Not everything in Australia will kill you - 38° 26' 42" N 144° 57' 30" E

 ... but some things look like they will!

Meet the Huntsman Spider!  These creepy critters are ubiquitous in the houses around Australia and are guaranteed to cause squeals from even the most hardened arachnophile when they appear in unexpected places. Most are about the size of your palm but they can get as large as 20cm - about the size of my outstretched hand. Yikes!

Fortunately, these fellows are generally harmless and, unless threatened, will rarely bite.  They do not build a web but hunt for insects and such, which actually make them quite a handy thing to have in your home if you can bear the shock of them popping up unexpectedly.  And they are fast!  Often, they are just an interesting wall ornament but when they choose, they skitter as fast as a screaming arachnophobe can leave the room.

A huntsman in the kitchen. Didn't really want a coffee afterall.

And we certainly had our fair share in Mum's house.  Most in manageable places but the odd one causing quite the reaction - remember that screaming arachnophobe? Mum's house is classic 1970's with a shower over the bath tucked in behind an arch. I hopped into the shower and was fully wet when he caught my eye, sitting happily in the corner.  Bravely, I said "Hello Mr Spider.  If you just stay there, I'll leave you in peace in a couple of minutes" (this is summer on tank water, a long shower is 3 minutes).  But as I reached for the soap, Mr Spider took off like Gout Gout towards my end of the shower.  In turn, I took off like Gout Gout, drenching the bathroom floor, soaking the passage carpet (sorry Mum) and into Mum's shower to finish what I had started.

Terrifying but not the worst thing!  Tiptoeing back into the bathroom to retrieve my clothes and Mr Spider was NOWHERE to been seen.  It's one thing to know there is a spider because you can see it, but quite another thing to know it's there somewhere, but where??

Above the tele - just stay where you are and enjoy the show.

Due to the chilly December we experienced, huntsman came into the house seeking dry and warm.  In nature, they generally live in trees and in bark so bringing in wood for the fire was an open invitation.

Sean has a new friend, even if he looks itsy-bitsy in this photo

As the summer became hotter, they are not a fan of extreme temperatures so they came into the house seeking the cool.  So, basically for any reason whatsoever, they will come into the house and loiter around until someone grabs the broom and encourages them outside.

A huntsman on the dunny roll is much
better than a redback on the toilet seat!

Although they may not kill you directly, you may just die of fright seeing a big, hairy, scary huntsman in an unexpected place.