If I had only known...

 Like most people when we thought of Australia all good things came to our mind; sun, beaches, surfing, cool accents and much much more. However, there are a few things that we were not prepared for when moving to Australia. I wanted to share with you my LEAST favorite things of living in Australia...

 

 There is a bird called a Magpie which I absolutely despise!! They are black and white and are actually kinda a pretty bird before you know what they are capable of! This time of year is their nesting season and the males are the ones that protect the babies. Well, if you even get within 100 metres of their nest the males will "swoop" you. (Swoop: attack of the back of head) They especially like to swoop those on bikes. My neighbor has been swooped many times to the point where she now rides to work with a tennis racket to swat them away. Alot of people put zip ties on their helmet so if they get close they will get poked and will go away. Fortunately, I have not been swooped yet but am deathly terrified of it happening. Jason on the other hand has not been so lucky! We were riding our bikes to the library one day and he got swooped twice. He claims that I am too slow on the bike...little did he know it was all strategy! I was walking one day and at the top of the hill saw a boy getting swooped and I know you are probably thinking that I was kind enough to go help him out, HELL NO, I turned around as fast as I could and RAN the rest of the way home! Thankfully, we are nearing the end of Magpie nesting season and I will feel much more comfortable going on walks and bike rides.

 

This is a sand fly aka midgie. Sand flies remind me of a mix of nats and mosquitoes. They are tiny and hard to see like nats but leave bumps on your skin that itch like crazy like mosquito bites. The Australians say that sand flies don't bite, they "wee" or pee on you and that's what causes the irritation to the skin.

 

 

I would have to say that right now, the sand flies are my least favorite!! This is the first time since I was 3 that I have had to use Calamine lotion. They say not to scratch them because they will leave scars. As you can see, I would really not like to come home with all these scars on my arms and legs. A couple ladies at work have been telling me different remedies to do to keep them away and to prevent the itching once they "wee" on you. I have stocked up on anti-itch creams and antihistamines

 

They also say to eat vegemite, something about the odor that comes through your pores that keeps sand flies away. As good as that all sounds, I can't bring myself to try it just yet!!

 

Last but not least, the brown snake. Even though I have not seen one of these yet, I am deathly afraid of coming in contact with one. They are usually found in "bush land" or wooded areas. They are the most deadley snakes of all! Everytime I walk outside I make sure to look at the grass to make sure there aren't any unexpected guests... I pray that I never have an encounter with this living creature on my list of least favorite things in Australia! We saw one on the road and Jason ran it over with the car....  I thought it was going to get into the car!!