around the natural springs. Some locals rode in the harbour in Darwin but we didnt due to not only Salties, but box jellyfish, irukandji jellyfish and numerous other things that could cause you some grief.

Hope this helps Very Happy

SleuCrew · Posted: Apr 05, 2009 11:27 pm Post subject:

Josh_S, I watched this documentary on irukandji's and the box jellies and all I can say is NO FVCKING THANK YOU!

Those things scare the crap outa me, talk about a horrible death or even worse the shizzle you will go through just trying to survive from their sting.

Crocs and gators don't have shizzle on those jellies!

dylo · Posted: Apr 05, 2009 11:38 pm Post subject:

one of my mates does relief teaching at a aboriginal community in the kimberlys (Western Aus).. the aborigine kids swim across the river.. he says they can swim across once, but if they swim across a second time they dont see them again.

not such a problem where im from down in victoria. all we have to worry about is the carp Laughing

matty_edwards · Posted: Apr 06, 2009 12:29 am Post subject:

in queensland where i live you just have to look out for sharks. we ride in a yet to be established canal, a guy was fishing there one day and waved us down saying the night before he threw 2 lts of blood in there and caught a 3m bullshark. we have been riding there 2 years and i havnt seen any. as for crocs they pretty much stay up north of of the country.

Josh_S · Posted: Apr 06, 2009 1:52 am Post subject:

SleuCrew, Yeah those things are gnarly. I used to be a pearl diver and i'd see the boxies all the time. My old room mate on the farm had been stung by both numerous times, mainly surfing the north-west coast. One time in Broome he got stung, somehow mananged to drive to the local service station where he then crashed his car and then fell out of it. Because he was covered in tatts and piercings people just thought he was messed up on drugs, but he was actually spasming so violently he couldn't say what was wrong. It wasnt until he started going into cardiac arrest, a passer-by who happened to be a nurse saved his life. He was by far the hardest dude ive ever met.

SleuCrew · Posted: Apr 06, 2009 2:08 am Post subject:

Yeah screw that! You gotta be one tough mo-fo to go through that... in the doc I saw the guy and the girl that were doing the research both got stung and it was horrible just watching it. I can only imagine what it must have been like.

Travis B · Frontside 180 Joined: 29 Mar 2009 Posts: 321 City: townie

That sucks... i ride in saltwater in FL theres none of those things thank god. Box jelly fish sound rediculous Confused

gatorskater · Posted: Apr 06, 2009 9:47 am Post subject:

Thanks guys I thought that may have been a regional thing, just had that in my mind and couldn't stop thinking about it.

dalesk8 · Backside 180 Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 719 City: South OZ

absolutely nothing to worry about where i ride

Josh_S · Posted: Apr 07, 2009 1:47 am Post subject:

dalesk8, You live in South Oz. I'd be worried about serial killers Smile