Crocodiles in the Kimberley

[StuM]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

We have venomous octopus and fish too... oh yeah, and cone shells that can kill...

Can't think of any lethal plants though.

Gympie-gympie would come close.

Gympie Gympie: Once stung, never forgotten - Australian Geographic

[DeepFrz]

Cyril also told of an officer shooting himself after using a stinging-tree leaf for “toilet purposes”.

Owowowowowow....

In Australia, there are more than 2000 plants known to be poisonous, says Ross McKenzie, author of Australia's Poisonous Plants, Fungi and Cyanobacteria: A Guide to Species of Medical and Veterinary Importance (CSIRO). "But, it is very important to understand the concept of a 'poisonous plant' and that plants that may poison one animal species may be quite safe for another species," he says.

[Winf]

Thanks to all those that have responded, serious and otherwise. Have met up with some cruisers with first hand recent experience and they have also helped. In summary, take the usual precautions and keep your eyes open. Pull the dinghy up until you get a feel for the area and the risks.

Yes, it is really, really dangerous down here what with the snakes, spiders, dingos, jellyfish, sharks, stinging trees etc etc etc. Whatever you do don't risk a trip to see for yourself.

Winf

[Seaurchin2]

See you there in about 6 months, I will be coming up from the south, second time through.

[JazzyO]

I studied with a lovely guy that got killed by a saltwater croc snorkeling off Picnic Beach in September 2005. Be careful out there.


Onno


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[chala]

Originally Posted by clownfishsydney

At the Jumping Crocodiles on the Adelaide River in Northern Territory, the smaller crocs can jump out of the water about their length. The large 5 m (15 feet) ones can only do about 1/2 to 2/3 of their length. Still very scary to see and I cannot understand the fishers in their tiny tinnies standing up. Once bump and they are croc food.

Yes but how many time do they jump in a day? They are just fed and tired performers. Now give them the chance to heat more exciting food, the foreign fisherman that put his chair nearby did not last 2 hours. In Maningrida you can ear the crocs near by and if some dogs disappear you knows that crocs are not far. Would not like to give idea to people.

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Can't think of any lethal plants though.

What about stirring the Billy can with an oleander twig?

[chala]

They even game to attack helicopters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6cs9ph1yxc

Google hellicopter crocodile egg harvesting

[Pelagic]

Do they collect the eggs for crocodile farming or just to piss off the mothers?

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Do they collect the eggs for crocodile farming or just to piss off the mothers?

Croc eggs are an aussie delicacy they go great with bacon.

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[Wotname]

Especially a good smokey croc bacon...

Sometimes also used for farming after breakfast!

[Capt Rottnest]

We just sailed the Kimberley and I think the croc stories over blow the issue. May be truth in them, but likelihood rank with winning lotto IMO.
One thing you can do is swim at a wide clear beach, with lots of vision all round and can see if it is croc free. This is done all the time, as those nasty jelly stingers are still a QLD and NT only problem.

We saw 3 crocs in 2 months in the Kimberley, none of them huge. One was spotted from the dink, just as the motor conked out, he dived and there was a fumbling scramble for the fuel can to top up the outboard I tell you! The bugger resurfaced, but further away. He didn't want anything to do with us, still we aborted that excursion. In the King George River that was.

I was told by a local, Kimberley crocs don't get to eat the large livestock and kangaroos which the NT ones do, thus they aren't as big. But generally, they tend to be a non issue. You'd have to be unlucky.

And, just about every tender up here in the top end is hard, for some reason...

[bobnlesley]

"I Can't think of any lethal plants though. "


The first time we visited Aus, about thirty years ago, we pitched our tent on a campground near Wilpena Pound in SA, within 15 minutes we'd had four or five people come over and advise us to move - it was only the number of separate individuals who approached us that eventually convinced us it wasn't just another 'wind up the pommie' story. The reason for their concern was that we'd camped under a tree - I can't remember the species, but it must've been some variant of gum/eucalyptus tree, as that's all we ever saw in Aus - this one had the annoying habit of dropping branches off in times of drought, which there was when we were there. Anyway, having moved the motorbike, re-pitched the tent, had a couple of beers and crashed out for the night, we later hear a crunching bang/thump and joked: "That must be the tree dropping branches". It was less funny when we got up the following morning to discover about 1/3rd of the tree laid on the ground just where we'd originally pitched our tent - it would've probably done for us, as it was so large I couldn't move the fallen bough.


Whilst I'm writing, I would warn that Drop Bears are not a fallacy: Again, we learnt about them early in our first trip out there and exactly as promised/warned, when we crossed the Nulllabor, we didn't see a single tree without at least one Drop Bear roosting in it.

[Jim Cate]

Whilst I'm writing, I would warn that Drop Bears are not a fallacy: Again, we learnt about them early in our first trip out there and exactly as promised/warned, when we crossed the Nulllabor, we didn't see a single tree without at least one Drop Bear roosting in it.

It is kinda incorrect to refer to drop bears as "roosting". In fact, they grasp a large branch with their fangs and hang from it, sorta like an upside down bat. Their teeth and jaws are fearful, and it is damage from these teeth that cause the limbs of those trees to drop off and kill unwary Pommie campers.

I bet you didn't know that!

Jim

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

It is kinda incorrect to refer to drop bears as "roosting". In fact, they grasp a large branch with their fangs and hang from it

I knew a girl that had a similar talent..... at first I thought it was just chronic and persistent teething problems, but then realized it was rooted in an obscure Australian Mating ritual that required gummy bears to show their national commitment

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by bobnlesley

"I Can't think of any lethal plants though. "


The first time we visited Aus, about thirty years ago, we pitched our tent on a campground near Wilpena Pound in SA, within 15 minutes we'd had four or five people come over and advise us to move - it was only the number of separate individuals who approached us that eventually convinced us it wasn't just another 'wind up the pommie' story. The reason for their concern was that we'd camped under a tree - I can't remember the species, but it must've been some variant of gum/eucalyptus tree, as that's all we ever saw in Aus - this one had the annoying habit of dropping branches off in times of drought, which there was when we were there. Anyway, having moved the motorbike, re-pitched the tent, had a couple of beers and crashed out for the night, we later hear a crunching bang/thump and joked: "That must be the tree dropping branches". It was less funny when we got up the following morning to discover about 1/3rd of the tree laid on the ground just where we'd originally pitched our tent - it would've probably done for us, as it was so large I couldn't move the fallen bough.


Whilst I'm writing, I would warn that Drop Bears are not a fallacy: Again, we learnt about them early in our first trip out there and exactly as promised/warned, when we crossed the Nulllabor, we didn't see a single tree without at least one Drop Bear roosting in it.

Yes you're right, I was wrong. Even some of our plants can be lethal. Nice place, Wilpena pound though.

If you survive.